Arequipa & Chachani

February 25 - 28

After two weeks of Spanish classes in Cusco, I headed to Arequipa on the overnight bus. That in itself was quite the experience, but the "full cama" (fully reclining seat) was actually comfortable, and I arrived safely in Arequipa, "La Ciudad Blanca" ("The White City"), so-called because of the use of the local white stone for most buildings.

Plaza de Armas & Catedral

There is not much to see in Arequipa, although I did visit a museum detailing the discovery of the "ice princess", the mummy Juanita. Found by accident on the top of Ampato, a nearby mountain, Juanita was an Incan princess, about 12-14 years old, sacrificed to the gods in an attempt to stop volcanic activity endangering the local settlement. Because of the cold, the mummy is in very good condition, with most internal organs intact. Another mummy was on view when I visited, although it was a bit haunting to look at.

There are a number of impressive-looking snow-capped volcanoes overlooking Arequipa, and I joined a trip to climb Chachani.  At 6,075 m (!), the altitude is definitely a factor, but it was also the first time I'd used crampons. After a short first day, we reached base camp at 5,200 m and in bed by 5pm...

Dinner at base camp

Our guide got us up at 1am, and we began climbing at 2am. It was a real struggle - one of the hardest things I've ever done. The sun rose...

Sunrise over a nearby ridge

And then, at 6.57am, when we summitted, I realised the struggle was worth it:

Summit of Chachani at 6,075 m

The views were stunning, we had amazingly clear weather, and our guide Ivan was excellent. The sense of achievement was amazing, and the experience will be added to my quickly-growing list of things I will never forget.