Just as I was finally drifting into a bit of much-needed REM sleep, I felt Dan jump on top of us. "Time to wake up!" You'll thank me for this later." Stuart replied from afar, "It's not morning. The moon is still up!"
So, for the last time, we stuffed sleeping bags, rolled up pads, loaded our duffels and packs, filled our water bottles, and began our last 8-mile hike. It was a tough one simply because our feet had taken such a beating the day before. Also, this was our 10th day of hiking/climbing without a rest day. But the air was cool and so much more breathable, and we knew showers, clean clothes, a cold beer, and a soft bed were on the horizon.
After endless miles following the river around corner after corner after corner, we reached the trailhead. I sat down in a heap--blistered toes, a nagging upper calf muscle, chafed skin, a head of knotted hair, and raw lips. Upon arriving at Penitentes, I learned that I had lost 3.8 kilos (8+ lbs). The ride back to Mendoza was long but a nice room at the Sheraton awaited us. Hard to describe the relief at finally being able to shower, shave, shampoo, scrub, and brush.
No comments:
Post a Comment