After talking to a number of companies about the route, prices, gear and food, we settled on Alberth, who turned out to be a fine choice. We spent the previous day prepping ourselves by walking a few sets of pee smelling stairs, repacking our bags to accomidate the full suit of mountain armor we would be renting, and we also found a lady that made us some pretty good, nutty trail mix off the street.
Day One:
We walked to the tourist agency to try on all our gear. We got ice/snow boots, gaiters, pantalones, harness, jacket, gloves, balaclava, helmet and head torch (without batteries). Our gear all sorted, we stuffed it into our big bags, now popping at the seams. Then it was a waiting game of the rest of our party, 4 Canadians (eastern). We didn´t have to wait long, and soon we had: gear, guides, and van, we were off.
It took about 2 hours (40km) driving on some very bumpy roads, up and out of La Paz and up to Zongo Pass. We were dropped off at the first hut, our base camp that we didn´t have to hike to, at 4800m. We soon geared up to practice some climbing moves on the nearby glacier, which like so many others is quickly retreating. We learned how to walk up-slope and down, ice climbed, and self arrested. All in all it was a fun time on the glacier learning some pretty crucial techniques. Then we trekked back to the hut and had some dinner (soup and a pasta dish..)
Day Two:
Kasey and I slept very well during the night dispite having to use the baño a number of times, the others in our group didn´t fare so well in terms of sleep. Breakfast was the unusual, granola and yogurt, fruit, bread, egg and tea/coffee/hot coco. Today´s main goal was to get up to high camp at 5130m. With only 330m to climb it wasn´t supposed to be too hard but our group struggled a bit carrying our full packs up. The guides thought we should have been mas rapido, so they decided to get up earlier the next "morning." Kasey powered her way up the small climb, followed by myself and we decided to help out one of the gals who had been sick the night before, by carrying a small bag of hers. We got to the high camp and then it was lunch (at 1pm), followed by rest, followed by dinner at 5pm! Altitude really takes the appetite away from you but we knew we needed some energy for our 11:30pm "morning" wake-up call. Early to bed and we hoped we could get some sleep for our long day tomorrow!
Day Three, Happy Birthday Kasey, Happy Anniversary Ben n Amy, and Summit Push!!
We woke at 11:30pm to have a bit of food, bread rolls and tea (I didn´t eat anything). A girl from another group remembered it was Kase´s Bday and offered her a piece of "cake" and we sang happy birthday to her. Then we geared up: four layers plus our jackets up top, two socks, and warm hat, long-jonnys and trekking pants. We trompped down a small rocky hill to put on crampons and rope up. Kasey and I had gotten the main guide (2 people per guide) Illisayo, and two of our group chose not to wake up (don´t worry they aren´t dead..) Headlights on we started our ascent, following balls of lights wobbling up the glacier. Following a pattern of plant Ice ax, cross leg and follow, for steps we began at a fairly good clip up the mountain.
Soon we passed Camp Argentino and rested for a bit before carrying on. I soon began to feel the altitude take its toll on me, I packed my cheek full of coca leaves and carried on. Illisayo and Kase kept a race pace, and I had to stop a number of times to catch my breath and make some excuse about taking off a layer or putting on the same layer I had just taken off :) I was feeling pretty worked. Half the time I felt like they were just pulling me up the mountain as I concentrated on the pattern of sticking one foot in front of the other.
We came to a near vertical ice wall that we got to use some of our ice climbing skills on. After pulling ourselves up the wall, and taking a break, Illisayo said we were making excellent time and we were nearing the summit. Kasey says she was just following the guide´s pace but she´s a badass and isn´t phased by silly things as lack of oxygen.
Around 5:40 we were at the final push: a ridge about 80m long and 1m wide was all that was left between us and the summit. Illisayo instructed us to keep the rope taut and keep a steady pace. The ridge fell steeply off on either side so we focused on following his footsteps. Both of us had adrenaline pumping through our systems now and focus came easy, a few minutes later we were at the summit, 6088m! At 5:55am we were the second group to acchieve the summit and we slapped hands and Illisayo and I sang Kasey Happy Birthday again. After snapping a few dark photos, sunrise photos and surrounding beauty with frozen hands and dancing around (Illisayo had burried an ice ax as an anchor) we waited for a few more groups to cross the ridge before we headed back down, me in front this time.
Our hike down could more accurately be called a "stumble" as both of us felt exhausted. But we trudged on and even had a stretch where Illisayo had us sit down and slide on our butts! It was great not to be on our tired feet! We soon found ourselves, after some breaks, at the bottom of the small rocky hill where the high camp was. Although now the hill looked a lot larger, so we released our crampons and un-tied from our guide and made our way slowly, groggily up the "small" hill. At the hut we were elated to have made it back and started pealing off gear, first the boots! We had to pack up all our stuff for the hike back down to base camp so we could catch a van back to La Paz, but first I had a treat for Kasey :)
I grabbed the two candles I had brought and the Snickers bar (that I had meant to give her at the summit but we were too preoccupied by actually summitting!) that I used as a "cake" and candles lit the girls (who had not climbed) and I sang her Happy Birthday Again :) She tells me that the Snickers bar was the only thing that could have filled her appetite at the time.
After a few snacks (buttered bread and tea) we headed back to base camp, a feat in itself because we were so tired and beat, also carrying our full bags again. Feeling accomplished and happy for our summit of the closest thing to a 20,000 foot mountain that we have done, we climbed in a van and headed back to La Paz.
All told it was an amazing experience. Neither of us have been pushed that far towards our breaking point (me especially). But we managed to climb the "easiest 6000m peak in the world" (It wasn´t that easy...)
Electricity of El Alto, lighting up the Altiplano as we reached the summit still in near total darkness.
Kasey, showing off and instructing us on how to properly swing an Ice Ax!
High camp, 5130m, with our summit of Huayna Potosi in the background.
The ridge we came up and over en-route to the summit, listed as 6088m or 19,974ft. (Many summiting groups site 6110m at summit, so we would have been just over 20k, depending on the measurements I guess..)
Holy Cats Jon and Kasey!!! That last ridge is insane!
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