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Published: October 9th 2014
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Wow, we just finished our first day of hiking and I am literally and figuratively breathless. It feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest, all the time. But it is totally worth it, the view is absolutely to die for.
We left Cusco this morning at 6am. We took a 2-hour bus ride to the town of Mollepata (9514 ft. above sea level) where we had breakfast then we continued on for a few more hours to Sayapata, our trek starting point. During my short time in Peru I have learned what terrible drivers Peruvians are so the ride was scary to say the least. One lane roads do not stop the drivers here from passing each other on the side of a cliff and we almost crashed when a car in front of us stopped to let a car go by. It was so dusty that we couldn’t see the car in front of us and we came within inches of his bumper. Cows and people also crowded the roads making the roads even more dangerous. However, the views of the mountains got better and better as we drove.
The hike to
our campsite at Soraypampa (12,631 ft. above sea level) was only about 2 hours but by the end of it I felt like I had just run a marathon. The effects of the altitude on your body is insane and not only are your muscles quickly exhausted but it becomes impossible to catch your breath. During the hike we had panoramic views of Valley of Apurimac River and the majestic Salkantay Mountain (20,600 ft. - the highest in the region). The Salkantay Mountain is considered one of the most sacred mountains in the Inca Empire because of its location and prominence and the Incas believed it could control weather and fertility in the surrounding region.
When we finally made it to our campsite we had my favorite lunch lomo saltado, a traditional Peruvian dish. It consists of a stir fry that typically combines marinated strips of sirloin with onions, tomatoes, and other ingredients, served with French fries and rice. After lunch we hiked to Lake Humantay, a lake fed by the hanging glaciers of Mt. Humantay (17,443 ft.). The climb literally almost killed us. We walked so slow and had to take frequent breaks. The only thing
that got me through was the view as I was surrounded by deep canyons and two mountains covered in snow. As we got closer and closer to the top you could make out the glaciers that hung on the mountain. Our guide said that the snow is so unstable on the mountain that 4-5 avalanches occur every day. The whole time I hoped for one, but no luck. Halfway up I branched out on my own and just took my time, soaking in the beauty that was around me.
At the end of the hike we came to a beautiful lagoon that was feed by a glacier that hung from the mountain. The lagoon had a teal colored shoreline and a deep blue center. Straight up from the lake was the vast mountain covered in snow. Words cannot describe how incredible this sight was.
Around the lagoon we made stone structures. The goal is to make the tallest one and after you get to make 3 wishes. All around the lagoon you can see a ton of these stone structures and you wonder what other people wished for.
Soon after it started pouring so we put on
our ponchos and hurried down the mountain. Surprisingly it was almost as painful to go down… It was killer on your quads and butt and it didn’t help that the rain made us cold.
When we got back to camp we had Happy Hour…. And no not that kind. Our Happy hour consisted of hot chocolate (with powdered milk), popcorn, cookies and of course coca leaf tea.
Later at dinner we shared our life stories with each other, it was a good start to the trip. We learned a lot about one another. Our group consisted of 3 Germans, 3 Australians, 1 Dutch, 1 Scot and then Kelly and myself. We had a great group and we all got along great.
The night was cold but so clear. I have never seen so many stars in my life…. Seriously thousands and thousands of stars. It was amazing. Luckily the first night our tents were inside this enclosed shelter so it kept us warmer, but yes I was still freezing. Kelly and I put on every single piece of clothing we brought and stuck those body warmers all over our bodies. My biggest fear was that I was
going to have to pee in the middle of the night, luckily that never happened. We all went to bed so early exhausted from the day but also to get rested for our hardest hike the next day.
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