The Cerro Tunari Climb
Cerro Tunari Monday 27th June- Thursday 30th June 2005
We are still recovering from this hike which was extremely demanding, but also incredibly rewarding. We both agreed that it was the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives – though perhaps we are just soft gringos as Kiko has done it about 20 times, and many of the children at Colonia have made it to the top several times! Thank you to all of you who sponsored us for this event, we deeply appreciate it. We will give a quick summary of what we did each day.
Participants: Kiko, Carmen, Jacob (a volunteer working at Colonia), Claire, Gertjan, Rocio, Carla, Ana Maria, Gabriela, Rosa, Monica, Favio, Robert, Cesar, Gustavo, Oscar, Freddy, Bernardino.
Monday - 27th June
After spending the night at Colonia, we got up at 4am to prepare to leave. All the children had their backpacks ready with extra clothes and a blanket, and their own cup, spoon and bowl. The food, drinks, camping and climbing gear were also shared out amongst the children and us, and after some hot tea we left on the bus driven by Carmen’s brother to Payrumani, where the hike began.
We started walking at about 6.30 when it was still dark, ascending through the small park at Payrumani and going up the riverbed for a little while. Then we really started to climb, up a steep and stony path going up the side of the valley. This first day was really gruelling – basically we walked for about 11 hours with only very short breaks every couple of hours, and we ascended approximately 2000m in this time. The views back across the valley were stunning, but it was a little hard to appreciate them while gasping for every breath! We stopped for lunch in a flat area of the valley by a stream which was really nice, but all too soon we were off again. The last four hours were very difficult as we were struggling for oxygen, and the three gringos (us and Jacob) were well behind most of the other children. They didn’t desert us though, and we were walking with some of the children all the time, either Oscar or Favio staying back to help show us the way, and some of the children who were also having difficulties keeping us company, including Rosa, Cesar, Robert and Gabriela. At one point we thought we were never going to make it to the cave, but then suddenly it came into view over the third peak, and with a final spurt of energy we arrived there at about 5.15pm, about 20 minutes behind the rest of the group!
After collapsing on the floor of the cave for a while, we ate a quick dinner of noodle soup before crashing out – everyone was pretty exhausted by this point. The cave was at an altitude of about 4400m, and gave us some shelter from the wind, but was still fairly chilly – we all huddled together on top of plastic sheets to keep warm and managed to sleep through the night. Some people were feeling quite ill during the night and the next morning due to the altitude sickness – Gertjan threw up, Claire had a dizzy spell and nausea, Rosa, Jacob and Cesar felt sick and had headaches too. We spent Monday night at an altitude of approximately 4400 metres.
Tuesday - 28th June
We got up and warmed up with some hot chocolate for breakfast to chase away the chills of the wind that had blown through in the night. Most of this day was spent climbing up the cliff facing the cave to get to the other side, where there was a more sheltered area to spend the night. It was a fun day as we were working together as a team, helping each other climb the rocks, passing rucksacks along lines as some parts were too hard to do with rucksacks on, and using ropes and harnesses at some points, waiting together for everyone to ascend before moving on to the next stage. We managed to stay safe but we did lose a cup and a spoon that went tumbling down the cliff face. Anna Marie dropped her rucksack and it was almost lost except for a daring leap by Carmen who caught the rucksack with one hand and held on to the rocks with two fingers of the other hand – a scary moment, but she was quickly supported and pulled back to safety! The tent we had bought for the little ones also had a tumble, but didn’t fall too far and Kiko scampered down to get it back.
It was a cold day as we were in the shadow of the cliff all day until about 3pm, when at last we reached the top and sat in the welcome sun to defrost. Cesar was very ill and was sick during one break we had, and felt that he couldn’t make it, but with some encouragement he persevered, and as soon as we reached the sun he perked up and recovered his energy. Form there it was a short scramble across the rocks to the shelter – really just an indent in the cliff face which kept us out of the worst of the cold. From here we started using ice as there was no water, so we collected ice to use for cooking and as drinking water, very refreshing! We had coffee and crackers when we arrived and then some soup later, but cooking with ice on a small gasoline stove takes a long time! We also lit a fire and huddled around it for some much needed warmth. By this time we were at a height of about 4800 metres and were really feeling the cold. Most people went to bed early, exhausted from the day’s climb, and in the hollow where we slept it was cramped but cosy enough due to shared body heat – we were crammed in like sardines - but at least we weren’t too cold!
Wednesday - 29th June
We set off at about 8.30 today to reach the first peak – there are two peaks, one higher than the other. Robert, Cesar and Bernardino decided to stay behind at the camp, so there were 15 of us setting off. This was a rough scramble up some rocks, but we were rewarded with some incredible views from the top, it was a very clear day and so we could see all the way to Illimani, the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real range near La Paz. The first peak is the one that most people visit but it isn't actually the top of the mountain. We then spent an hour or so crossing and climbing to the actual summit - this involved the use of ropes and some difficult climbing with very sheer drops on each side. Then at last we were at the top, with amazing views in all directions. Carmen told us that there used to be a sign there saying 5200m - the concrete base of it was still there. We had some oranges at the top and tried to find ice to make some slush-puppy type drinks, but there was no ice around so we had to go thirsty.
We then began the long descent down the cliff face. This was quite a challenge, with very steep slopes of scree, rocks sliding down in all directions, and lots of rope work needed. At one point we had to go down an almost vertical cut in the cliff in pairs just holding on to a rope and using feet on either side of the cut. This was about 50m long. Some of the children found this quite difficult, but they helped each other out, they have amazing strength and resilience. This was especially true for Monica who spent about half an hour helping Rosa down the cliff and placing her feet for her while also clinging onto the rope herself. It was a relief when we all got to the bottom. It was a long afternoon, cold and icy, and we didnt get down to the camping site until about 5pm. We were all hungry and thirsty by then.
Dinner took a long time because of having to melt ice, but was very welcome when it came - instant mashed potato has never tasted so good! We crowded around the fire for warmth and to heat up hot dogs and then eventually collapsed into bed (or onto the ground to be more accurate!) after some hot tea.
Thursday - 30th June
The last day had arrived. Everyone was filthy and tired by now, but we had a steep descent ahead of us, very hard on the knees as we came down over 2000m in only 5 hours. The first part was all scree which we used as a giant slide, kicking up dust and causing more than a few holes in trouser seats as we went, great fun though!
We stopped for lunch at the same place as we had stopped on the first day where there was plenty of water - the first wash in three days! Jacob had lost his expensive new camera on the first day, and by some miracle on the way back down through a large grassy slope with no clear path, Oscar found it - he was very pleased with himself. Claire also managed to lose everyone else on the way down the same slope and had overtaken the group before they found her again. It was nice to be warm again and to be walking in the sun.
We eventually got back to Payrumani where the bus was waiting to take us back. We flopped into the bus and set off, arriving back at Colonia Ecologica by about 7pm after dropping some children off on the way. We were probably dirtier, smellier and more exhausted than we have ever been in our entire lives, but it was well worth it - the whole trip was an arduous but wonderful experience and one that we will never forget.
Thank you to all and any of you who have helped us to raise money for the children via sponsorship, we will let you know the total when we have it, but it looks as if we reached our target, and will be able to pay for the rest of the top floor to be finished - a great achievement.
We are still recovering from this hike which was extremely demanding, but also incredibly rewarding. We both agreed that it was the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives – though perhaps we are just soft gringos as Kiko has done it about 20 times, and many of the children at Colonia have made it to the top several times! Thank you to all of you who sponsored us for this event, we deeply appreciate it. We will give a quick summary of what we did each day.
Participants: Kiko, Carmen, Jacob (a volunteer working at Colonia), Claire, Gertjan, Rocio, Carla, Ana Maria, Gabriela, Rosa, Monica, Favio, Robert, Cesar, Gustavo, Oscar, Freddy, Bernardino.
Monday - 27th June
After spending the night at Colonia, we got up at 4am to prepare to leave. All the children had their backpacks ready with extra clothes and a blanket, and their own cup, spoon and bowl. The food, drinks, camping and climbing gear were also shared out amongst the children and us, and after some hot tea we left on the bus driven by Carmen’s brother to Payrumani, where the hike began.
We started walking at about 6.30 when it was still dark, ascending through the small park at Payrumani and going up the riverbed for a little while. Then we really started to climb, up a steep and stony path going up the side of the valley. This first day was really gruelling – basically we walked for about 11 hours with only very short breaks every couple of hours, and we ascended approximately 2000m in this time. The views back across the valley were stunning, but it was a little hard to appreciate them while gasping for every breath! We stopped for lunch in a flat area of the valley by a stream which was really nice, but all too soon we were off again. The last four hours were very difficult as we were struggling for oxygen, and the three gringos (us and Jacob) were well behind most of the other children. They didn’t desert us though, and we were walking with some of the children all the time, either Oscar or Favio staying back to help show us the way, and some of the children who were also having difficulties keeping us company, including Rosa, Cesar, Robert and Gabriela. At one point we thought we were never going to make it to the cave, but then suddenly it came into view over the third peak, and with a final spurt of energy we arrived there at about 5.15pm, about 20 minutes behind the rest of the group!
After collapsing on the floor of the cave for a while, we ate a quick dinner of noodle soup before crashing out – everyone was pretty exhausted by this point. The cave was at an altitude of about 4400m, and gave us some shelter from the wind, but was still fairly chilly – we all huddled together on top of plastic sheets to keep warm and managed to sleep through the night. Some people were feeling quite ill during the night and the next morning due to the altitude sickness – Gertjan threw up, Claire had a dizzy spell and nausea, Rosa, Jacob and Cesar felt sick and had headaches too. We spent Monday night at an altitude of approximately 4400 metres.
Tuesday - 28th June
We got up and warmed up with some hot chocolate for breakfast to chase away the chills of the wind that had blown through in the night. Most of this day was spent climbing up the cliff facing the cave to get to the other side, where there was a more sheltered area to spend the night. It was a fun day as we were working together as a team, helping each other climb the rocks, passing rucksacks along lines as some parts were too hard to do with rucksacks on, and using ropes and harnesses at some points, waiting together for everyone to ascend before moving on to the next stage. We managed to stay safe but we did lose a cup and a spoon that went tumbling down the cliff face. Anna Marie dropped her rucksack and it was almost lost except for a daring leap by Carmen who caught the rucksack with one hand and held on to the rocks with two fingers of the other hand – a scary moment, but she was quickly supported and pulled back to safety! The tent we had bought for the little ones also had a tumble, but didn’t fall too far and Kiko scampered down to get it back.
It was a cold day as we were in the shadow of the cliff all day until about 3pm, when at last we reached the top and sat in the welcome sun to defrost. Cesar was very ill and was sick during one break we had, and felt that he couldn’t make it, but with some encouragement he persevered, and as soon as we reached the sun he perked up and recovered his energy. Form there it was a short scramble across the rocks to the shelter – really just an indent in the cliff face which kept us out of the worst of the cold. From here we started using ice as there was no water, so we collected ice to use for cooking and as drinking water, very refreshing! We had coffee and crackers when we arrived and then some soup later, but cooking with ice on a small gasoline stove takes a long time! We also lit a fire and huddled around it for some much needed warmth. By this time we were at a height of about 4800 metres and were really feeling the cold. Most people went to bed early, exhausted from the day’s climb, and in the hollow where we slept it was cramped but cosy enough due to shared body heat – we were crammed in like sardines - but at least we weren’t too cold!
Wednesday - 29th June
We set off at about 8.30 today to reach the first peak – there are two peaks, one higher than the other. Robert, Cesar and Bernardino decided to stay behind at the camp, so there were 15 of us setting off. This was a rough scramble up some rocks, but we were rewarded with some incredible views from the top, it was a very clear day and so we could see all the way to Illimani, the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real range near La Paz. The first peak is the one that most people visit but it isn't actually the top of the mountain. We then spent an hour or so crossing and climbing to the actual summit - this involved the use of ropes and some difficult climbing with very sheer drops on each side. Then at last we were at the top, with amazing views in all directions. Carmen told us that there used to be a sign there saying 5200m - the concrete base of it was still there. We had some oranges at the top and tried to find ice to make some slush-puppy type drinks, but there was no ice around so we had to go thirsty.
We then began the long descent down the cliff face. This was quite a challenge, with very steep slopes of scree, rocks sliding down in all directions, and lots of rope work needed. At one point we had to go down an almost vertical cut in the cliff in pairs just holding on to a rope and using feet on either side of the cut. This was about 50m long. Some of the children found this quite difficult, but they helped each other out, they have amazing strength and resilience. This was especially true for Monica who spent about half an hour helping Rosa down the cliff and placing her feet for her while also clinging onto the rope herself. It was a relief when we all got to the bottom. It was a long afternoon, cold and icy, and we didnt get down to the camping site until about 5pm. We were all hungry and thirsty by then.
Dinner took a long time because of having to melt ice, but was very welcome when it came - instant mashed potato has never tasted so good! We crowded around the fire for warmth and to heat up hot dogs and then eventually collapsed into bed (or onto the ground to be more accurate!) after some hot tea.
Thursday - 30th June
The last day had arrived. Everyone was filthy and tired by now, but we had a steep descent ahead of us, very hard on the knees as we came down over 2000m in only 5 hours. The first part was all scree which we used as a giant slide, kicking up dust and causing more than a few holes in trouser seats as we went, great fun though!
We stopped for lunch at the same place as we had stopped on the first day where there was plenty of water - the first wash in three days! Jacob had lost his expensive new camera on the first day, and by some miracle on the way back down through a large grassy slope with no clear path, Oscar found it - he was very pleased with himself. Claire also managed to lose everyone else on the way down the same slope and had overtaken the group before they found her again. It was nice to be warm again and to be walking in the sun.
We eventually got back to Payrumani where the bus was waiting to take us back. We flopped into the bus and set off, arriving back at Colonia Ecologica by about 7pm after dropping some children off on the way. We were probably dirtier, smellier and more exhausted than we have ever been in our entire lives, but it was well worth it - the whole trip was an arduous but wonderful experience and one that we will never forget.
Thank you to all and any of you who have helped us to raise money for the children via sponsorship, we will let you know the total when we have it, but it looks as if we reached our target, and will be able to pay for the rest of the top floor to be finished - a great achievement.
1 Comments:
Very awesome! Looks like great fun.
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