By Kelly on Saturday, 22 September 2007

What a lake! Marayka, Cathie and I had a swim in the fresh water lake with the kids who had been our little guides for the entire day. We jumped in from one of the floating bures and pontoons which are built out into the lake.

By Kelly on Friday, 21 September 2007

We were marauded by monkeys at the Butterfly farm today, all except one red-faced Uacary who loved to preen your hair and was extremeley gentle when doing so!! All for a return of favour of course!

We needed him on the trek!!

By Kelly on Thursday, 20 September 2007

This morning was a flurry of packing, repacking and one more shower before we headed for Huaraz airport and our tiny plane.

We were picked up in a large Tarago-type car, then drove to pick up a worker from the airline we were flying, LAN, who, when we arrived at the aiport, ran behind the check-in desk and took our tickets!

Security checks on the garden pathway led to an 18 seat plane which made me feel like Alice when when she eats the BIG cookie in Wonderland
The fl ... Read More »

By Kelly on Thursday, 20 September 2007

Yep, my face was caked with dirt by the end of our 4.5hr run out to Llamac (yamack) today, hot and sticky and a speedy drive back to Huaraz ? and a SHOWER!

By Kelly on Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Another rest day today, at such a warm camp too. Basically ate and read my way through today, and had a pretty special end to the day and trip with a traditional ground oven dinner of 78 trout caught in the nearby glacial lake? Sounds alright!?!

By Kelly on Tuesday, 18 September 2007

We got into camp fairly early today, and seeing as i was feeling better and the sun was out, me Cathie and Catherine went for a VERY QUICK dip in the freezing glacial water near our camp.
Catherine was trying to ask me questions after i had dived in ? at that temperature all I could do was try to breathe! She´s going to love this pic too?

By Kelly on Monday, 17 September 2007

Killer climb out of Huayllapa (Why-yappa) today, but I finally felt really strong the whole day.
After we bunkered down in our mess tent at camp, the snow started puking ? yep more snow than the NSW snowfields at the moment I dare say!!!

By Kelly on Friday, 14 September 2007

I was glad to wake up feeling well enough to tackle the mammoth San Antonio pass today - the 5000m route option I had committed to last night.

It had snowed over night and the start to the day was chilly. Bec, Marayka, Catherine and I set off for the bottom of the steep, unstable pass up the mountain. This was the first walking I had done for 2 days so I was very shaky and pretty weak so I took advantage of the horse on the 2 flat sections of the climb. Most of the 2hr climb was over loose, gravelly dirt on a ridiculous incline, with a frozen stream of water cutting down the middle like wet concrete.

We each climber our ways to the summit, one by one, and were met with an amazing view of th ... Read More »

By Kelly on Friday, 14 September 2007

I just can´t wait to be on the?

Yep, trusty old farty horse got Sara and I to the top again today (led by our cook ? Janero) after a much needed rest day yesterday ? awesome views of both snow capped ranges at 5000m today, well worth it.

By Kelly on Thursday, 13 September 2007

Woke up better but with a tingly nose this morning as a result of the Diamox!
Had a lovely day in bed listening to my iPod ? Kings of Leon (of course), Queens of the Stoneage (healing music?) and a bit of JT thrown in there.
Apparently there were hot springs around here somewhere, all i know is they´re not near the pit toilet?
Kel :)

By Kelly on Wednesday, 12 September 2007

Did anyone say crapest birthday ever??! I was Marayka´s ´tent buddy´ and didn´t fare too well today ? actually I was the sickest I´ve ever felt.

With my energy stores low altitude came along and smacked me in the face this morning, such that I felt like someone had spiked my drink ? I couldn´t walk (not great for trekking), or even understand what people around me were saying. I got loaded onto a horse for the 4900m pass and tried to hang on for the 4hrs to the next camp.

It would´ve been a nice walk today, but all i wanted to do was get into bed! 1.5 Diamox later and I was lucid enough to try a bowl of soup.

I knew 28 was going to be ... Read More »

By Kelly on Monday, 10 September 2007

We´re getting into the nitty-gritty of the trek a bit more now with the first signs of fatigue and the effects of altitude emerging.

Last night and this morning I began to experience a racing heart (not uncommon) but also chest cramps... not a whole lot of fun! Marayka has had a splitting headache for most of the trek so far, so along with Cathie and I today we chose to take the lower route to our next camp.

Our route formed part of the Circuit and had a pass at 4700m - ... Read More »

By Kelly on Monday, 10 September 2007

Amazing walk today ? it started off with snow and ended at a beautiful turquoise lake and snow-capped peaks at camp!

By Kelly on Sunday, 9 September 2007

Saw my first glacier today!!! Very cool?

By Kelly on Saturday, 8 September 2007

It was a freezing camp tonight, ice on the outside of the tent before we hit the sack at 9pm?

All above though were the brighest stars and constellations I´ve seen ? it was great to see the Southern Cross even brighter than ever!

Kel

By Kelly on Friday, 7 September 2007

Or is it tre, drei or san cool? The poor locals over here are copping a mixture of oragato!, hai!, si!, shissen! and Ja! from me. We thankfully had a Spanish lesson last night which was mui helpful!

Not so timely though, as our Peruvian mountain bike guide today spoke fluent English. Julio, clad in his fluro yellow cycling top and bike pants (yowza) led us on a 40km off road bike ride down 1000m of the Cordilla Negros range in the Andes (Jamie, I know you´re jealous). It took 4hrs and ended in sore bums, but it was something i´ve never attempted before, so was scary and awesome at the same time ? one for the memory bank.

We´ve just put together the final touches for our trek tom ... Read More »

By Kelly on Wednesday, 5 September 2007

I´m baaaack?.

Why?! Who knows! Back for the adventure and torture of 30hrs travel, jet lag, bottled water, and 12 days without a shower?! Really sane?

It´s weird being over here in Huaraz, Peru, without the 06 Got team (HI!!!), but our 07 team is shaping up to be just as hilarious. As luck would have it, 06 girls, there aint much to buy in downtown Huaraz and we´ve got a 35kg baggage limit!!?! There was some lovely offal in the local mar ... Read More »