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Published: January 5th 2007
Mt Churrup
Pete ready to start our mountain adventureWhen we stepped off the bus at 6am in Huaraz, it was like we had arrived in another world. Because we had traveled through the night, we hadn´t seen any of the scenery along the way. The contrast from the coast to the mountains was incredible. In every direction, huge snow capped peaks rose above the city. we were already at 4000m above sea level and some of the mountains seemed to rise hundreds of meters further above us.
Huaraz wasn´t what i was expecting. From pictures i had seen of Pete´s time in Cajamarca and from my only other visit to the Andes in Cuenca (Ecuador), i was expecting to find a relatively cosmopolitan european type city. Huaraz is in fact a very basic market town, full of indigenous people selling the produce of their land on every street corner. It is quite dirty, but has a unique charm. My first impression was that it was the right decision to leave the beach. However, the events of the next couple of days would make me re- think.
We were picked up at the bus station by Gilf, the owner of our hostal. When we arrived at hostal Colonia
Huaraz
typical market scene in Huaraz it was the off season and we had the place to ourselves. we also had the luxury of having the whole family on hand to take care of our every need. we immediately started to talk trekking possibilities with Gilf over a complimentary breakfast. After much deliberation about the cost, duration and difficulty of possible tours, we eventually decided to take a 2 day trek to Laguna Churup. For $100 each we would get all our equipment; 1 hr taxi to the start of the trek; a local guide; overnight camp at Laguna Churup; food and a taxi back the next day. The plan was to get back on new year´s eve ready for a fiesta in the evening.
After catching up on lost sleep from the overnight bus, we spent the afternoon relaxing in some nearby hot mountain springs. When we returned to the hostal, we were introduced to our guide for the next day and kitted out with all our equipment. Our guide was called Fidel. When he introduced himself, Simon shook his hand and said, "¿Ah Fidel. Castro tambien?" Meaning, is your surname also Castro. I found this hilarious. Luckily Fidel didn´t seem to take offence.
Mt Churrup
Views along the way Once we had all our kit, Fidel took us out into Huaraz to show us a good place to eat and buy last minute supply's for the next day.
As Fidel lead us around Huaraz, it seemed like he was testing us out for the next day. He didn´t speak much english, so we just followed quickly behind him as he marched down streets and alleys. Simon pointed out that it was rather worrying that every time we asked how far, he would always reply with "es muy circa" and it would feel like miles. At 4000m there is 40% less breathable oxygen in the air. This means even a brisk walk gets the pulse racing. After a meal of chicken and chips we organized with Fidel to leave the hostal the next morning at 7:30am. In my mind i had made the transition from beach bum to mountain monster and was eager to do some serious climbing!
When we arrived at the base of Churup it was amazing. THe mountains were lit up by the early morning sun and the snow capped peaks sparkled in the clear blue sky's. This was definitely going to be different to
Mt Churrup
We made it! any of the climbing i had done with my family or as a member of the boy scouts back in England. The plan was to trek the 450m to Laguna Churup. At 4450m we would set up base camp by the lake. Weather permitting we would then have the option to trek further to another lake at 4600m. we would spend the night in the mountains and return to Huaraz the next day.
When we started to climb, we were carrying rucksacks filled with sleeping bags, clothes, roll mat and food. The steep climb made every step an effort and the altitude soon had you breathing through your arse. We quickly got into a good rhythm and started to enjoy the climb. We made steady progress, stopping regularly for water, photos and to take the piss out of Simon. At 4200m he still looked like he was at the beach. Have you ever seen a mountaineer wearing sunglasses, florescent jacket, boardies, skate shoes and pink socks?? The further up the mountain we got, the steeper it became. At 4400m, just before we reached Laguna Churup, the climb turned into a scramble. For the first time Fidel insisted on leading
the way. We followed his route as closely as possible, knowing one wrong foot hold could be a disaster. When we reached Laguna Churup it was well worth the trek. The sun was still shining and the views were spectacular. At the far end of the valley, mt Churup´s reflection was clearly visible in the turquoise water of the lake. We enjoyed the scenery while we had lunch and then we set up base camp. It was at this point things started to take a turn for the worse.
For the previous 2 days, i had been struggling with a stomach upset. I had been forced to make several visits to the bathroom the previous night. In the morning i had toyed with the idea of staying behind, but i didn´t want to miss the opportunity to enjoy some of the grandest mountains in the world. Instead i took some Imodium with breakfast and hoped for the best. As soon as my dinner hit my stomach, it barely touched the sides before wanting to make a re-appearance. Luckily i had brought a good supply of toilet roll, but even with the finest double quilted paper, number 2´s on the
Mt Churrup
Which way to the beach?? side of a mountain are still rather unpleasant to say the least.
My stomach didn´t feel very good, so i climbed into my sleeping bag in the tent to get some rest. Pete, Simon and Fidel went for a trek to the next lake. The clouds were moving in, i was feeling like i could go to the toilet at any moment, so opted to stay in the tent. For half an hour i lay under the tent, snuggled in my sleeping bag, listening to the sound of hail and wind smashing against the side of the tent. I slowly drifted off to sleep and was woken when Pete , Simon and Fidel returned, wet, cold and keen for shelter. We all huddled in the tents, but within minutes there was a river flowing over our ground mat. Water was leaking in from the sides, our ground mats and sleeping bags were soaking wet and the rain was getting harder and the temperature dropping.
It was 4:30pm and myself and Pete were getting worried about the prospect of spending the night in wet clothes on the side of a mountain. i was starting to feel worse and lay
Mt Churrup
Bedding down after breaking in to this hut in my sleeping bag while Pete frantically tried to mop up water with a flannel. There wasn´t enough daylight left for us to get back down the mountain, so we had no choice but to sit tight and hope the rain would stop. By 5pm i was feeling pretty unwell. I had severe stomach cramps, was starting to feel really hot, nauseous and i had a faint headache. I told Pete i didn´t feel right. As soon as Fidel saw my symptoms, the decision was made to pack up and head back down the mountain. Until that point, i thought i was suffering because of my stomach bug. I knew that we only had 1hr of daylight left and for Fidel to risk climbing in the dark by torchlight, things must be serious. Nobody said anything, but i knew i was starting to show signs of altitude sickness.
The boys frantically packed up base camp. It had now started to snow, but i didn´t have the strength to help. I sat under my waterproof and tried to get my head around the whole situation. As i sat, i couldn't´t help think that the whole situation we were faced with
New Year
Happy New Year Peru Style (Complete with yellow pants on head) was alarmingly similar to all the stories in the book i was currently reading. ´Mountain Disasters.´This was exactly the kind of start to all the stories in my book, just before the shit hits the fan.
When we set off down the mountain, we had 45 minutes of daylight left and some serious terrain to navigate. Fidel only had one small torch. I couldn't´t stand up straight because the cramp in my stomach was so bad. I felt sick, hot, weak and i was in the last place in the world i wanted to be. To avoid the steepest part of the decent, Fidel took us off on an uphill course. As we climbed higher i got worse and worse. I asked Pete why we were climbing higher?
" We are just going to have to trust our guide mate. Keep going."
I didn´t know if i could. All i wanted to do was sit down and rest, but i knew every step down would make me feel better. By now i couldn't´t carry my rucksack. Simon and Pete had to take it in turns. I also couldn't´t walk 10 minutes without having to stop, bend over and
spray the most disgusting diarrhea all over the side of the mountain. I can´t even begin to describe the quantity of crap coming out of my body. I was also constantly reaching to vomit, but nothing was coming up. Simon and Pete continued to encourage me and i focused on every step. At about 300m down i was violently sick, but strangely it made me feel better. I could finally stand up straight and walk with more ease. By now the terrain was less steep and i started to think we could get down.
We finally reached the point from which we had started our trek that morning. The relief to be off the mountain was amazing. However, it was still a 3hr walk to the nearest town, so we had no other option but to try and find some shelter for the night. I still didn´t feel well, but compared to how i was feeling at 4500m i was on top of the world. I had finally stopped going to the toilet. Which was a good job because i had used a whole roll of toilet paper on the way down. There was now very little left.
The first house we came to was empty. However, there was an out house at the back with only a small padlock on the door. A couple of hard blows with a rock soon had it open. The room was small, filled with pots, pans and a pile of wood, but at that moment it looked like the penthouse suite at the Hilton. Fidel wasted no time building a fire and putting on some food and water. I wasted no time getting into my sleeping bag. When the water had boiled, we couldn't´t find the coffee, so instead enjoyed a cup of hot sugary water. It tasted great. Once we had eaten, we all huddled up on the stone floor and tried to get some sleep.
The sun woke us the next morning at 6am. The sky was blue, the sun shining and it was as if the previous day hadn´t happened. Although it had been the worst night of my life, i still couldn't´t help admire the beauty of where i was. We had breakfast, packed up and luckily managed to get a lift down to Huaraz by a car dropping off some other climbers. On the car journey back to the hostal, all kinds of emotions were going through my head. I was extremely thankful to Fidel, Simon and Pete for getting us all down safely. As i knew the story now had a happy ending, i was glad that i had the experience to talk about. As my brother would say, "It´s all character building." One thing is for sure. I won´t be leaving the beach in a hurry in future.
When i got back to the hostal i immediately had a hot shower and went to bed. That afternoon when i woke, i did some research about altitude sickness on the internet. Altitude is defined in three scales. High altitude is anything from 2,438 - 3,658 meters. Very high altitude is 3,658 meters - 5,487 meters and extremely high (finally ascents on everest etc) is 5,500 meters and above. At Laguna Churup we were right in the middle of ´Very high´on the scale. If we had stayed and tried to ride the night out in the tent, i would have continued to get worse and worse. I would have got a severe headache, not relieved by medication, nausea and vomiting, increasing weakness and fatigue, shortness of breath, and decreased coordination. If i hadn´t got off the mountain there would have been a chance i would have developed cerebral and pulmonary edemas and been in a very bad way indeed.
If we had done some research before heading straight to the hills, we would have found out that we should have stayed in Huaraz for 3 days to acclimatize, before attempting any walking at the altitudes we were at. However, we couldn't´t help think that Gilf should have warned us of the risks. We had even asked Fidel on the way to the mountain if altitude sickness was a possibility and he had said no. They obviously felt very bad about the whole situation and for the next few days treated us even more like royalty. We were given a free meal on new years eve with a bottle of wine and we were invited to join the family party for the new year. The party was great fun and we drank our way through a fare share of free alcohol. By the end of the night we were dancing with yellow pants on our heads, but that's a whole different story.
After new years day it was time to head to lima. Simon was on his way to join the rest of the gringos in Cuzco and do more trekking on the inca trail. Myself and Pete were heading south of lima to try and find a place suitable to spend 2 weeks with our girlfriends. We have pretty much spent the last 2 months travelling with Simon and it was sad to have to say goodbye. We have shared some good times since meeting in Canoa and i am already looking forward to meeting up again in Sydney. Thanks for all your help with my spanish and being the whipping boy at backgammon. It´s gold bro!!!!!
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Simon
non-member comment
good times mate
John! fucking sweet entry man. captured all the emotions and difficulties involved with the hike. but now when we look back on it ,it was a pretty amazing experience. as pete said.. something like that strengthens friendships. it was awesome to be there with you guys.. and in all the other places beforehand...great waves, jokes, nights out, adventures etc. cheers boys. good times all round. cant wait to kick it again in Sydney big love Simon