So the entire time we prepped for the hike and talked about it amongst the guides and other hikers, day two was always described as the hardest. This is the day that we reach the summit of the highest peak on our trek - over 14,000 feet. Please keep in mind that I have not taken any altitude pills or taken any time to adjust to even the 11K altitude of Cusco. So we get up in the morning around 5:30am, eat a quick breakfast of tea and bread with jam, and head on our path. There are three checkpoints we will be meeting up at before descending from the peak and into our campsite, and unlike the first day there aren't really any ruins to see, so the guides tell us to go at our own pace and just plan to meet up at each checkpoint. The guides tell us that the second part of the hike this day is the hardest, with a section called the monkey-steps, cause so many hikers have had to use all fours when going up (very steep). So I set out like a madman and am first person to the first checkpoint - yeah! We wait a long time for the others cause some were having a really tough time. The girl from the UK, Lucy, had a stomach bug and it was killing her, so her husband took her pack and they were real slow on the first leg. I felt horrible cause she's real nice, but it happens so we waited for her and cheered her on. Next, onto the second leg - the hardest part of the entire trek - and I'm again feeling strong. I wasn't first to the top cause I didn't want to rush and burn out, but I felt good and got there without any issues. This second part, although very tough, was amazingly beautiful cause you were in the thick of the rain forests - waterfalls and streams running beside you the entire time. Oh - and porters running by you at an insane pace - literally running up these step - so impressive. Also, keep in mind these porters are all about 5'6" and about 140lbs. Total badasses. So HELL YEAH - I made it through the toughest part of the trek and I'm feeling strong and happy, cause the next leg we get to summit at about 14K feet - gonna be amazing to see the views from there. We head out after about a 30 minute rest so that everyone is together at the checkpoint, and this section is more open, with beautiful views of the mountains and alpacas grazing in the valleys below. So cool. About halfway up the path to the summit I start slowing down though, and it's hard to catch my breath. Shit. Go a little further and it become even harder. A littler more - a lot harder. It gets so hard that I'm stopping (literally) every ten steps to sit down and let my heart rate slow down. I didn't even think about it at the time, but serious altitude sickness was setting in. I'm really struggling here - heart feels like it's pounding out of my chest. Porters are flying bye me. Other hikers are cruising by me. Out of shape girls are walking by and asking if I'm ok. Yes, my entire world was a mess and I couldn't figure it out at the time. Damn. Why is this so hard?!? I can now see the summit. It's about 100 feet about me. Wait - was that rain? Is it starting to rain on me now? No. No way. It starts POURING on me as I reach the summit (no exaggeration). The Duke b-school guys are waiting up there for me with a few others, which was insanely kind of them, and they help me get my pancho on and we start the descend. I quickly let them go ahead of me and it becomes scarily evident that I'm really messed up now. I'm not seeing straight. Did those rocks below me just move on their own? Is everything really swaying this much? Was that a hobbit on a golf cart under that waterfall? I literally felt like I was drunk and on acid at the same time. Sounds cool? No. Not when the steps are all huge rocks and they are very far apart. Nothings even, and I am going as slow as possible so I don't fall. I stop less often but it's still about every 50-100 steps. Oh yeah, and now it's POURING down rain on me. Hilthan the guide is waiting for me at one point and helps me fix my pancho and stays with me for the almost 2 hours it took me to get down from the summit (should be an hour or so walk). I get to camp and my hands aren't working right. I'm not doing well. I fall into my tent and sleep. They try to wake me for lunch and I tell them to go to hell. I finally get up for what they have been calling happy-hour, but it's really just popcorn and tea. There I get some altitude sickness pills and everyone is very compassionate and kind to me. It really felt like a family with everyone on the hike. So I'm feeling a littler better, but I nap again before dinner and then felt ok at dinner. After dinner I pass out around 8pm, but it's really cold and I don't have a sleeping bag. Yeah - not that cool. So I huddle up and sleep on and off throughout the night. Thank god that's over. No pics from this hellish day, sorry.
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