Sunday, 13. May 2018
Today is the day, because I finally gave in. Petra, Tobi and I are going to climb Chachani... Ok, climb isn't the right word, hike is more adequate considering the technical difficultiy. What do I want on top of a 6000m mountain? 6057m to be exact. Whatever, I like the two and without me they'd have to go up there with strangers. Also the three of us got a private guide and we're of equal fitness. So who cares, I don't have anything better to do.
Yesterday we were at the tour office to pick up our gear. Outfits from the 80s, at least judging by their condition and color combinations. Who gives, nobody knows us here anyhow.
Another advantage? is that with a private guide we don't have to spend the night in basecamp at about 5000m. None of us has the desire to do that.
10:00 p.m. the bell rings and the guide is here to pick us up.
For the first hour we drive out of town and try to get some sleep... Then come 2h of the worst dirt tracks ever and there's no chance to get some sleep at least not for us. The two guides in the car are happily snoring away.
Monday, 14. May 2018
00:30 a.m., we're at the car park. It's f..... cold and a fierce wind is howling which doesn't improve things :|
After 1.5h over stock and stone we've covered the first ascends and are at basecamp. There everybody is still asleep. At least until we wake them up with our chatter... The wind is still fierce. We eat something and I put on thicker gloves and another jacket. Then we're off up the hill.
Because it's almost a new moon we're making our way up the hill by the sheen of our headlamps. The track is steep and sandy. It's zick zacking up the hillside, higher and higher. We've found a good rythm and are feeling great.
At the first stop we have to find out that the water in the valves of our camel backs is frozen... After a while we manage to resolve the issue. This is going to be funny, if it wasn't for the damned wind.
The hours are dragging on forever and when we look at the watch hours have already passed... Tobi starts to say that he wouldn't have a problem turning around. Ok, we're prepared for this. Everybody told us about this that sooner or later everybody would have a low and thoughts of giving up. So we make a break, eat and drink and something and encourage Tobi.
Then it's my turn, we still have more than 400 meters of hight in front of us. I'm hungry and shacking all over my body and am terribly cold. I eat and drink something. I'm feeling like sh.. but I don't want the others to have to turn around because of me. Sunrise is approaching fast, then I'll get warmer.
Only about 100m more to the summit. Petra seems to be suffering silently. However, when the guide asks us if we want to turn around we say no in unison.
The last 100m everybody seems to be fighting for himself. Each step is unbelievably difficult, but then we're on the summit...
We're all way to exhausted to take pictures. The guide asks us if he should take a group picture, thank goodness.
After only 5 minutes we're on the way back down. First over frozen snow and then down a gravel slope towards basecamp.
And then comes the hard part. Petra and Tobi have high altitude sickness and are completely dehydrated! Due to the problems caused by the extreme cold they hardly drank anything. Later we found out that during the whole trip the two had only drunk about one liter between the two of them.
Petra says that she has problems seeing and that she sees everything through a white mist. Tobi is coming down with haluzinations and all stones have arms!!!
Ich tell the guide and ask him to give oxygen to the two. He only tells me that he doesn't have any with him and that we should descend quickly. Then he's gone, leaving us alone!
Because Tobi still seems to do well on foot we tell Petra to go slowly ahead and that Tobi and I would follow. Again, the guide didn't want to wait around. All of a sudden Tobi caved in, nothing was going any more. With lots of encouragement I got him to eat a cookie and drink some water.
Ich tell the guide and ask him to give oxygen to the two. He only tells me that he doesn't have any with him and that we should descend quickly. Then he's gone, leaving us alone!
Because Tobi still seems to do well on foot we tell Petra to go slowly ahead and that Tobi and I would follow. Again, the guide didn't want to wait around. All of a sudden Tobi caved in, nothing was going any more. With lots of encouragement I got him to eat a cookie and drink some water.
Basecamp is coming into view but it seems to be still extremely far away. Because Tobi is walking slower and slower all the time I set him goals to reach the "next" stone so we make some way. I don't know how long we needed for the descent but it felt like forever.
In basecamp we meet Petra and the guide again. Unfortunately I'm way to exhausted to give him my piece of mind. Petra still has problems with her eyes but they have gotten somewhat better. After a half hour pause we're off for the last strech to the car park. Then I'm the one to be out of breath. On the last 500m I need at least 5 breaks and reach the car totally exhausted. The others are already waiting.
Then comes the drive back and the driver gives his best to break his own track record, ash...
Finally we're back at the hostel and treat ourselves to a hot shower. We're doing better again despite having been on the go for more than 30h. What a trip.
And because we were so incredibly optimistic we bought tickets for the night bus to Cusco. So by 08:30 p.m. we're leaving Arequipa towards Cusco...
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