Blame it on the Altitude (Huaraz, Perú)

A few weekends ago some of my housemates and I went to Huaraz, Perú. It's eight hours north of Lima and there's a lot of hiking to be done in the mountains. However, we were a bit caught off guard by how strongly the high altitude affected us. My friend Mari and I made a song to help explain the serious effects of altitude sickness... Altitude sickness is no joke! Well, here goes...

Blame it on the trail that got you looking pale,
blame it on the height that's givin' you a freight
blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-altitude.

Blame it on the hill that got you filling ill,
blame it on the view that makes you wanna spew,
blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-altitude.

That's all I can remember right now, but it was pretty shocking how much more challenging hiking is in such a high altitude. The tough hiking was well worth it, because the scenery was so spectacular.  We were in Huaraz for a total of three days and the highest altitude we reached was around 15,000 feet! Our first day consisted of a lot of sleeping, trying to acclimate to the altitude, planning our hikes for the next two days, and relaxing in a nearby hot spring. Mari and I watched some half of the Peru vs. Paraguay soccer game in our hostel and then went to bed. The next morning we woke up bright and early to go to Pastoruri.

We left Huaraz and drove for almost two hours until we reached our first stop. The ride flew by as we gawked at the lovely scenery.

Our first stop was at a bubbling fountain of youth! We all drank from the fizzy, iron colored spring which apparently is full of minerals... It mostly just tasted like iron to me.

Our next stop was where we encountered giant flowers called "Puyas Raimondi". Apparently they only flower once every 10 years or so and are HUGE! Here's a picture of my friends Kati, Mari and I doing our signature "Kati(e) Sandwich" pose with the monstrous flowers.

We continued our bus ride to where we began our hiking to the glaciers of Pastoruri in Cordilleras Blancas, otherwise known as the while mountain range for the snow that dusts the top.

So this slight incline may not look very challenging, but put it at 15,000 feet in altitude and you'd be surprised how fast you'll be out of breath.   

Closer....

WE DID IT!!! 

Our hike uphill was complete and we started to go back the mountain, 

but the altitude sickness was far from gone.

What was a pleasant two hour ride to Pastoruri became a two hour battle with my body if I was going to throw up or not. Not fun. Luckily, by the time we had gotten back to our hostel in Huaraz we were in a lower altitude and the sickness wasn't as strong. I still felt horrible though and spent the rest of the day contemplating if I could put myself through that again. In the end I decided to suck it up and go on the tour to Lake 69 the next day with my friends. I was told it would be higher, harder, and longer than the first trek. All of that was true, but it was totally worth it.

A few minutes in and feeling good!

Whomping Willow we encounter!

Friends we made along the way.

Which mountain are we going up??!

Final destination: Lago 69.

Getting there may have been one of the most challenging three hour hikes of my life, but all the way I was surrounded with some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen! I'd even go so far to say that hiking to Lago 69 was my favorite trip so far in Perú!... However, I'm going to Machu Picchu this weekend so we'll see how long Lago 69 can hold its title!

El lago= lake

Hasta Luego,

Katie :)