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On New Years Day (HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL) I thought it was best to leave Mollendo before anything else odd happened to us, so after chilling at the pool until 1pm, Shacar and I headed to the bus stop. Luckily we managed to reserve a space on a minivan for 3.30pm as the bus station was full of Peruvians trying to do the same. It seemed like everyone from Arequipa decided to head to the seaside for New Years Eve and were all trying to get back to the city on New Years Day. When we arrived in Arequipa we checked into Bothy hostel (which has a great roof terrace and friendly staff) and then visited a few agencies to see what hikes/treks were available before heading out for dinner in a restaurant in the Plaza de Armas. They do good menu del dias for 15 soles (about £3) which includes a starter, main course and a drink and it's a great place to people watch!
On Thursday 2nd January 2014, I had breakfast on the rooftop with the Swedish girls and Shacar. As Frida and I were planning our Colca Canyon trek, we got talking to a Canadian guy who asked if we would be interested in hiking up mount ChaChani. He started explaining that it was usually a 2 day hike but he had seeked a freelance guide who said he would be able to take us up and we would walk during the night so we could experience sunrise on the mountain. After discussing the details all 4 of us decided we would join Clint, the Canadian on the climb and we would leave the hostel at 10pm to start the climb at 1am. So after this was decided, we cleared our hostel room so we didn't have to pay for that night, and then went to find some good food. We found a delicious Mexican restaurant down a little alley and then Clint and I went to a free walking tour of the city whilst the others went back to the hostel to relax. The 3 hour walking tour was impressive, full of interesting facts about the city and the buildings around. By 6pm the tour had finished and I headed back to the hostel to meet the girls for afternoon tea. We grabbed some soup and then tried sleeping in the hostel (they wouldn't let us take the beds, so we ended up sleeping in the hostel court yard and sofas on the first floor). I think we managed to get about 30 minutes of proper sleep before we had to get ready for the hike....by 10pm the 5 of us were ready to go and tackle this beast of a mountain!
CLIMBING CHACHANI...
After 3 hours in the van travelling along bumpy roads, and having a very bad stomach ache we arrived at the start of our trek. I was really considering staying behind after having such bad stomach pains, but decided that I should start walking and see how I felt after half an hour. I am so glad I did, because my pain didn't last for long! Unfortunately for Frida, it did, and after having to stop several times for el bano, the guide suggested she stayed down at base camp and wait for us there. She wouldn't have had the energy to climb for sure. I have never felt so affected by the altitude before; I felt so drunk that I was unable to balance properly climbing over the rocks, I felt quite dizzy at times and the best description of me at this moment would be a small child learning to walk! For some reason Olivia was not affected by the altitude at all (she took one of my sickness pills beforehand which was probably a very wise decision!) In hindsight I really should have got some proper sleep before the hike and should have forced myself to drink lots during the day...and maybe even taken a altitude sickness pill too.
Up, up and up...after 7 hours and now 2 people down -we had to leave Shacar behind 1 hour from the top as he was shaking because he was so cold and was physically exhausted it was impossible for him to climb up any further. We gave him another jumper and told him to wait in the sun until we returned.
The walk up was such an experience - despite feeling like a zombie, it was incredible to be walking in the mountains in the middle of the night with billions of stars shining above us on such a clear night. The only other light we had was our head torches until about 5.30am when the sun started to rise. Until then it was very cold. I haven't had to wear all 4 layers of clothing before whilst hiking, but this night it was needed! I also had 2 pairs of gloves, a hat, 2 pairs of trousers, long socks and leg warmers...trust me, it was cold! The night was so peaceful...no cars, no dogs, no people...just the sound of our footsteps and our walking poles...such an enchanting experience.
The 3 of us who made it to the top were rewarded with outstanding views, the heat of the sun and 45 minutes to relax. For some very annoying reason my camera decided to freak out with the altitude too, so I was unable to take photos during the trek. I hope my fellow friends will send me some of their photos J The hike down was pretty damn tough too, because you have used every amount of energy you had left to get to the top, and then you realise that you still need energy left to make it down. It was hard because the snow, rocks and gravel just fell underneath your every step, so you needed enough strength to remain standing. I can't tell you how many times I slipped over on the way down. And then the dreaded headache decided to haunt me...I can't remember the last time I had such a painful headache - and it happened to me on my decent for Huayani Potosi too, so I am sure it is the altitude playing with my body again. It also started getting very hot with the sun beaming down on us, we had to keep moving before it got even hotter later in the day. From being freezing cold and then within an hour being roasted by the sun, my face was destroyed. I couldn't feel my face, my nose was running and I think I looked like ruldolf too, despite having put suncream on when the sun came up. It took us a total of 4 hours to hike back down to where the car dropped us off. I was so glad to see the car...we had a final photo at the bottom and hopped straight in the car - we were all desperate for our beds and for some food! I was starving - all I had for the 11 hours was a few nuts, a chewy bar, 2 pieces of bread, 2 mini bananas...and I tell you I was STARVING!! The others had lost their appetite, but I had gained mine J
The rest of the day was spent chilling and eating good food. The girls decided they were heading back to La Paz the following morning to the comfort of their own beds and good food, so we said our goodbyes in the evening and were all in bed by 7pm!
- comments
Tony So if I don't misunderstand you, CLIMBING CHACHANI was no fun whatsoever, so I'm glad we didn't bother doing that climb!