Peru Revisited

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PERU REVISISITED Matt Comesky It had been a good day turned sour after I had a We'd put a lot into the last year. Juggling study, long and frightening fall. By the time we had work, friends, family and money to get here - a abseiled to the bottom of the face it was dark and crevasse in the Andes with a mangled ankle and now we were lost in the ice-fall. Fearing that frost bitten toes. "Next year we'll go to the beach" worse things would happen we bivvied in a we agreed. "T've heard that Beirut is nice at this crevasse until dawn. There's not a lot to do in a time of year." It hadn't been all bad though, we crevasse especially when its too cold to sleep, but had done some good climbs and had a few laughs there was a lot to think about and as usual after along the way. For instance, Chopicalqui which I every close call there was a long and painful self climbed with the French Army. It had been good interrogation. Am I crazy? Is there a to return to our bivy to find Greg had followed me self-destructive urge in me that drives me to the up the mountain and had a brew waiting for me. edge? Why don't I call it quits and take up golf? He climbed the same route the next day with "Think positive, be happy, you're alive', I told some Americans. myself. Alas it didn't warm me up at all, even worse, Greg looked obscenely comfortable on his Chacraju Este was next. That was a real joy. piece of snow-foam. Envy kept me occupied until Fast steep climbing to the shaky summit ridge, I remembered reading this, which seemed to be held together by good luck "Craziness has nothing to do with proving and not a lot more. The descent seemed to take yourself to yourself, which is what I do in forever. Fifteen fifty metre abseils off mostly ice the mountains. bollards kept my heart in my mouth. These mountains are most unforgiving of mistakes, And suicide is giing up the game there is no margin for error. A dropped ice-screw rather than playing ttfor all it's worth." bouncing off down the face into oblivion was a timely reminder of how tenuous our grip against "So you think life is a game?" gravity was. After losing the race against darkness it felt good to be in the tent, hands "Its more of a game than death is, so clasped around a steaming bowl of tea and toes when you're alive you're obliged to get toasting in the warm embrace of a sleeping bag. the most out oflife. The pleasure gained from such simple things is That means putting all you've got into it." a a - Matt Comesky multiplied a hundred times over after you have beautiful peaks looked most inviting. The climb been cold, hungry and thirsty in a hostile up the fluted face was a pleasurable stroll. We environment. messed about admiring the views from the summit for about an hour before abseiling down Thinking of all this only made the crevasse feel to the bergshrund. Off the shady face and in the like the most God forsaken hole in the world. I fierce midday sun, the plug across the glacier was resisted looking at my watch, the movement of hard work. We had a leisurely lunch on the col unzipping my jacket would only release precious before descending to base camp, arriving in time warm air. The time passes quicker if I think of to catch some afternoon sunbathing. A perfect something else. day on a perfect mountain. Taullarju is a peak that dominates the Santa Oschlapalca was to be our grand finale, though Cruz valley. It had also dominated my thoughts not in a way that we had hoped for. Adopting our over the last two years. It was worth trying, if usual style we decided that a fast, direct ascent only to get close to it. We didn't get far before we would be the most fun. Our confidence was realised that it was too hard for us. Thin ice over knocked back after we misjudged the approach featureless rock had us scampering back to the route and got lost before we'd even started. We tent. Feeling a bit disillusioned at being retreated back to our sleeping bags and tried the chewed-up and spat out so hastily we packed up next morning. This was barely more successful and looked for success down valley. It was an but we finally reached the bottom of the climb easy day's walk to the Alpamayo base camp. We after floundering around in the ice-fall. After that had one day's food left and with no desire to all went well until the final few metres of ice linger we decided to try for a one day push. With below the summit ridge collapsed and sent me a bare minimum of gear we left base camp in the rocketing down the face. We soon discovered that dark and were on the col looking at the a little fall goes a long way. Somewhere during south-west face of Alpamayo by day-break. the journey I caught my crampon and wrenched Despite our hurry we stopped to admire the my ankle. And that's how we came to be sitting sunrise. The highest peaks were tipped with the in a crevasse. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: pink and orange first light of the new day. We would like to thank everybody who we begged, Alpamayo, undoubtedly one of the world's most borrowed or stole off, especially Fairydown and Mainly Tramping. Huayhuash relaxation Matt Comesky