| Sitting on top of the world, looking down on | | | | seemed a long ways above us. Again it was a |
| creation... | | | | fairly easy trail, not too much sand (unlike the trail |
| I don't remember the rest of the song and we | | | | from my previous attempt) and enough large |
| were over 10,000 feet short of the top of the | | | | rocks to make it interesting, but also harder to |
| world but it was a pretty good view anyway. | | | | see the trail. By this time I was deeply regretting |
| Finally, a dream of about two years was | | | | my forgetting my gloves as I hurriedly packed |
| completed. I made it to the top of El Misti, the | | | | for the trip but Jason said his hands were warm |
| volcano right outside of Arequipa, Peru, that had | | | | enough and let me use his - thanks Jason! |
| been calling my name since I first saw it about | | | | About the time it got light, we caught up to two |
| two years before. I tried to climb it as a day hike | | | | other groups that had started earlier but were |
| then but failed due to a very late start and not | | | | climbing very slow. One of the guides asked if one |
| being used to the altitude, reaching only about 15, | | | | of his team members could follow us up so Steve |
| 500 feet. I still think it can be done as a day hike | | | | joined us, again a very good match as we were |
| so that is a future goal. | | | | all climbing at the same slow steady speed, taking |
| I had been waiting eagerly for my friends Jason | | | | very short breaks every so often. We soon lost |
| and Lisa, SCARAB (Southern California Adventure | | | | sight of those below us and never saw them |
| Racing Buddies) members from Los Angeles, to | | | | again until we got back down to their camp; |
| get to here. We had been communicating by email | | | | unfortunately they had to turn back and were not |
| for months as they were on a round the world | | | | able to reach the summit. When we were about a |
| trip and we wanted to get together when they | | | | half hour away, we could see a large group |
| came through Peru. Our schedules kept changing | | | | standing on the summit. They had gone up a |
| but at the last minute they meshed and we were | | | | shorter route on the backside; we met them later |
| able to meet a couple of times in Arequipa. I | | | | after they had explored the crater. We finally got |
| arranged the use of a Suzuki 4x4 and Jason and | | | | some sunlight when we reached a saddle |
| I made plans to climb El Misti on Saturday and | | | | between the summit and the crater, which really |
| Sunday. Lisa decided to relax in Arequipa so we | | | | felt good. We had been climbing up the dark side, |
| drafted her to be our chauffeur as it is not safe | | | | away from the sun, which made it very cool but |
| to leave a vehicle at the trailhead. We did some | | | | we were also treated to a great view of Misti |
| quick shopping, and after getting lost on the way | | | | casting a shadow over miles of landscape when |
| to the trailhead, we arrived safely and were | | | | the sun rose on the other side. At 8:55, after |
| ready to start hiking at 12:30 pm. We were told | | | | crossing a couple of small snow patches and a |
| that it was a five hour climb to the campsite but | | | | couple of sandy stretches, we were on the |
| we were hoping it would be less because that | | | | summit at 19,100 feet, four hours and 10 minutes |
| would have meant arriving at camp about the | | | | from camp. We marveled at the huge iron cross, |
| time it got dark. I also realized that we were on a | | | | about 20 feet high that was up there. It was |
| different trail than the one I had attempted two | | | | constructed in sections; each about three feet |
| years before so it was a totally new trail to me | | | | long. I couldn't have carried even one section up |
| (there are three routes up to the summit). | | | | there. We were hoping that it had been |
| We were well matched, my year of living at | | | | helicoptered up so that weren't totally put to |
| 8,800 feet and hiking regularly at altitudes of over | | | | shame by the super humans it would have taken |
| 12,000 feet made up for my age and Jason's | | | | to carry all the pieces up there. |
| (relative) youth and three weeks of high altitude | | | | After taking a lot of pictures of the almost unreal |
| hiking in Peru made up for his living at sea level in | | | | landscape offered by the crater, black sand, light |
| L.A. We followed an easy trail up to the campsite | | | | rocks and snow, and a few more of neighboring |
| at about 15,000 feet, arriving there in three hours | | | | 19,925 foot Chachani, we went down to the |
| and 10 minutes. We were glad that we hadn't left | | | | saddle and ate a light snack. Both of us were |
| earlier and had to just sit around in the cool wind. | | | | feeling good, no altitude problems but to keep it |
| This also gave us hope that the supposedly five | | | | that way we decided to forgo exploring the |
| to seven hour hike to the summit should be less | | | | crater and headed back down. We didn't hire a |
| than that. We had also been told to expect temps | | | | guide for the climb but were fortunate that |
| as low as zero degrees so were thankful that it | | | | Marcio, my guide friend, went with us to the |
| was warmer than normal. Helped by the cloud | | | | trailhead and pointed out the route up to us. |
| cover it didn't get below 30 degrees, so we were | | | | Steve's guide explained the route back down to |
| plenty warm in our 20 degree bags and my | | | | camp. No need to hike down, just go over to the |
| cheap Wensel tent. | | | | dark gray sand slope and "ski" down that, lots of |
| After we got camp set up, Jason suggested | | | | fun! We stopped at Steve's camp and left him |
| scouting out the trail to the summit, as we | | | | there with his teammates who were packing up, |
| planned on leaving about 5:00 in the morning and | | | | and then continued on down. We made it down to |
| weren't sure if we could find it in the dark. We | | | | our camp in about two hours; we would have |
| easily found the trail and hiked up about 20 | | | | made it faster except we stopped to take a lot |
| minutes to another campsite; the people there | | | | of pictures of our fun descent! After a simple |
| said they planned on starting for the summit at | | | | lunch (should have brought another package of |
| about 2:00 am. By the time we got back down to | | | | soup), which finished all of our food except a little |
| our camp, the wind had died down and it felt | | | | trail mix, we broke camp and headed on down. |
| warmer, especially after hot chicken noodle soup | | | | There was no rush because Lisa wasn't scheduled |
| with tuna, cheese and bread and some tea. I used | | | | to meet us until 4:00 pm. We had expected on |
| my soda can stove, which worked fine, after | | | | being at the summit about noon, instead we were |
| removing the windshield; I guess it needed a bit | | | | back at camp by 11:00 am. After a couple of final |
| more air at that elevation too. Our campsite | | | | photos at the trailhead, we decided to walk down |
| neighbor, a Frenchman suffering from the altitude | | | | the dirt road, getting almost to the highway |
| wasn't looking too good, we found out he didn't | | | | before meeting Lisa and Marcio. That gave us |
| attempt the summit. We were still below the | | | | plenty of time to talk about our next adventure, |
| clouds so got a great view of Arequipa as the | | | | after they finish their trip. Of course Chachani is |
| lights came on and the quarter moon illuminated | | | | calling our names, there are also two 6,000 meter |
| Misti above us. By 7:00 pm we were in our | | | | mountain peaks on the way to Cotahuasi where I |
| sleeping bags, hoping to get a good night's sleep | | | | live, Coropuna at 21,075 feet and Solimana at |
| before the 4:00 am alarm. | | | | 19,985 feet. And then there is my plan for a two |
| Following a breakfast of instant oatmeal, we were | | | | week bike ride, all between 9,000 and 16,000 |
| on the trail at 4:45 in the morning, climbing by | | | | feet. |
| headlights, with very little trouble following the trail. | | | | Looking down on creation... |
| We could see the lights of other climbers, which | | | | |