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Today was supposed to be the hardest day of the trek, and it was, but I think it was the best day too. How can a day go bad when a glass of coca tea is brought to your tent at wake up time?

It felt like it took ages, but we finally made it to the top of Dead Woman’s Pass! We hiked from about 9,842 feet to 13,750 feet. It was a slow hike, but the views were amazing, and really we made it without too many problems. But it was tough to get going again after lunch, knowing we had another pass to cross. I had a little bit of a headache (maybe the altitude, maybe the heat) but a dunk in the river seemed to fix that. Saul has an easy solution for everything.

On the way to the next pass we got to see Runkuraqay, the egg-shaped ruins. The important lesson at this one: sleeping with llamas is stinky. We were also lucky because we got to see a black bear! It was Saul’s second in 13 years on the trail, so I guess it’s pretty rare. It looked huge from where we were. Couldn’t get a good photo though. Just before camp we stopped at Sayaqmarka, probably a market for the people of MP.

Tonight’s camp is the coldest of all the nights. But nothing tea and a little poppy corny couldn’t cure. And we finished the day with a surprise: juice mixed with Incan rum. We’ll sleep well tonight.

Today’s toll: About 7.5 miles, but the up and down was killer!