Day 2 of the Salkantay Trail is well known for being the hardest day of the hike. We started with a 5:30AM wake up call, the beginning of a twelve hour day. I was feeling much better than the night before (my Exorcist impression now over), but mentally exhausted and afraid of the trail to come.
The first two hours of the hike were on a gradual incline, and the scenery of Salkantay Mountain and its glacier was absolutely breathtaking. Despite the natural beauty and the promise of Machu Picchu ahead, I still struggled to breathe and keep up with the group's pace. At the base of Salkantay, we faced over a 1,000 feet ascent. Christina bravely plugged ahead, but I had a mild to moderate meltdown. Looking up at hikers literally a thousand feet above me, hiking up steep cliffs, it seemed impossible that I would be able to move my own body (and tears) upwards while still managing to breathe. Ernesto saw my struggle and in a classic cowboy move, whistled for a horse. That's right, this city girl managed to catch a taxi while high in the Andes Mountains. Christina, determined to make it the old fashioned way (what, hiking by one's own feet?) learned that each turn in the pass brought another steep ascent. Tears ensued.
One horse, two hours, and hundreds of tears later, we had made it to the top of Salkantay Peak. Here, it is traditional to leave a small stone or leaf as an offering. I wished for easy breathing; it's amazing how an intense journey like this brings one right back to the basics.
Seven hours of walking later, we arrived at our campsite. Andes Mountains, 1, Erin, 0, Blisters, 8.
But you MADE it! Your students will be so impressed, as am I. Congrats and keep going!!
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