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Published: August 4th 2010
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Ice training
First day of training at the glacier in preparation for the major trek to the summit Huayna Potosí is a glacier-covered mountain located 15 miles north of the city of La Paz. The first accent of the mountain was done in 1919 by Germans Rudolf Dienst and Adolf Schulze. 91 years later, I decided to follow the same route to the 6,088 meter summit.
My father, sister, and I planned the 3-day trek through the Huayna Potosí travel agency, run by Dr. Hugo Berrios. The first day of our journey, we arrived at the first refuge, located at the base of the mountain. The genial staff served us lunch, consisting of energy foods packed with vitamins and carbohydrates. Shortly after, our training for ice hiking commenced. We trekked for about one hour in rocky terrain until we reached an impressive glacier. There, our guide showed us how to properly use our crampons and ice picks. This was my first experience with ice navigating, which was quite apparent when I accidentally tore a shred in my right pant leg with the bottom of my spikey left shoe.
We returned to the first refuge that night in order to get a good nights sleep and allow our bodies to adjust to the altitude before the next day’s
events. After gathering the proper materials for the hike, we proceeded to the second refuge, which took about 5 hours to reach. The group hastily ate a makeshift dinner and attempted to go to sleep at 5pm. This was because we were to awake at midnight in order to proceed to the summit of the mountain before sunrise. Unfortunately, my sister had a rough time with the first leg of the hike due to her asthma, so, my father and sister decided to stay behind at the second refuge instead of continuing to the top.
After a restless 7 hours of shut-eye at the second refuge, which was warm and comfortable, yet resembled a tin can, the guide awoke me in order to get dressed for the 6-hour hike to the summit. We left at approximately 1a.m. and started straight away at the icy path. After the first hour of the hike it seemed as if we had been ice climbing for eternity. I remember reassuring myself that it was okay if I could not make it to the top, “I have nothing to prove”. Nonetheless, after some sips of water, a chunk of chocolate, and a handful of
The three of us
Myself, my father, and my sister while on the first leg of the hike to the second refuge coca leaves, we continued on in silence, admiring the beauty of Huayna Potosí under the reflection of the moonlight. Two hours later, I felt the altitude starting to get to me. The thin air and cold chill made
it extremely difficult to breath regularly, let alone focus on my foot placement. So, my solution was to gain a rhythm, almost trance like, so I could channel the strenuous physical activity into somewhat of a
meditation rather than a struggle. This proved to be a most helpful tactic to adopt under the circumstances, because I had not even noticed when we reached the 5-hour point of the trek. With one hour left to the summit, I felt a renewed burst of energy run through my veins. I could taste the sweet victory of conquering the mountain. The last 20 minutes of the hike were the most dangerous and challenging of all. I timidly teetered on the steep ridge of icy rock that led to the narrow tip of the 6,088 meter high summit. One wrong slip and I would find myself plummeting to a gloomy consequence, while dragging my guide with me by the rope attached to our waists. Luckily, that
Soaring
Feeling on top of the world on the first day of hiking outcome was not what the future had in store for me. At 6a.m. I happily collapsed, exhausted, into a comfortable position on the summit of Huayna Potosí. Surprisingly, my first reaction was not “Yes, I did it!”, rather, “Wow, this is absolutely beautiful”. All those who had made it to the summit had a clear view of the electrifying lights of el Alto and La Paz, a moonlit Lake Titicaca, the majestic Ilimani Mountain, and a glimpse of the small town of Coroico nestled on a Yungas mountaintop. There were no other words to describe the sight besides: utterly amazing.
The descent from the summit was by far the most enjoyable leg of the journey. Words cannot properly describe the sights from the mountain during sunrise, so look at these photos and see for your selves.
The journey was challenging and rewarding, but I regret to say, I certainly overdid it. Upon my arrival to La Paz, I realized that I hadn’t properly trained my body for this activity. Unfortunately, a trip to the clinic indicated that I had contracted pneumonia, which led to dangerously low oxygen levels, and required hospital bed rest for three days. Still, it
Proud stance
Conquering the mountain was worth it. Even as I am writing this now I have a box a Kleenex and antibiotic pills on my bed stand, but I cannot keep from smiling while reminiscing about my experience at Huayna Potosi only one week ago. I highly recommend this excursion for any adventurous spirit out there; you surely will not be disappointed.
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