23rd July 2012: Ausangate day 4:

Ausangate day 4:
Something distressful, and now with the benefit of hindsight, comical, happened during the night. I had been taking Diamox pills (to aid acclimatisation) during my stay at altitude, and the side effect of this drug, is that you have to take frequent pee breaks, and drink more water than usual to prevent dehydration. That meant a minimum of 1 pee break in the middle of the freezing night. So come pee time, I try to get out of my sleeping bag, only to find myself imprisoned, done in by the stuck zip of my sleeping bag. I must have wrestled for 1/2 hour in darkness, before managing to set myself free, and ultimately, relieve the dangerously building bladder pressure. These not so funny things do happen at the most untimely moments...!!!

Day 4 is the longest day of the trek, with the most distance covered. The only high mtn pass of the day is Campo pass, standing at 5,100m, is a very gradual affair, and none of us really struggle on the ascent. Views from the summit of the pass are again breathtaking. Snow capped mtn on the right, dry rocky mtns on the left, and lagunas in the horizon.

Very long and gradual descent in dusty gravelly terrain, with several stream crossings, brings us to our final camp site Pacchanta at around 5.00 p.m.
By now, we no longer pay attention to the countless Alpacas around. For info, there are 2 breeds of Alpacas, one with long, and the other with relatively short fur. All these animals are sheared every 2 years for their wool. According to Arthuro, the wool from the alpacas we have seen are for low quality products. For the really premium stuff, the farmers usually dress the alpacas with drapes to protect the wool from the sun. The result is allegedly much thinner, softer and delicate wool, which also fetches premium prices.
The rest of the group goes for a dip in the natural hot springs around the small community, whilst I reluctantly decide to rest and recover in the tent on my own. With the flu, it would have been stupid to have my body endure such extremes in temperatures. The sky had also become overcast, and that meant no static star shoots for the night.
Dinner time, I decide to skip the diamox pills, since it was all downhill from there, and manage to spend a whole night in the warmth of my sleeping bag, without the mandatory pee break, and I wake up the next morning feeling much better than the previous days.

Stats for day 4:
Jampa to Pacchanta @ 4,350 m via Campo pass @ 5,100m, with about 17 kms trek.