39 per minute

After two days of rest in Chacas we take bikes and luggage in the bus to Huaraz. This costs 20 Sols (5€) each, no fee for the bikes. It takes three hours, and for the largest part follows the reverse of our recent itinerary, including the tunnel.

Having found our hotel and deposited the bicycles for a check up at a recommended bike shop, we visit the cardiologist. The echocardiogram is normal, so he equips Alice with a Holter machine for the next 36 hours, to record any anomalies such as arrhythmia.

The next morning, Holter machine in tow, and with permission, we head out on a day excursion to visit Wilkahuaín (‘grandson’s house’ in Quechua). These restored tombs from the 6th to 9th century, use a stone construction technique that is reminiscent of Marcahuamachuco: walls made with very large stones stabilised by smaller ones. Interestingly the roofs are still in place and supported by very large beams each made of a single stone.

We continue climbing on a mix of dirt road and concrete road under construction, in a splendid environment. A landslide which has completely destroyed the bridge forces us to execute an elaborate river crossing.

The next day we get the results from the Holter. It is normal, but Alice does have a very low heart rate (lowest is 39 per minute during sleep). It seems this is typical of serious cyclists and so not surprising given the month long intense exercise to which we have treated ourselves. The conclusion is that Alice’s issues are due to altitude but her heart is not a factor.

Thus reassured, Alice wants to give altitude a final shot. We decide to continue with the next leg of the planned route, but taking it by smaller daily chunks. The hope is that this will allow Alice to handle the altitude better. Fingers crossed.Read more