Utah - Peru 2002 (5)

Well, this is my last full day in Huaraz. I had lofty goals of writing a wonderful overview of this city and its people and then as I sat here reading my messages something hit me... Nausea... I don't know why except that maybe I was a little hasty with the treatment of the last bottle of water I drank this afternoon. I dropped the iodine into the bottle to kill the bad stuff... You're meant to wait 30 minutes before adding anything to it to kill the iodine taste and it's bad effects on your stomach's natural flora... but I added the vitamin C after only 15 minutes cause I was so thirsty... ay ay ay, como me duele.... (Selina) So, I'll stick it out as long as I can. There is a baño behind me but how embarrassing, to puke audibly in the internet cafe with all the Peruanos listening and chuckling about Gringa (again, my name for the month) losing her burrito in the toilet... Maybe if I think hard enough about this message my stomach-brain connection will be disrupted... Enough of all that...

Peru is wonderful and I'll be back. There have been so many things go in through my eyes and land permanently on my brain but the climbing stories have been overshadowing them as of late. For example, the drive up to the Valle Paron where we climbed/camped for a total of 10 days. The ride up starts rough and rocky and doesn't really get better but it does get more spectacular. The lower sections include the views of all the campesinos do for this country - their agriculture. They pull plows through their rocky fields with ropes tied around their bulls'/cows' horns. The cows plod along slowly with amazing precision through the fields which vary in steepness from flat to 45 degrees. The cows and bulls that aren't working get to help the farmers get rid of the old corn stalks that pile up in stacks of dry yellow waste.. though, not waste to the hungry cows, hips sticking out and eyes sleepy.... chewing their cud between bites of old foliage...Along the ride you also notice how much Eucalyptus they have brought into this country. It's definitely a foreign crop to the area. Unfortunately, Eucalyptus trees don't allow for much other growth.. they kill everything in their way. The folks here use them for hearbal saunas and then they use the lumber for building maybe? It seems like a random commoditiy, but a popular one throughout. As we drive up in our private collectivo, the most common scene is that of the local women, sitting in their skirts and hats, surrounded by children and piglets. They are always seemingly occupied with something, but I don't know what... They seem very happy and united. As we drive by the kids get up and run along side the car waving. If we could hear them better I'm sure we would hear that they are screaming 'hola gringos' Their dogs take over the lead and chomp at the rubber on our tires and always get out unscathed somehow. The homes are made of dried clay blocks, like bricks and the roofs are made of a sculpted, scooped out red clay. In the winters, most of the windows, which are just openings in the structure, are filled with blocks to keep out the cold. The floor in all the houses in earth and their is no electricity. They use the bathroom in one of two places, either 1) wherever the hell they want or 2) in these small clay outhouses. The outhouses have a little pipe for ventilation but I bet it does little. Sometimes you spot a pile of human shit in random places like on a big rock on the side of the road or on a lid for some kind of container... Random. The campesinas don't wear underwear, they just pull up their skirt and let it fly, even in the streets of Huaraz (so they say, though I have yet to see this.)

The 27 year old Peruvian that drove us up talked to me a lot about the US and about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer in Peru. He said there is no middle class, only pobres and the rich, although, I woulnd't consider him to be part of either, so I think there is a class just above the poor but well below the rich. He only makes 10 soles a day which is about $3 US and that just about covers his meals for the day. Clothing, marriage, children, the rest... it's too difficult. He has dreams of coming to the US one day, but it will most likely never happen. It's impossible for him to save with what little he has. I told him that at least the poor outside of Huaraz contribute to the society. Without them, I don't know where anyone would get their veggies, fruits, juice, chickens, sheep, cows. They may be poor as hell, but they don't just give up and beg in the street like our poor chaps in the bigger cities.. and we all know they have opportunities. These people seem mostly happy to be in the fields working with their children and contributing to the market twice a week. But, who am I to say. The life is nothing less than hard for most. They always look so much older than they are as the climate here is rough and carrying loads on their back daily takes its toll.

Yesterday I had an wonderful opportunity to meet with some folks that live outside of Huaraz. I was going to go up to Laguna Churup, a lake nestled among huge rock walls, but alas, I decided to summit Tambosharaju the night before instead and it took everything out of me.... Tambosharaju... All the peaks here end in raju, like I mentioned before.. it means snowy peak in Quechua... well, on the Sphynx, it got so hot at one point that Mandy made this funny- "I didn't know we were climbing Warmisharaju" haha... So, Tambosharaju is my cover up for the Tambo.. a bar! Where I relearned how to move my hips like a sexy Latina until 4 am... oops. It's just that it was so much fun! I went out with Peru, Chile, and Spain and we had a blast! The next day however, waking up at 11am, put a wrench in the plan for La Laguna... so back to my wonderful opportunity. I had a late lunch with an American named Joe (whose brother worked at Black Diamond for a month or two, Alex?) and at lunch he told me the story about how he has been coming to Peru every year for the last 8... A common thing I'm finding out. Huaraz is just the kind of place you can come to over and over. So, he did a climb and met a great porter years ago... Liberato Torres. Well, in the years to come, he and Liberato (a local Huarazino) became climbing partners. They summitted several peaks together, including Alpamayo... Well, last summer, one week after Joe left Huaraz, he got an e-mail from Liberato's wife saying that he had just died climbing Artesanraju. He was climbing with a Japanese guy... they had summitted and were rappelling off the face... The japanese climber rapped first off one snow picket and it held... then when Liberato went, it pulled. He fell the length of the face and was pretty well in pieces when they finally found his body 5 days later... but fortunately, the rope had wrapped around him and kept his body in tact. So, anyway, he left behind his wife with three boys and one daughter. Joe has kept in touch with the family and his family in Sandy, Utah sends them money via Western Union from time to time to help. Yesterday, Joe was going to visit the family and asked if I would like to go! Of course!We took a 30 minute collective ride from Huaraz up to the little village of Llupa and walked through a field, past two sheep, two cows, a pig and one burro and then climbed a stone wall and hopped a little creek and arrived at the clay home of Martina and her children. She was wearing a slightly torn skirt and her bowler hat with a white blouse. The children giggled and hid around corners while Joe introduced me, then I handed them a big bag of candies that I brought up for them. They came running saying thank you in Castellano and Quechua. The next hour was spent talking to Martina, her brother Graciano and his wife Juana about the accident, life after the accident and just life in general. On this Friday, the 9th of August, a large group are going up to the base camp of Aretesanraju to leave a plaque in honor of Liberato. I took several photos of them family with the plaque and they were delighted. Before I could even take a photo, both of the older women went into the back room and changed into their good velvet skirts with white lace embroidery. Martina has a hat hanging on a wall in her 'living room'. Joe explained that this hat was her married woman hat and now she wears her widow hat. The difference is a white band around the base of the hat. Their house is very modest. There is one open roofed room with a concrete floor where Graciano was prepping camp stoves for their trip up the mountain. In this area there were two kittens and three chicks and one adult chicken, pecking around and trying to eat a bolt from the stove. The kitchen has an earth floor and no light. The roof is low and decorated with massive stacks of hanging corn. They were cooking up some mystery meal for us which we regrettably had to decline with the utmost sensitivity... We would surely have become sick and at the least, I would have been obligated to eat guinnea pig or lamb or something (meat for the first time in 11 years)... but they understood when I explained that I had dinner making plans with some Spanish folks who were leaving the next day... not a lie. I got some photos taken of me and Joe with the kids. One of Martina's neices, Anita, stood close to me. I squatted down next to her and put my arm around her waist and she laid her head on my shoulder... oh, my heart almost broke! I love those kids! I took their address at the general delivery and promised to send them copies of all the photos... and I'm sure I'll send much more too.... books, etc.. maybe some clothes... Martina was such a great host.. she made me promise to come back next year and bring friends. One hour and I fell so in love with them!Joe told me later that she has changed a lot over this last year. He said she used to resent gringos and even the more Spanish influenced peruvians... they are pobres, campesinos, Quechuanos... but now, she welcomes us in, lets us take photos (a rarity) and invites us back for more. It probably has much to do with the fact that when Liberato died, it was a bunch of his gringo clients that sent money and best wishes to Martina. Zarela thinks monetary support creates a crutch for the family... and maybe so, but until her boys are older (the oldest being 8 now) she really has few options. She isn't skilled to anything and her husband's work as a porter kept them going for so long.

On the way down from their house we passed a cemetary... I took photos. I love cemetaries for their history and variety. I think I'll do a coffee table book on cemetaries some day.. I have them from Ireland to Italy, Nevada to Peru... We also passed a couple of young kids herding four cows and five burros up the rocky road.. After they passed I was going to steal a picture but as I turned around with my camera, so did the young girl with her index finger shaking rapidly below a disapproving frown.. I said sorry and moved on. Some of them still hate the whole photo thing and I know that was more than shyness.. that was.. "Don't violate me!"Last night I, Zarela, Daniel, Christina and Fernando (all peruvians) and the token Spaniard, Kepa, cooked up some fine potato tortillas and lasagna and had a wonderful late night feast with red wine. Poor Mandy was racked with a flu which has been killing her motivation and her mood lately.. She went to bed early and shyed away from all the Spanish speakers in the kitchen. After dinner, we almost went to bed but peer pressure from a possee of Columbianos and Catalonians took us up for one more ascent of 'Tambosharaju'! We only lasted until 2am this time and it was so fun! I love dancing! I traded e'mails with the ones I may see again ' climbing in the states or in Spain and we kissed on the cheeks, our saludos, and turned in.Today, Zarela and I had breakfast... Mandy had Pedialite and we rallied to go up to the overlook spot (El Mirador) above Huaraz, where as in so many Latin American towns, there is a huge cross on a hill overlooking the whole town. We were 100yards from the cross when a couple from England told us that 10 minutes prior, two other tourists had been robbed at gun point near the cross and that we should take caution... I put my money in my sock and ran through all the scenarios of how I would defend my camera at gun point... We moved along slowly and then decided to head back down. On the way down we alerted two gals from Denver and another Gringo.

Back at the house now, chillin' and not regretting any sights missed cause I know I'll be back soon! Tomorrow at 1pm I hit the bus for Lima. My limeño friend, Daniel is picking me up at the bus station and we'll grub down one last time before he takes me to the airport and I fly overnight to the US of A.... Until then, I'll be eating Thai food with Naresuan for one last time and then dragging myself up Tambosharaju for one last hurrah with Zarela! Take care and be in touch! luv, rai

Utah - Peru 2002 (4)

Guess who's back ... no, not Shady you groupies... Anyway, Mandy and I are back in Huaraz... We went back for it... Here's the drag out.

On Wednesday of last week we headed out casually to try the Original route on the Sphynx. We decided to take a collectivo from Huaraz to Caraz (about an hour and a half) and a collectivo is a toyota mini van basically with several seats in it.... Our collective picked up 25 people at a time along the way, with no shortage of their good of various types. 25 people in a Toyota Mini Van!

Let me tell you, these folks seriously work hard and it's proven in that they can sleep anywhere. On this collectivo, at 8am, I'm surrounded by sleeping bodies. The one pressed against me was that of a young mother with her 2 month old baby boy in her arms... I kept my eyes on him cause, hello, she's sleeping! But, that must be one of those motherly talents. She was so quick too. Her husband was sleeping across from her and she would jerk awake as his bag of fruit was about to fall from his lap! Crazy... The others were sleeping standing up, around sharp turns, over rutted roads.. The kids on the ride were fun too... until one of them, the three year old, started licking the palms of his sisters' hands.. yuk! When we got to Caraz, a bunch of taxis tried to get us to ride with them to the Laguana, then the two boys that drive the collectivo shot each other glances, shut the door and drove off saying.... 60 soles, we'll take you. Vamanos... So, we're off, cozy in our own empty collectivo to the trail head... at least, after they asked 7 people along the way how to get there....

So, we get there, pile on our lite packs (everything was at the base) and hit the trail. They kept asking where our guides were and were amused at our going alone. So, we punched it up the trail in an hour less than the first time with the heavier packs. We promptly set up our tents, filtered water, made lunch/dinner and then talked logistics...

The plan for climbing... to those that understand it all... was to start early, make it to the ledge and sleep on the ledge for one night and then go on from there to the top. Well, we slept awesome that night! Being there the week before helped with acclimatization. We woke up late though! So at 7am we're running to the base where all of our gear is stashed. We get there 30 minutes later and have to sort the shit, put on our harnesses, lug it to the base and gawk at how heavy the hallbag became suddenly when you add warm clothes for two, water for two days, food, sleeping bags...etc... So, there I am, racking up for the first pitch and Mandy looks at me slyly and says, "well...... I don't know." I just sat back into myself and said... "I know." Fact was, there was no way we were going to make it to that ledge with that bitch of a haul bag... The wall was low angle enough to pose serious threats to our plan... So "Let's go Craggin" Mandy said. The plan changed to a more simplisitc one.

On this fine Thursday with clouds hovering over nearby peaks, we decided to just take up the three ropes we had, get as far as we wanted and fix ropes back down. We swung leads up the first five pitches. The climbing was awesome and the sun peaked out on us most of the day. Mandy stepped up at one pitch for some 5.10 fist action that I backed away from... She rocked it and we were psyched to be two strong women getting higher and higher. At the top of that pitch, we fixed our first rope and headed back down. Getting down from here was easy. We did some rope trickery to make an unexpected 50m rope work for us and we were on the ground in no time with our ropes fixed all the way to our high point for the next day. That night we planned to sleep under a rock at the base of the climb so we could be right there and ready to punch it in the morning... We tried... but come 6pm Mandy and I were craving warm salty foods and growing sick of Luna bars and GU... So, back to the warm cozy tent. Turns out, we would've been hurting had we not done that cause it was a cold, windy night. The next morning we got up early and on time and jaunted off to the base with nothing on our backs! At the base, everything was ready...oh except one detail.. Because of the 50m rope, we had to borrow a 60m from these Italians for the rap at the descent... So once we got to the base we had to rifle through their stash and find the BLUE rope.. They said BLUE... Three out of four were blue so we measured them all out! Two of the blue were only 50m and the other was their lead line, so we took the pink 55m. The PINK.. haha!

So, finally we're off and running... in place! Jugging fixed lines is a little epic. The first pitch was easy, low angle, but the next two together were steep and it was exhausting at 16,000 feet. But, we get to the base of the chimney in good time and I take that lead... 5.7 chimney... no problem.. Except I'm claustraphobic.. Just kidding, that was the easy part. I get out of the chimney with no issues, pull onto the face and clip a nice piton. Then I hit the slab... it was good, a little run out... and actually I almost had an emotional breakdown when I was staring face to face with a brain plant and no gear for a ways below me... then I saw a bolt to my right and was giddy.. But it did a number on my head for the day.... So, anyway, Mandy came up, took on the next lead.. the first of the two technical cruxes.. She got up there, dealt with the jungle down low, pulled thru the roof up high and styled the finger crack. I joined her and graciously declined the next lead... wimpywimpy but no thanks... So, she took it on. It was hard! It was not easy at all going through the roof and then finishing up on the flake! She did it and I followed and we were worked. At this point we had one pitch to the sleeping ledge, the half way point... and it was 12:30pm... so, we'd get up there and see.. Well, we got up there, the sun was gone from the wall, the wind was whipping and we were just psyched to have gotten that far and have had fun...

So we decided to turn around... rap the route. The rest would be the enduro-route finding crux and no matter where we looked or who we talked to, we couldn't get a solid idea of where to go or how it would really be... so, down down.. and happily so! We didn't need to climb in the dark and the cold to feel like we had accomplished something! We already had! So, all's well... and then we start to rap! What a royal epic. Rapping is the least fun part about climbing for me cause it seems the least safe... ropes running over sharp edges, anchors pulling, whatever... Well, we rap down two pitches and we're happy with our decision... then the ropes get stuck.. they don't even pull! So, we swing 'em, pull 'em, twist 'em, etc... and then, since I didn't lead the cruxes, I step up... gotta do my part.. We fix one line and I jugged the other. At a ledge I pull slack on the fixed line and move the stuck one.. I do that a time or two and think, "all good" and head back down... They don't pull! So, I go back up again, higher, tie into another anchor, pull the rope up, deal and head back to Mandy who is convulsing with the cold at the lower belay...

The next rap is uneventful and then we're off on our third. I come out over a roof and Mandy is way the hell down there.... " wow, we cleared two pitches?"... "well, not exactly... I just thought the rope wouldn't pull"... Well, if I joined her, we would've both been stuck with the possibility of not having any ropes, on a ledge that's at least 30m from the fixed lines of our Italian campmates (who had climbed earlier that day and since gone back to camp).... So, I went into the right anchor and neither she from below nor me from above could get the ropes to move... The only only solution was for one of us to jug back up and fix one of the ropes, then we'd fix another to the Italian's lines and then be out... At this point it's 3pm and we're so cold... Mandy goes up, fixes the line and then we rig an anchor for our last fix and we're home free... four raps to the ground! It was so good to get down at 5pm! What an epic.. but we both handled it like champs and laughed as much as we could in between the obscenities! We also learned a lot about swag that you don't usually have the chance to deal with when all goes well. Major props to our boys in SLC who pulled it off in a day last year. It's an undertaking for sure and I have the ultimate respect for it... The Italians were fixing all the way to the ledge over the course of two days, then after a day of rest, jugging in the dark to the ledge and climbing to the top! Burly! Jugging hurts! They were happy to know we fixed two more lines for them and they were free to keep our ropes!

The porters came for us on time Saturday morning and we punched it down the trail with light loads, took our pirvate bus back to Zarela's and now we'll go out for Thai food with Naresuan.... We went to the Eucalyptus saunas today... hot, steamy, so good.. sweating all the dirt from the climb out and sucking in all the yummy herbs in the air... so nice... ready for Pad Thai! Ciao Ciao.. -rai

Utah - Peru 2002 (3)

Hello gang! This will be a quick catch up letter. Since we came down from the mountains we've been chillin' in Huaraz. It's a great town, albeit a bit dusty and littered with a stack of exhaust fumes to be inhaled by one and all! On our first day back to normal life we chilled and recovered a bit from our adventure/epic. We did make it out to check out the bouldering in another area outside of Huaraz. A five minute taxi ride for .75$ took us to this open area with lots of farm land and stacks of boulders. I actually didn't get to do that much as my shoes are still up at the Sphynx and you know, bouldering is just rough for me with my ankle injury being so fresh in my head... Naresuan, Tommy and another fellah, Andy, took enough hard falls with wobbly landings to shy me away.. But, I got to sit back and enjoy the company of a pit bull puppy named Chopper whose ears had just been cut off my his 15 year old owner... you know, cut back, fighting dog style... poor thing is only about 3 months old and his ears are scabby and bloody... but, he still had no trouble barking at us like an attack dog one minute and then licking the chocolate off our candy wrappers the next.

The bouldering is great here and the spectators are enthralled... from ages 5 to 70, they flock to watch the gringos climb on top of big rocks in their fields while their cows, sheep and pigs provide the background sending noises. We made a plan with Naresuan to go biking up to the Rurec Valley which is a bit out of Huaraz. The plan the night before was to take a collectivo (public bus) out to Olleros, the closest town to the valley and then ride out on flats to the valley and scope the route potential for future trips. The Rurec Valley boasts walls that are sheer, featured and very inspiring for the hiker, climber and cows alike! Well, when we met up with Naresuan in the morning with our souped up GT bikes from Zarela's, he said... let's hit it.. no collectivo, no taxi.. let's go! So, we rode slightly up hill for 15-20km and then reached the dirt road up to Olleros...

After sucking exhaust to that point and being greeted by all Peruvians that knew how to say Hello Gringo... Hellos mister.. yes, even I am a mister here... we reached Olleros 2 and a half hours after leaving Huaraz.. Then we rode higher and higher. Finally we reached the part that is meant to be flat.. and it was. And it was gorgeous and we could see the Rurec valley in the distance and the peak, Shakshaw... and it was all about 6 hours away! And by then, my legs were jello and all of our soft bums were bruised and screaming for a break. The butt thing was definitely the worst. None of our tails were in shape for riding and 6 and a half hours later in Huaraz, we were all squirming in our seats while we waited for our Cristales (beers)! It was great! And yes, photos were taken en masse. Other than all this adventure, we've shopped, we've drank, we've laughed at these mad Austrians who clearly know how to handle their drink.... 15 hours worth without losing a single morsel to the bowl....

And then today we sent Tommy off on the bus to Lima and he'll fly out tonight to Utah. Mandy and I leave in the morning to head back up to the Sphynx. The whole valley and all surrounding peaks are surrounded by gray clouds right now, the worst we've seen so far... but , who knows what can happen over night. We're going regardless cause we only have one week left... I won't make it to any jungles, the Amazon, Machu Pichuu, but I can always come back! With Seamus next time! He would love this place and they would love him! Well, must go grab a new book for the rest of my trip! Hope you're all well and I'll be in touch when we get back on Saturday! Ciao kids! -rai

Utah - Peru 2002 (2)

Denial...
ain´t just a river in Egypt... remember that line? Hopefully it ain´t a permanent state of things either, but for now, we´re doing a little swimming in Shut-Down Rio. For those that hear from Tommy and Mandy, this will be the NON-abbreviated version of the epic... for the rest, it will still be rich with details so save it to your archives and read when you feel up for it... or now if you need refuge from the daily daily yaddah yaddah...

Well, I´ll start way back when (last Sunday) with our pre-trip venture to the mercado to stock up on food and extras that we may need for the trip. From my last trip to Bolivia I learned that it´s easy to overdo the food situation and end up with more weight to lug around than is necessary so I kept my meal selection down to simple meals of pasta, raman, mac&cheese, and some veggies. Breakfast daily is granola with dehydrated milk... mmmm and lunch is energy bars, oranges and GU....mmmm. We had a few other treats like potatoes, onions, cilantro, cocoa...etc...

The mercado is amazing!! The head and hide of every animal possible, displayed from hooks and laid out on blocks for all to see, breathe on and smell... ooh, the smell. Nothing like old blood to kick in that appetite. The mercado is muy colorful!! Lots of gorgeous fruits running around in these little carts pushed by bicycles, shaded with canopies, manned by strong small peruvians that are sure if they speak slowly enough, you´ll understand Quechua... no, man, not gonna happen, but I appreciate the credit for being trilingual! Veggies - so many. All colors from lime to orange... fluorescents, neutrals, you name it... all laid out and ready for the steal... and that´s what it is for us. You can buy 12 potatoes for a dime. It almost feels unfair or like donations are necessary... of course they´re not, but you know. The best are the looks you get when you ask for some foods in the part of the market where the campesinos sell their agriculture. I ask for 6 papas.. and she just looks at me. Or maybe I should get it myself... Do you have a bag... And she just says with the movement of only her lips.... 6 papas. Allrighty then, and 5 cebollas, etc... Then when all is said, she hands me the bags to serve myself... haha! Love these people!

I´ll get into their clothing as soon as I talk about the living part of the market... yes, the part where they sell pets for food. Well, not pets to most, but having sung 'Ben' by The Jackson Five to my beloved Guinnea Pig Ben at the age of 11 or so, I consider the little guys nothing short of pets! Perfect little squeaking companions that enjoy chilling in the backyard, eating grass... dying of dehydration when you accidentally leave them out for too long... oops. Anyway, the Guinnea Pig out here is like the Chicken in most places. They sell them alive on the streets. They just cram dozens of them into bags. The kinder sellers spread them out so they can chill side by side while others just let them hang on top of each other, undoubtedly hoping they´ll meet the knife soon cause it has to be a better fate than this. I saw one that looked painfully like my other Guinnea Pig, Henry. Oh, good ole Henry. Ben and Henry... wow, my creativity with pet names has sure come a long way! The other living sales include chickens, turkeys .... that´s about it. Everything else is dead and gone and on the way to the mesa.

So, the more indigenous population (the women in particular) have a remarkable outfit which seems sorely impractical around here, it being winter in Peru and all.... This is how it looks if you´ve never seen it. I´ll start at the head... Bowler hats. Browns usually with a flower or feather on them... Some have bigger brims than others, but all are worn high on the head and seem pretty stylish but not so effective or necessary... Definitely a detail that isn´t overlooked by any of the Quechua women. From there we move onto a blouse, often white with a very colorful vest or piece of random material thrown over it. Many of them are wearing these tapestry type things on their backs, tied in the front, in which they carry children up to four years of age, herbs, clothing, etc... Those are always very colorful also... Next we have the most unusual aspect of the outfit.. A knee length, very colorful skirt with a massive petty coat underneath, a pair of thick stocking tights and soft dress shoes with no heal, more like moccasyns. Anyway - After some reflection, I decided this idea must come from the fashion of the Euros on the late 1800´s... ya know, the skirts, the hats, the works... They just held on to the notion that it´s the way to go.. I'm probably way wrong on that call, but it´s a fun hypothesis. It seems to me like the longer skirts and warmer tops like those found throughout Bolivia would be better... but they look great and they seem to take a lot of pride in their ensembles, so yeehaw!

Shit - that was just the market part! Just Sunday! No epic yet! Oh, better move on... so much to talk about though, really... so much. Do come this way soon. Stay with our friend Zarela in Huaraz (in her Hostel) and she´ll take such good care of you! She´s been keeping us satiated with the most scrumptious breakfast burritos and mate de coca...(which are the leaves that cocaine is made from and which supposedly help to combat the negative effects of higher altitudes and replenishes evergy supplies.. we will find out soon.

Monday morning, 6am.. alarm goes off. We are all packed and ready with one fairly heavy load each and one much heavier load each for our three porters. The porters come recommended by Zarela as does the driver who will get us safely to the trailhead for La Esfinge, the rock feature we´ll be climbing. The driver also shows up on time and after breakfast we load up and head out. We nod off from time to time on the 4 hour drive... at least the first, paved half of the trip. The last part is a winding rocky road through one of the most scenic and rural areas followed by one of the most impressive, overbearing canyons with massive walls on either side... easier to appreciate from an open pick up, but just as awesome from our mini-bus-van thingy. The porters rap in the front seat in Quechua, the local language ( most folks here are bilingual with Castellano and Quechua, and most have poorly developed Castellano which makes me second guess mine, until I convince myself that I have surely received more grammar lessons than most). We three gringos sit in the back taking in the sights... the clay homes with bright indigo doors and windows, corn drying from a hook by the front door, sleepy contented dogs watching the farmers walk behind two bulls who pull his plow through a newly de-rocked field.

As we gain altitude in the canyon, the river gushes and rushes by faster and faster, bluer and more pure... Glacial run off.. And then we´re surround by peaks. Most of which have a name ending in ´raju´which I found out means snowy peak in Quechua. Finally, we pull off to the side of the road next to some wandering cattle and hop out of the bus to take in our first view of La Esfinge... awe inspiring and captivating! We take some shots and punch it to the end of the road where we are greeted by the most impressive vista of some grand snowy peaks and La Laguna Paron... the most blue lake I´ve seen in ages! We chat with some folks that hang around there at the refugio. They are interested in what we came to do, from where we come and how much weight we are carrying... Meanwhile, we´re just trying to stay psyched for the hike ahead. Once loaded up, the three porters Cojoy, Turruju, and Juan ¨the Quechua¨(that went on an adventure with our friends last summer down here - yes, guys the same Juan!) and the three gringos take off on the windy trail up to the Sphynx.

We arrive at base camp in about 2 and a half hours, quite kicked but instantly rejuvenated by the sight of the chunk of rock we´re about to climb. We´re all psyched, including the porters.. Juan did a little jig for us at the top when we talked about how nice it would be if they had walk mans... they say they charge 80- 100 US $ for them here... if anyone has a walkman they don´t want, I was going to send them some.. I know I have a beater I could unload.. still works, just outdated... Playing tapes would be a necessity... Anyhoo...

We pay the porters, set up our meeting time for the following week and send them on their way. We promptly set up our camp, pitching tents, making a kitchen, filtering water, etc.... The camp for this climbing area is like an oasis in a desert. In the middle of this rocky, desert environment, with hills and undulations everywhere, there is this large expanse of devegetated, sandy, flat and partly sheltered land... I´m sure the Sphynx must have made a deal with someone to have this made so she would have more visitors! So, once we´re set up, we talk shop... what should be our plan for this climb. We´re thinking, day one- climb to the top of the first aid pitch, fix down as much as possible day two - get back up there, climb to the ledge and free and fix the next aid pitches off the ledge day three, just those pitches and climb to the top... If those pitches are super hard, we´ll spend two nights on the ledge (three in two sleeping bags zipped together - cozy, warm and lighter than three bags.. Tommy would be a lucky man.) Of course, we didin´t know what to expect really especially with one pitch of A3 nailing, etc... So, we eat dinner and hit the sack early since it´s dark by 6pm and cold as hell with no sun.

Thus begins our epic. Mandy and Rai sleep like total shit flying through the air! I was up all night long, peeing every hour (which is a good thing) but with the additional burden of a gnarly headache. I take some excederine in the night which helps me sleep from 4am to 6am... Finally, I bail from my small shelter and swing by Mandy and Tommy. Not doing so well... Mandy has the funk. She´s already had diarrhea and threw up too! I have the gnarls in my stomach but no activity yet. Tommy has the head aches... we have a rough day, Mandy can´t eat a bite... She lays in the tent most of the day dreaming of gingerale, I lay hunched over on rocks, trying to stay positive, trying to ignore the sledgehammer that´s beating in my skull and Tommy just drags about, wishing we all felt better. At about 7pm that night, my head is finally feeling better but oh, the stomach, then as suddenly as a hawk dives into the bush, I dive into a bush with some previous meals bidding me farewell... Poor Tommy got to witness that one! I flet instantly better. We all hit the hay again, hoping for more sleep, but at this point, Tommy is sure that we´ll be going down in the morning cause Mandy is really hating it!

The next day, we feel better with some residual signs of the pain but we´re willing to use this day to recover and make a decision later. That afternoon we´re thinking, well we don´t feel great and we´re all weak as hell but we better do something proactive or we´ll be hosed, so we motivate, and load up the hall bags with all the gear we´ll need for the route. We humped the gear to base (an hour hike with a load on) and stash it at the base for our day one attempt the following day. We have a plan, we have the gear worked out, we´re ready and we feel okay after our day of laying around, drinking mate de coca.... All´s well, all are sleeping, at 5am I wake to go out and pee and all is well.... And at 6am, there is a pitter patter on my tent... I lay there and fall back asleep until the constant pounding of this moisture wakes me and I take a peek... Are you kidding me? Snow! So much snow, falling sideways, a total white out with no view of the spectacular peaks that watched over us for the days prior, no view of La Esfinge... Nothing to do but go back to sleep and deal with the new pounding in my head. Finally at about 10 am, a very restless Mandy comes to my tent and while drawing pictures in the snow, she explains her frustrations, I toss in mine and Tommy gives his two cents... Basically - Mandy is ancy and can´t sit in the tent any longer without doing anything, wants to go down and come back later... Tommy is sorry to miss out on another go up the Sphynx but did summit last year, so he can deal and I'd hate to spend my whole Peruvian trip in the hills (if we return) but I definitely want to get to the top, so if it means going down and coming back up, so be it... So, we make a decision.. a very tough one... To GO DOWN!!!

We head back to the base of the climb with an empty hall bag and fill it with all the aid stuff that we won´t be needing in the future with our new plan, we take all of Tommy´s stuff out, including a rope and then we re-stash the gear... in what we hope to be a safe spot... buried by rocks. The new plan - Mandy and Rai come back next week and do the Original route. We left everything up there including one tent, sleeping bags, climbing gear, water, stove, food (in a barrell) and some clothing. Our next hump up to base camp will be us alone with virtually nothing on our backs - sweet!

Utah - Peru 2002 (1)

Hello gang! I made it to Peru safely. The flight was great, got to Huaraz quickly, met up with the right people and am speaking a lot of Spanish....

Now for those that like details...

Let me start with the flight... I flew on a buddy pass from my friend Deanne (thanks again and again!) and when I booked it... it was to be first class the whole way... yippee.. A first time at 27! Love those. Well, got to the airport and lined up in first class, dressed for first class and then after checking me in, the nice Delta man says in his sweetest quietest voice... you are not fitting in first class... and when you fly on a buddy pass, you line up with all the other coach travellers... OOPS! Major buzz kill... so now I'm wearing a skirt to curl up in coach... well, I get to the gate and guess whose name is on the standby list- yikes! Luckily, they find a place to put me on the full plane, all goes well and at the check in counter for my seat assignment to Lima I actually do get first class! It was nice...although I sat next to a real stiff who woulnd´t even say hi to me... an American. He knew English...

The flight was amazing... The most impressive thing was when I recognized a place I had been before, from the sky! Well, it wasn´t too hard... It was Key West. I could see the long straight road that links that last stretch of sea to Key West... it brought bag floods of memories from that awesome trip! Then I saw the coolest place! The most turquoise agua, white sandy beaches and many homes.... sitting right next to an expanse of land so large and green and uninhabited.... It was Cuba and I must go there! Things darkened from that point as we flew into thunder clouds and I survived the most turbulent flight of my long flying career...

At the airport, I wandered into the baggage claim and my friend Mandy was just grabbing her bags. We headed out together into the sea of faces and saw a big sign with her name on it. Daniel was there with his cousin, ready to take us safely to his hostel in Lima... All went great there. The next day we got a tour of Lima from Daniel in his red VW bug (old school) and then piled on a big tour bus for the 7 hour ride out to Huaraz... base camp for these three weeks and starting point for all adventures!

Huaraz is amazing... surrounded by peaks - some rugged, some snowy, some intimidating, some non-descript but all captivating! Our hostel, with Zarela as the ultimate host(ess) is amazing! We have a high room overlooking so much! Our first night out took us wandering into a pizza place where I saw a girl I knew from SLC! Weirder! It was the roommate of Alicia Brown, a friend in SLC. We laughed about the mundo pequeño... (small world). Then we met some other folks from Ecuador, Chile, England, Scotland, Thailand, etc. that Tommy had met before we arrived. (Tommy is Mandy´s boyfriend and they are the folks I am traveling and climbing with for those that don´t know). I also got to meet Naresuan, this amazing Thai guy who just makes you smile when you see him. He got to climb with my friend Ben not long ago and won´t stop raving about him... He loves you Ben!

Today we bouldered with Naresuan and the UK boys and Daniel, who came with us from Lima. The bouldering was great... so much to do in such a cool environment. Located in a farming area outside of Huaraz the boulders and we climbers, became entertainment for some locals that enjoyed a break from chopping Eucalyptus trees to watch us... They thought it was the craziest, coolest thing. They´re such gorgeous people! I love that I can speak with them! After climbing we walked back to Huaraz taking shortcuts through villages, stepping over chickens, walking around enormous pigs with piglets attached to them, and of course me with the camera shooting every new type of animal from cow to burro to dog... anything cute and furry! I got a great close up of a dirty-nosed piglet! The people greeted us warmly as we passed through. At one point a woman grabbed my goldy locks and held them to her face... She was amused by the blonde. At another point I spotted a sad boy watching a neighborhood soccer match from a distance. I asked him why he was so sad and he pointed to his toe where he had the littlest scratch. I asked him if he wanted to share some chocolate with me to make it feel better... He just nodded sadly.. We ate it and I said, doesn´t chocolate just make everything so much better... He tried not to smile, but he did!

So, tonight we ate some phenomenal Thai food at Nersuan´s restaurant...I have a contented grumble in my tummy! In the morning Mandy and I are going on an acclimitization hike (Tommy has already been playing at higher altitudes). Then on Monday morning we head out to do the Sphynx (la Esfinge - in the photo).... I rapped with the porters today and they are meeting us at 6am and then coming back for us on the following Sunday morning... so we´ll be up there for 6-7 days. We are planning to free/fix the bottom pitches, jug ém the next day, bivy on the midway ledge, free/fix all the harder pitches off the ledge, jug them in the morning of the next day and then punch it to the top! Viola!

Hopefully the next time I write ( in a week or so) I´ll have exciting tales.... For now, you really have a lot to look forward to as far as pictures go.... I am taking soooo many on this trip and I love this country! And I really love speaking Spanish!! Another exciting development is that Mandy and I are going to climb Pisco, one of the local snowy peaks after the Sphynx... my first snow slog! yeehaw! Well - until later... Hope you´re all well...