Sunday, 07.03.2010: going for a little walk…

7 Mar
During the night, the pain was not decreasing, so I decided to take some of the Diamox I did get from Manfred and Birgit.
When I woke up (I could sleep!), the headache was gone…and I could go for a little walk towards mountain. The goal: quite easy up to let’s say 5400m so I could go back to basecamp 2 afterwards.
I went towards the camp of Aucanquilcha, around the installation which is having ice and for sure never will work again. And then I took the “road” to the top. It really starts like a road, where once trucks were driving up. And soon it starts to get a bad road, until it is a “no road” because the mountain has let down some stones. Meanwhile I had passed my goal and was feeling well. So I continued as it was just “walking”. At one part, the snow had covered the road…and I continued. That mountain is really full of sulfure…and with the time, you really do not know where the smell comes: from you or from the mountain! ;-))
Finally, I arrived at the mountain station of the cable car at 5876m over sea level (regarding my Garmin). I was still fit… What was worring me since a while were the clouds all around. And for sure I didn’t want to get in a storm at such altitude. So I looked down…the pent from which sulfure was been harvested all the year before was covered by 5 to 20cm of snow but not to steep. It was the fasted downhill I ever had: 30min for 500m without skies while it took me over 3 hours to get up!
I continued towards basecamp 2. And 5 minutes after my arrival it started to snow.
Now I’m preparing to eat (Pasta with fish out of the can) and will soon be ready for sleep…without headache! :-))

Gud n8

 


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