What a brutal night. Temperatures fell into the teens and low 20’s, making breathing an absolute nightmare. Additionally, there was an open window in the house, creating a gust of wind every so often. I must have woken up at least six times during the night. If I hadn’t had Luis’s amazing sleeping bag, I feel like I could have died from the cold. Regardless, when I woke up in the morning, my throat was swollen and my chest hurt extremely badly. While I wanted to continue the hike the very top of the glacier, I knew that it was more important for me to get down safely, so I elected to rest instead.
The hike down was much easier than the hike up, considering that the altitude was now in our favor. I still started to get nauseous, probably a symptom of whatever illness I have. Nevertheless, I managed to make it down, completing one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, athletic feat of my life. I don’t think I will ever choose to climb a mountain like Chicon again, but at least I can say that I did it.
When we got back to Urubamba, I was so exhausted and on the verge of throwing up. I never did, but I still felt like I needed to rest. The entire Cuzco group took a bus back from Urubamba together, completing our journey to Chicon. It was really hard, but I’m glad I got to enjoy the amazing view from the top.
When we got back to Cuzco, I was so excited. I have really missed my family for the last two days, and I could not wait to see them again. Bedraggled and exhausted, Jordan and I walked into the house and greeted everyone. Margarita had the perfect dinner waiting for us, spaghetti with meat sauce. I really wanted to enjoy it, but I was having some trouble swallowing because of my swollen throat. I ate as much as I could before going to bed for the night.
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