Retire in Paradise

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I don’t remember the rest of the song and we were over 10,000 feet short of the top of the world but it was a pretty good view anyway. Finally, a dream of about two years was completed. I made it to the top of El Misti, the volcano right outside of Arequipa, Peru, that had been calling my name since I first saw it about two years before. I tried to climb it as a day hike then but failed due to a very late start and not being used to the altitude, reaching only about 15, 500 feet. I still think it can be done as a day hike so that is a future goal.

I had been waiting eagerly for my friends Jason and Lisa, SCARAB (Southern California Adventure Racing Buddies) members from Los Angeles, to get to here. We had been communicating by email for months as they were on a round the world trip and we wanted to get together when they came through Peru. Our schedules kept changing but at the last minute they meshed and we were able to meet a couple of times in Arequipa. I arranged the use of a Suzuki 4×4 and Jason and I made plans to climb El Misti on Saturday and Sunday. Lisa decided to relax in Arequipa so we drafted her to be our chauffeur as it is not safe to leave a vehicle at the trailhead. We did some quick shopping, and after getting lost on the way to the trailhead, we arrived safely and were ready to start hiking at 12:30 pm. We were told that it was a five hour climb to the campsite but we were hoping it would be less because that would have meant arriving at camp about the time it got dark. I also realized that we were on a different trail than the one I had attempted two years before so it was a totally new trail to me (there are three routes up to the summit).

We were well matched, my year of living at 8,800 feet and hiking regularly at altitudes of over 12,000 feet made up for my age and Jason’s (relative) youth and three weeks of high altitude hiking in Peru made up for his living at sea level in L.A. We followed an easy trail up to the campsite at about 15,000 feet, arriving there in three hours and 10 minutes. We were glad that we hadn’t left earlier and had to just sit around in the cool wind. This also gave us hope that the supposedly five to seven hour hike to the summit should be less than that. We had also been told to expect temps as low as zero degrees so were thankful that it was warmer than normal. Helped by the cloud cover it didn’t get below 30 degrees, so we were plenty warm in our 20 degree bags and my cheap Wensel tent.

After setting up camp, Jason proposal for a selection of the track in the direction of Summit, as we have planned to leave around 5:00 clock in the morning and you do not know whether you are here in the darkness. TenerMe easily find love the runway und was about 20 minutes on another site, people say that the planned departure for the summit at 2:00 clock. At the moment when we return to our camp, the wind had died and was warmer, especially after the warm-based chicken soup with noodles, tuna, cheese and bread and tea. I have my stove can Soda, which has worked well, after removing the windshield; I believe we need a little more air to this height. Our campsite neighbors, A Franzose who suffer altitude is not looking too good, we discovered that no Gropada the summit. There are still below the clouds to a clear overview of Arequipa, that the lights came on the quarter and the moon shines Misti about us. From 7.00 clock we have in our sleeping bag, hoping deobtenir a good sleep before the 4:00 alarm clock.

Following a breakfast of instant oatmeal, we were on the trail at 4:45 in the morning, climbing by headlights, with very little trouble following the trail. We could see the lights of other climbers, which seemed a long ways above us. Again it was a fairly easy trail, not too much sand (unlike the trail from my previous attempt) and enough large rocks to make it interesting, but also harder to see the trail. By this time I was deeply regretting my forgetting my gloves as I hurriedly packed for the trip but Jason said his hands were warm enough and let me use his - thanks Jason!

About the time it got light, we caught up to two other groups that had started earlier but were climbing very slow. One of the guides asked if one of his team members could follow us up so Steve joined us, again a very good match as we were all climbing at the same slow steady speed, taking very short breaks every so often. We soon lost sight of those below us and never saw them again until we got back down to their camp; unfortunately they had to turn back and were not able to reach the summit. When we were about a half hour away, we could see a large group standing on the summit. They had gone up a shorter route on the backside; we met them later after they had explored the crater. We finally got some sunlight when we reached a saddle between the summit and the crater, which really felt good. We had been climbing up the dark side, away from the sun, which made it very cool but we were also treated to a great view of Misti casting a shadow over miles of landscape when the sun rose on the other side. At 8:55, after crossing a couple of small snow patches and a couple of sandy stretches, we were on the summit at 19,100 feet, four hours and 10 minutes from camp. We marveled at the huge iron cross, about 20 feet high that was up there. It was constructed in sections; each about three feet long. I couldn’t have carried even one section up there. We were hoping that it had been helicoptered up so that weren’t totally put to shame by the super humans it would have taken to carry all the pieces up there.

After many photos of almost surreal landscape of the crater of black sand, stones and light snow, and slightly more than 19,925 feet Chachani neighbors, we went to his chair and ate a snack.

Both of us feel good, no problem, but the amount to keep dassSo we have decided to renounce the exploration of Tel crater and fell. Not hire a guide for the dune climb, but wehad a chance, Marcio, my friend drive, went with us on the road and pointed the way for us. Steve explains the leadership of the route back on the field. No need to go, just go to dark gray sand and the inclination, “that a lot of fun! We have at Camp Steve and he left with his team, dasswurden packing, and then continue on. Avevamovons left the field in two hours , Quehabra more rapideou stopped if the many photos of the descente fun! After ahis simple breakfast (which another package of soup), which produce our food, with the exception of some “mix of the runway, which broke camp and headed down. There is no hurry, because Lisa was not planned to to 4.00 Clock. We had hoped that with the time of the summit on the Hlfteogiorno, but back on the field h 11:00 ES. After a few photos at the end of the trail, we decided to travel suciedad arretera, receiving close to the highway before The meeting Lisa and Marcio. This has given us a lot of time talking about our next adventure, after completing his trip. Of course, Chachani call our names, there are also two in 6000-meter summit of the mountains on the way Cotahuasi where I live, Coropuna at 21,075 feet to 19,985 feet and Suleiman. And then there’s my plan is to week, UNON bike, all from 9000 to 16000 pie.

Tags: Travel & Leisure