Sufficiently Soaked: Chapter 2

In order to trek through some of the biggest mountains in the world, one must first hike into the mountains. After the first mile and 1,000 ft of elevation, we quickly realized this reality. Our destination for the first night was to be Llama Coral and according to Messi, our native Peruvian hostal owner, it should be "just a short three hour walk." His weathered skin and knowing smile suggested he had spent his lifetime amongst these monstrous peaks. We estimated that we had at least six hours of daylight left and decided it would be sufficient for us.
The trail climbed steeply up a narrow canyon with huge granite walls. The vastness and enormity attempted to overwhelm us although just as it did, we came across a Peruvain family bathing in the river and enjoying the Christmas holiday. Their warm smiles and well wishes set our minds at ease and temporarily allowed us to forget about the steep climb. We smiled as they took pictures with us and they giggled as they mentioned that we were the first people they had seen to hike up in this direction. We walked on in silence, settling in to our new routine. Afterall, this would be our reality for the next few days.
After we hiked for what we decided was enough time, we found some grassy corrals to call home for the night. The sun was shining, the crystal clear creek was flowing nearby and our only company was a few high-alpine cattle grazing on the abundant grasses. We laid in the sun for a bit and leisurely set up our tent. Afterall, it was Christmas so we decided on a feast fit for the occasion. We sat atop a mossy boulder eating our tuna-quinoa-curry creation and watched as the sun dipped down the valley. The days heat pushed its way up the mountains, causing the clouds to dance and twirl, eventually enveloping us and motivating us into our tent. Towards our warm sleeping bags and a peaceful night of sleep we went.