Hello... A quick catch up... Since the last diary entry, we've flown from Iquitos to Lima, where we spent a good few days moseying around the streets of Miraflores (the posh and very comfortable part of Lima), enjoying a bit of western luxury in the form of TGI Fridays (we should be ashamed!) and English language bookshops... and a fabulous night of Peruvian dancing!!

On Sunday (24th September) we got the bus up here to Huaraz in the Andes. It's wonderful. I keep thinking about you, Graeme, saying you could have stayed here, and I know exactly what you mean. It's beautiful. We're at over 3000m here in the town, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.

We met Ian on the bus up, from London / Sheffield and have spent the last two days with him (a welcome change for both of us!!) acclimatising to ready ourselves for our 'big trek'. Yesterday we walked up to Lake Churup (4500m), a long and tiring but beautiful day - unforgettable. Today we got a taxi to a pass above Lake Llanganuco and Yangay (a town completely destroyed in the 1970 earthquake) and that was at almost 5000m. The headaches are wearing off and we're getting used to the thin air and, through trial and error (going out without sun hats!), to the strength of the sun at these heights. Saying that, it's chilly up here at night, and we've enjoyed trading in our sun tops and shorts for tracky bottoms and fleeces.

Tonight we met Juan, a donkey handler-cum-guide and on Saturday we leave for the Cordillera Huayhuash with him and 5 donkeys on a 12 day trek... It will, I have no doubt, be memorable. So expect us to be back in contact sometime on or after Wednesday 11th October, when we'll be due back in Huaraz. Part of the trek will take in where Touching the Void took place... and many other mad and wonderful places and views. It should be fantastic! I can't wait, despite somewhat in awe of what lies ahead of us! Thinking of you all lots and lots... You've got to come and see this one day, if you haven't already... xxx