5am wakeup in preparation for today's big day. Secretly were all slightly nervous. Layered up in our thermals, boots and flourescent volcano uniforms.

After a healthy brekkie, feeling ready for it, we jump into the minibus where we meet the rest of the group. Looks like we are the only girls. It's still dark outside : s

Finally enter the National Park and you begin to smell the sulphur.

It's not like UK where you get safety talk etc it's get off the van and let's go. But before we start were given an axe?! Slightly worried and we also get a plastic slide to attach to our bag for sliding down the volcano on our descent.

It had only been 5 minutes since we got off the bus and Im finding it difficult to breathe as it's soo cold. It's like when you breathe in the air isn't reachig all the way down to the buttom of your lungs.

Our starting point view is phenomanal, snow covered volcano with the Andes on one side and the sun slowly rising.

Mentally and hopefully physically I was prepared for the volcano! Didn't quite know what to expect.

In single file we started the hike, 20minutes in and I began to realise this was going to be tough. Walking in the snow is not easy, hard to find your step, you kinda just fall knee length into the snow and taking the next step requires that much more of an effort. Good thing is if you fall, at least your cushioned by the soon (soon learnt this was not true!)

This wasn't one of our normal hikes where we go at our own pace, have jokes, stop for silly pictures. This was more intense with a faster pace. Devs, Tanna and Reens decided to take a quick rest stop. I carried on further, thinking if I stop I won't continue, just keep going la la (Finding Nemo: just keep swimming). Little did I know that the rest of the group were not stopping for another 25 minutes! To me it felt like an hour!!

For some odd reason the back of my legs, calf area began to seize up. Breathing sorted, next problem is the leg. I literally collapsed at rest point. Looking down I couldn't see the girls anywhere :(

Here I was told to put on crampons (ice shoes) as the terrain changed from snow to very icy in. Out come the sunnies it's shining brightly! I told the guide I would wait for the girls buy he said what if they don't make it up and thatvi wasn't allowed to wait. So off again I go!

As I looked up I could see nothing but. Steep hill covered in thick snow, even the plants where frozen and covered in Icicles.

Got to the point where I told the guys to go infront an I trailed behind. I did wantto give up, but kept thinking if mum could do Everest then I could conquer this volcano.

Really missed hiking with the rest of the girls, no one to have silly jokes with! Although there was one lovely guy in the group who took photos for me as I had no energy! Wrote a message to the girls in the snow to keepnfoing and not give up!

Omd don't these boys ever want a break! I wouldn't say that I'm unfit but my days I couldn't wait for the next break. Everyknow and then I would see a hut or shelter like place and hope that where we were heading. After passing three we eventually stopped for a break. I had no energy to even get water out from my bag, thank god for my 3day old sugar coated peanuts which were squashed in my pockets! Just needed some energy my levels were literally depleted.

Still no signs of the girls :( Hoping they are all okay. Back off we go. The weather soon changed dramically, snow blizzards!! It hits your face so hard feels like needles p****ng you. Sunglasses would get all steamy and wet but couldn't take them off as it was so bright. Trying to juggle keeping sunglasses mist free, whilst pulling my snood up to cover my nose and face and an axe in the other hand. Major struggle.

The conditions kept gettig worse we had to start using the axe. Mentally and physically I was absolutely exhausted. Not an ounce of energy left in me. We had to use a random boulder to shelter ourselves from the ice blizzard.

Our guide was communicating with walky talky with base camp to see what weather conditions were like. Doesn't look so good.

Bad news we can't continue up to the top of the volcano. It's too dangerous, the blizard is getting worse, also large chunks of snow is sweeping past like a mini avalanche. I think our guide saw the dissapointment in everyones faces that he told us to leave our bags and equipment and walk up a bit more. We continued for around 20 minutes onwards and upwards, you could see other groups walking back down! The guide definately wasn't lying, it didn't look that safe and the snow had now turned into glacier ice surface, one wrong step and uh oh.

Ashamed as I am to say it, a small part of me was relieved that we couldn't continue. The wind was soo powerful that when we got back to the boulder my backpack had somehow made it's way further down!

Going downhill is usually my favourite part of a hike, except here. Maybe because I was so exhausted I just keep falling and stumbling And the snow ice definately was not cushioning me! Deffo gonna be bruised tomorrow.

Wohoo fun part we can finally use our plastic sledges to slide down the volcano. It's much harder to controlthan it looks. Especially as there are several rocks and stones along the pathway. unsuprisingly I flew into one rock!

Too dangerous to slide down so back to walking or in my case rolling. Stupid wind was so powerful that the plastic sledge attached to my bag kept b**** slapping me in the face! By now I didn't care!

Several hours later I can spot the girls uniform below making their way down! Wohoo ao excited to be reunited with them all again! At least the guide who stayed with them was nice enough to let then have breaks every 10 minutes.

The journey back to the hostal was in pure silence!

Straight to bed...eugh gonna be aching tomorrow.