Trek to MP-Day 2
Trip Start
Sep 15, 2007
1
25
63
Trip End
Dec 13, 2007
Cusco,
Peru
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tempurature dropped to about zero last night. I fell asleep right away but woke up with cold feet (not the kind I so frequently otherwise have!) at about 10:30. The 'five season' sleeping bag I rented was not all that. Had difficulty sleeping, tossing and turning. My hips were killing me. They get us up at around 5:30 or something stupid like that. Spirits are high. We are going to 'summit' today. 4600 at the Salkantay pass (see pics). Before heading out, alex tells us to make sure we have many layers and our ponchos with us. It's pretty much up hill all morning. It's tough and it's cool outside. Those who flew in to Cusco only the day before the trek are having a real tough go. Two of them are taking turns on the emergency horse. We ascend to our high point at about half of the 16 kms we'll walk today at about 11:00 a.m. It is sleeting lightly but it looks ugly in the direction we are heading. It is. Almost exactly as Alex predicted, the next two hours features steady rain. When we reach our lunch spot we are drenched and cold. Too bad. Suck it up. About halfway through the next 8 kms, it stops raining. By the time we reach camp at 3600 masl, we're at the edge of a 'cloud forest'. It's pleasant. We enjoy another great meal and spirited conversation. Again we are all in bed right after dinner and asleep by 9.
