So a lot of the Dukies down in Peru decided to climb up to the Chicon Glacier next to Urubamba this weekend. To say that this was the hardest hike in my life might be an understatement.
So we started at 7:30 am, with three groups (Slow, Medium, Fast hiking speed). I was in the fast group, with the porters that were carrying our extra water and cooking stuff (they were from the local community). Just a quick comment about the porters - I have so much respect for them. They did the entire hike without breaking a sweat, in sandals, and carrying more weight than any of us. (There was a 14 year old who was always in front - what a boss!) So the hike started out around 3000-3500 meters, and near a river from the glacier. Hence, there was a lot of vegetation, and with that comes prickly cacti and spines everywhere. Ouch. Once we climbed up a bit, we reached what would consist of most of the hike - rocks and hills. It was pretty tough, because we had to navigate some narrow trails (and there weren't even trails sometimes) over rocks with heavy packs. Double Ouch. To make things worse, we're at 3500+ meters, with a nearly vertical path (seriously, I couldn't find flat land to save my life), and less oxygen than we're used to. Triple Ouch. Regardless, we reached our cabin around 1:10 pm, which means a solid 5 hrs and 40 min (with maybe 6-7 15 minute breaks) of hiking. It was super satisfying, but to say it again, hardest hike of my life.
After sleeping overnight at the cabin (20-25 degrees F? It was pretty cold.), we hiked for another 2 hours to reach the base of the glacier. It looks a little something like that.
Not only was it pretty on the way up, it was breathtaking from the base of the glacier. Ice, snow, all around, and all of it pristine. Oh, and since it was at 5000 meters above sea level, literally breathtaking. Recommended for sure. (if you're wondering, it took us only 3-4 hours to get down to the bottom).
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