I got up at 5:15 on Saturday morning to go to Huatapallana with the other AFS kids in my area. We arrived at a park to get on the bus, and we left at around 7:00 once everyone arrived. We drove a bit and stopped at a little store to buy any snacks that we needed and these large plastic sheets for this to slide down the mountain. I got a gatorade which I was hoping would help with the long hike. Th drive up to the base of the mountain was very narrow and windy, But our driver had down it many times before, so he was very experienced. We saw a lot of beautiful scenery including a bunch of llamas on the mountain.
Once we arrived at the base of the mountain there was this little hut that we were all going to eat in after the hike. Our tour guide and us started up the mountain and we stopped at this grouping of rocks about 3 minutes up. He told us that we had to do this ritual which I can not really tell about because of the people who might be reading this, but lets just say it involved water, leaves, and smoke. Once we finished this, we continued our hike which was fairly easy at the beginning. We climbed up mountain after mountain and we walking on paths maybe a foot and half wide at parts. We kept walking and walking and walking with multiple stops to wait up the slow ones in the back. There were many parts that were almost straight up and almost tore your legs off. But after about 3 hours we finally got to this section of rocks and ice called Huatapallana. There was ice everywhere, like walls of it, and we stopped to rest. I thought Huancayo was high up, but this was really high up. You had to stop and breath for a bit almost every five minutes at steep parts, because your heart felt like it was beating 10 times to fast.
At Huatapallana, we belayed down into this area and walked over this big rocks to this mountain side that was all ice and snow. We climbed up the steep part using a rope and walked another 200 yards up the mountain side on ice and snow. This was really difficult on your eyes because of the sun reflecting off the snow, and also you had to go really slow so you would not fall.We finally got up to the top where we could slide, so we got out the plastic sheets we had bought and slid down. We were able to slide about 100 yards. It was really fun, but tiring walking up the ice and snow to sled again. We did this for about 30 minutes, and then we had to go. Going down the ice and snow was even more difficult. I fell once and slid about 10 feet which was really scary, but eventually we all got down and back to Huatapallana.
The trip back to the base of the mountain was easier on your lungs, but it was colder and more windy. I had my wool hat wrapped around my head and my hands in my pockets, and just kept putting one step after another. The guide decided to take a shortcut to save an hour which involved going dwn into the valley, and then almost straight up the mountain. I really did not like the ending because we had been walking for 6 hours and now we had to walk up a steep part to finish.
We finally got back to the base and everyone collapsed. We were all cold, damp, and tired. After waiting for about a half hour, the rest of the crew arrived, and we ate lunch. The food was not very hot because of how cold it was, but it was food. During the meal, we all played games like whisper down the lane and names of ______. This was really fun and it took our mind off of how cold it was. We finally got in the van to leave at around 6:00 and the three Germans were singing german songs for the whole trip down the windy road.
After we were almost back to the park, we had a flat tire. So all of us had to get out of the van and stand in the back, but we played games and sang songs for the hour and a hlf we had to wait. It was so much fun.
We finally returned to the park where we were all picked up by our parents, but we were all really tired because of the very long day. I got back to the house at 8:30, and went straight to bed. I only got up this morning at 10:30.
I have to say, the hike to Huatapallana and back was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but it was the best 20 bucks I have ever spent, even though I would never do it again.
Once we arrived at the base of the mountain there was this little hut that we were all going to eat in after the hike. Our tour guide and us started up the mountain and we stopped at this grouping of rocks about 3 minutes up. He told us that we had to do this ritual which I can not really tell about because of the people who might be reading this, but lets just say it involved water, leaves, and smoke. Once we finished this, we continued our hike which was fairly easy at the beginning. We climbed up mountain after mountain and we walking on paths maybe a foot and half wide at parts. We kept walking and walking and walking with multiple stops to wait up the slow ones in the back. There were many parts that were almost straight up and almost tore your legs off. But after about 3 hours we finally got to this section of rocks and ice called Huatapallana. There was ice everywhere, like walls of it, and we stopped to rest. I thought Huancayo was high up, but this was really high up. You had to stop and breath for a bit almost every five minutes at steep parts, because your heart felt like it was beating 10 times to fast.
At Huatapallana, we belayed down into this area and walked over this big rocks to this mountain side that was all ice and snow. We climbed up the steep part using a rope and walked another 200 yards up the mountain side on ice and snow. This was really difficult on your eyes because of the sun reflecting off the snow, and also you had to go really slow so you would not fall.We finally got up to the top where we could slide, so we got out the plastic sheets we had bought and slid down. We were able to slide about 100 yards. It was really fun, but tiring walking up the ice and snow to sled again. We did this for about 30 minutes, and then we had to go. Going down the ice and snow was even more difficult. I fell once and slid about 10 feet which was really scary, but eventually we all got down and back to Huatapallana.
The trip back to the base of the mountain was easier on your lungs, but it was colder and more windy. I had my wool hat wrapped around my head and my hands in my pockets, and just kept putting one step after another. The guide decided to take a shortcut to save an hour which involved going dwn into the valley, and then almost straight up the mountain. I really did not like the ending because we had been walking for 6 hours and now we had to walk up a steep part to finish.
We finally got back to the base and everyone collapsed. We were all cold, damp, and tired. After waiting for about a half hour, the rest of the crew arrived, and we ate lunch. The food was not very hot because of how cold it was, but it was food. During the meal, we all played games like whisper down the lane and names of ______. This was really fun and it took our mind off of how cold it was. We finally got in the van to leave at around 6:00 and the three Germans were singing german songs for the whole trip down the windy road.
After we were almost back to the park, we had a flat tire. So all of us had to get out of the van and stand in the back, but we played games and sang songs for the hour and a hlf we had to wait. It was so much fun.
We finally returned to the park where we were all picked up by our parents, but we were all really tired because of the very long day. I got back to the house at 8:30, and went straight to bed. I only got up this morning at 10:30.
I have to say, the hike to Huatapallana and back was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but it was the best 20 bucks I have ever spent, even though I would never do it again.
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