Acclimatization Trip (or walking off layers of fat in Peru)

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climbing a few peaks. An acclimatization trip over the Quebrada Honda a Ultra, was chosen to walk a cff the layers of fat, accumulating where hard steel springs of muscle had once been. David, Ian, and I, left Euaraz and accidentally caught a truck (while waiting for a bus) to Chancos, 40 km north of Huaraz. Moving up the Honda we passed through numerous small villages and were greeted by the campesinos (farmers), who wished us luck, and the blessings of every saint imaginable. The road passed through a granite canyon and soon we were seeing less terraced fields, and more cattle and shepherds. We camped at 12,000 ft. feeling sunburnt and short of breath, but happy.

. In the morning we panted and gasped our way up to the portachuelo (pass), and at 16,000 ft. looked at the view behind us; mountains, mountains, mountains ! The descent into Juitush was fast, and after the rubber had cooled on my gummies, we camped in the valley with beautiful views of the mountains, glowing pink in the sunset. We woke to find our humble camp visited by a COw and her calf, and a donkey, and fowl. Unguarded gear was siobbered over, and licked to pieces. The thouglt of a cold beer in the village of Pompey spurred us on; only to be disappointed. That night we camped by a latgo (tarn) at 16,500 ft. Once again we were surrounded by icefalls, rock and snow, in a giant amphitheatre. we evacuated the camp in a great hurry: to get away from the bulls fighting beside the tent. A mining road lead us up to a 50 In tunnel under a pass at 16,900 ft. The tunnel had mostly collapsed, and the road was criss-crossed by avalanche paths and rockfall. After stumbling down the hillside, we camped under Mts. Huascaran and Chopicalqui, both over 20,000 ft. high. There was no transport out, so we walked about 20 km down the valley to Carhauz, in stifling beat. After arriving back in Huaraz by bus, we showered, and went out for a "mega pig-out" of steak, chips, beer, avocados, Iried bananas, salad, rice, ice cream, peanut slabs, and chocolate cake. So much for hard steel spring muscles 1