Rugged Adventure at 14,000 feet

Peru – July 14

We are up by 8:00am to meet up with our mountain biking expedition guides.  They are right on time.  We have purchased snacks and water in preparation for our day long adventure.  There will be a 3 hour ride to the top of Chachani, a nearby mountain that stands at 4,800 meters above sea level (approx.14,000 feet!!!)  The air is quite thin at the top, so it is expected that we will feel light-headed for a while until we get used to it.  There are some communication towers at the top that are guarded day and night by the police force, but our guides are friends with them and we will be bringing them gifts in exchange for letting us start our trek at the tippy top of the mountain.  Temperatures in winter can dip to 28 degrees below zero at the top and the guards stay on duty for a 2 week period as these towers provide communication to the entire southern region of the country.  We arrive and get geared up and with relatively few instructions, begin our decent down the very steep and very rocky mountain.  Not as easy as one might think.  After a while, we get the hang of it and become a bit more adventurous.  Our guide, Erick, offers us some “shortcuts” that will make our ride a bit more challenging….we are game and the shortcuts are padded with silica from the last eruption of the volcano about 100 years ago.  The scenery is breath taking and we have a 360 degree view of the gorgeous mountains that encircle Arequipa.  It is so sunny and bright and quiet....the wheat grasses blowing in the cool winds.  I pretend to be taking in the scenery as I need to stop often to avoid cramps, to let my hands get un-numb and to catch my breath.  We continue for about 3 ½ hours and begin to feel the effects of the very small bike seat and the tension in our arms, hands and legs…..There are a few uphills where we simply have to walk the bike up some steep inclines, breathless the entire way due to the altitude.  After about 5 hours and 30km of fairly rugged terrain, Paulie and I call it a day and opt to ride the remainder of the way in the van that has been following us.  The kids trooper on and finally arrive at a paved street that makes the rest of their 48km ride more enjoyable.  By 5:00 pm, we are all very wilted and dusty  and are eager to get back to the hotel to shower and rest up.  The hot water runs out after three of us shower, so we head out to dinner and return to warm water and a cozy bed.

 

Returned safely to the hotel by our guide, Erick