DAY 5 - MONDAY - HUACAHUASI (3600m) to PATACANCHA (3800m)

via the IPSAYJASA PASS (4450m/14600m)

9 hours trekking

The morning routine is wake up at 5.15am (by the guides bearing tea and coffee), pack your tent contents, 'wash' (a wet wipe) and off to breakfast for 6am

Janet and Ed in the morning mist

We're mostly looking even more worse for wear this morning on account of the locals having a housewarming party and playing Peruvian music until at least 3am (at which point earplugs and complete exhaustion kicked in for me so maybe it went on longer)

Breafast was usually toast, pancakes and porridge

The Public Conveniences

Huacahuasi Village - where we camped

House near the campsite

the cooking area

the larder...yes this is what they eat - guinea pigs

they just run loose around the floors of the houses

it was extremely dark in the houses so these photos are taken using guesswork!

another house, more cooking pots, spot the guinea pigs!

Aldo, one of our guides, eating potatoes and guinea pig for breakfast

I think Dr Marc bought this wall hanging made by this family. I bought a poncho.

This little boy was playing'whip and hoop'

7.20am - a late start after the house visits! On to the warm-ups
(or photo-taking to avoid any unnecessary exercise in my case)

Wayne and Sue practising 'Sychronised Warm Ups'

Sue

makes our camp loo tents look palatial...

7.30am - and we're off.....building work going on in the village

9am. Poor James isn't looking too good at this point. He had to go back down to the bus sadly.

Ed looking cool as ever. How does he fit everything in that tiny backpack?!

Just some 'gentle up' today. Unlike the near 'vertical up' (or so it felt) yesterday.

Come on Janet - you can do it!

and up....

and up....

whoops - one of our horses stuck in the mud

Simon and Ozzy to the rescue

dogs everywhere - where do they come from?!

Bob and dog

this is to show you it DID hail! 10.47am.

and this is to show you it got quite hard!

and now it's getting really hard as all this hail's joining up! 10.50am.

and we're getting cold and wet...

and wetter...

and fed up.... I think that's Laura's not looking overly thrilled with the weather!

brief rest stop before our assault on the top

11.38am

Yes - made it!! 4450m (up from camp at 3600m). 12noon.

Aldo and Simon bringing up the rear of the group

12noon: this is the view down the other side - no hail!

Lunch is 'just' at the bottom

Well it really is today - phew! 12.34pm.

1pm - Gary, Davis and Mike looking fit and well unlike many others at this point

Delicious food but many feeling nauseous (with altitude and fatigue) so not a lot of eating happening

Drs Marc and Graham get a bite to eat before being whisked off to attend to sick folk. 1.22pm.

Had to eat lunch hastily today as many suffering altitude and fatigue problems. Jean, who had severe symptoms of altitude sickness, was wrapped in a blanket, slung over Sibelious's back with Ozzy alongside carrying oxygen, and run down the mountain with Dr Graham trying to keep up! These guys are just amazing that they can do this. Four other trekkers had to go down by horse at this point. Wayne, who had hyperthemia, had to steer his own horse despite never having done that before! All made good recoveries and were able to stay in camp for the night. Seven others had to go on the bus this morning and spent the night in Ollantaytambo in a hotel having hot showers!

These are paths that the 2 porters carrying Jean ran on and the 4 on horseback had to ride on!! Think walking was definitely a preferable option!

Ed introducing a local lad to Western music with his iPod!!!

Aaahhhh...cute

It's camp - final camp!!

We've made it before the horses and kitchen tents as we've all rushed so quickly after lunch!

Just one more river to cross

4.30pm: YES I DID IT!! Every step of the way!

We've got a hut to eat in tonight but it's colder being more open than the tents

Leaders Kelso and Mark look like they've been here before as they're dressed for the occasion

Forget the cold beer...... pass the hot tea

Simon and Sally dividing up the tips for the Peruvian team that supported us (we gave in US Dollars which work as well in most places as the local currency of sols)

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