Cerro Ayasamachina

So anybody that knows me knows that up until I met James I gave any walk that involved a lot of up a big miss. On the W trek I cursed the topographic maps that while showing down ment a lot of up. Today therefore was the biggest walking challange of my life. Continious 1000m up whilst at altitude- lets go!

We started straight up from 3500m at our homestay into the early morning mist. Walking through fields Pierro our guide coached us each step had to be slow and deliberate or we would puff ourselves out. He promised a break every 20 minutes with big ones every hour. The landscape turned from fields to bushes and trees. Out of the mist a temple of hummingbirds appeared, and one or two of the birds could be spotted in the bushes. The temple was reclaimed from the wild by Dragoman, one of their initatives in the area along with conservation and the jobs the trek creates.

It truly was a wild andes trek as the path largely disappeared, and we pushed through the undergrowth. As we climbed above the mist an elderly man and a horse appeared- our ambulance and driver in case of bad altitude sickness. Mr Wari was a man of little words, always wearing a cap and doing the whole of the trek in his sandles, he was a legend. More than once I caught his look of exasberation as we took another break. I bet he could do the whole trek in a day!

The bushes and trees dissappeared at 4000m to be replaced with grass. The ambulance loved this and munched his way to the top. The breathlessness got worse at this point and stops were needed every 10 minutes or so. Slowly we made our way to the pass where at the top I lay down for a good rest. We had done the climb in record Dragoman time! No wonder I was exhausted! My sats at the top were 85%, back at sea level I'd have put myself on Oxygen!

Pierro grabbed a wooden musical pipe out of his bag along with some Pisco and taught us how to thank Pacchamama for our good weather (a shot). James and Izzy full of extra energy went up to the peak. Olly, Karen and I were happy to remain lying down. Lunch was calling half an hour down the valley and we set off and came accross a mini camp with dining tent and a toilet! We had a 3 course lunch (so good!) and a siesta!

Walking up after lunch I didn't feel so good, with a mild thumping headache and dizziness. I had a touch of altitude sickness. Pierro advised water, painkillers and mixture he called condor piss - a cologne to open the airways! Camp was at a lower altitude so we marched across andean flat with the camp team rushing ahead of us to set up!

As we got to the camp my headache was clearing and it was luxary as they brought warm water to our tents for a bush wash before again spoiling us with food. Pierro introduced us to hot chocolate with pisco before we passed out in our tents. Our Doite sleeping bags from Santiago were soo cosy even in sub zero temps. Thank god!Read more