We survived 4 days at 16,000 feet, none the worse for wear!

Our initial plan of hiking to the decades-abandoned mine was “optimized” by our guide Robert Rauch to include a 4x4 ride to Mesa Khala and a cook…but alas, it was not to be. Multiple rockslides had taken out the road, and our adventure stalled with the five of us standing next to a HUGE pile of gear and supplies. So much for glamping. We each packed up as much as we could carry, but it was clear we were in a tough spot what with the propane tank and all.

Dan demonstrates his ability to carry fuel tank for short period of time.

Robert was able to quickly marshal five local miners to help out as porters. For 20 bucks/150 Boliviano each, these dudes carried massive loads up about 3600 vertical feet and were thrilled about it. Guess it’s easier than a day in the uranium mines.

A little more than 4 hours later we arrived at our spooky new home, nestled between the Ilimani peaks to our west and some nondescript 17,000 ft hills to our east. This had the unfortunate effect of reducing our direct sunlight to just 4 or 5 hours a day. With virtually no atmosphere, the temperature swung wildly between around 20 at night and 50 midday.

Still sunny in the valley. And here we are freezing our tits off…

Breakfast and dinner in the circus tent was carefully prepared by José, an Aymara farmer who can hike us into the ground. He’s not much for culinary creativity, but he kept us in stitches with his jokes that transcended language and culture (like slipping someone a tiny spoon for their oatmeal and laughing hysterically).

Robert (guide), Peter (journalist), Isaac, Jose (cook)

The days on the debris field (0.75 by 1 mile) were long and tough. Sucking wind while scrambling around on steep boulder fields and ice crevasses ain’t everyone’s idea of a good time. But we kept it light most of the time. Plane parts were strewn everywhere, ranging from nearly intact jet engines to meal service silverware and we were never bored. The hourly ice avalanches, strenuous days on the mountainside, and impact of what we saw made our days something of an emotional roller-coaster. But wait until you hear what we found.