Trek to Salkantay

"We're hiking in the Andes!" we screamed to each other. The trek was mindblowing. We saw pastoral fields with grazing sheep, snow capped peaks, and small wildflowers dotting the hills. There were asters, lupines, orchids, buttercups, and lady slippers.

In our group, there were 4 horsemen and two cooks. They were amazing. When we arrived at camp, our tents were set up, the air mattresses were inflated, and dinner was being prepared. Even though they don't understand vegetarianism, they made special meals for us. Soup prepeceded lunch and dinner - always. Every meal was made out of these ingredients: vegetables, potato, rice, bread, and eggs. (That means someone carried a bunch of eggs through the mountains!)

Our first night was the hardest. It was 20 degrees fahrenheit, and we were unprepared. Since we had no time to acclimate, we were all feeling the altitude - headache, nausea, light headed, and fatigue. We camped beneath a huge glacier on Salkantay mountain. It was almost a full moon that night, so it was really beautiful to look out at the frosty tents and grass glistening in the moonlight. But, oh it was cold.

In the morning, we were just begining our trek, and the sun peeked over Salkantay. We all stopped to gaze at its beauty. Just then, an avalache erupted, and we watched as the wall of snow (with surprising slowness, it seemed) crashed down the mountain with an enormous boom.