With a couple of days rest eating ice cream in Huaraz, the Aussie contingency (Nic, de and Robbie) headed off on another hike into the Andes. This time 11 days around the Huayhuash mountain range and WOW was it impressive! This range is amongst some of the highest in South America.

It was freezing cold at night with us wearing everything in our packs to bed (7 layers of clothes) and waking up to ice on our tent most mornings. On day 5 we stumbled across some natural hot springs so we donned our bikini's and bathed in 35 degree water.

We climbed a number of high passes that took us as high as 5,400 metres, at which height the air has 50% less oxygen than at sea level so you feel really unfit. On day 9 we were all set with our crampons and pick axes to get up at 4am to climb a glacier, but a bit of snow and an avalanche stopped us from doing the climb (secretly I think Nic was a bit relieved not to get up so early!)

It is predicted that 80% of the glaciers you see in our photo's (and in all of the Andes) will not be there in 10 years and within 20 all will be gone! Get out and see the world as it is not going to wait for your retirement …. And remember be very, very kind to our planet, it is a truly beautiful place!