Day 156 – Wednesday 22nd February 2006
Despite waking up a few times in my tent I managed to get a reasonable nights sleep, and the sleeping bag passed the test. I woke at around seven thirty, packed up and left the campsite about an hour to begin a long days walking.
The aim of the day was to walk the middle part of the “W”, carrying my bag from one campsite to the next. This middle part is oherwise known as the French Valley. After walking the 2.5 hours to the bottom of this valley I dropped my pack off and began the walk uphill, following the course of a river. Towering in front of me at the beginning of the trail loomed the French Glacier. This continually had mini avalanches as the sun warmed and melted the ice. The entire valley boomed with the sound of the avalanches & it was a spectacular sight to see the snow and ice fall a kilometre or more to the valley floor.
The higher the path climbed the closer it got to the glacier, whilst behind me, the lakes became increasingly distant. About 2 hours into the climb I needed my lunch, and having found the perfect spot (in an enclosed valley where the mountains rose on three sides around me, virtually hemming me into one of the most amazing areas I have ever been) I ate my tuna and crackers. Hardly a meal worthy of my surroundings but that couldn’t be helped.
About 30 minutes after lunch I made it to the pinnacle of the trail, a mirador slightly further up into the valley which gave some more incredible panoramas of the surrounding mountains and back down into the valley. I spent a while just sitting and taking it all in, as well as recouperating and psyching myself up for the decent.
Walking on my own had given me a chance to think about varoius things, not least about it being six months since I left my job. Six months. When I worked it out I could hardly believe it. How quickly that time has flown by. I also am struggling to remember what it was like to be in the daily work routine. I do know that it is something I am not missing!
By the time I reached the bottom of the valley where my bags were I was pretty spent, and wasn’t relishing the further 2 hours walk to my Refugio for the night. From early in the day my stomach had been churning and my energy levels were falling. I didn’t enjoy those two hours, I just got my head down and tramped along, feeling pretty relieved when I finally arrived.
10 hours walking had taken it out of me and surprisingly I didn’t have an appetite. In fact the food made me feel sick, so I left it and got an early night. That was until 11pm when I woke up, decided I was going to be sick, rushed to the bog and threw my guts up. After that though, I felt right as rain. Should have got a picture of the vomit.
No picture thanks – sounds like fatigue if you get it again drink a half cup of water and you should start to feel better within minutes.. then eat…how cold/warm is it in that mountainous area..looks like the air is thin..keep fit..