We reached the small cabins at 4200m two hours later. Finally at
base camp, we could get out of the cars, stretch, cook and discuss
tactics for the days ahead. The next day we packed for the high
camps with only the bare necessities going with us.
Fortunately we were able to drive the Jeeps up to the first camp at
4800m, tediously fighting the slopes of the volcano in first gear.
The ride ended between large boulders where we grabbed our
backpacks and headed off on foot. We wanted to get at least some
of our gear up to the 5300m mark today. We made our way slowly on
the loose volcanic rock, breathing heavily with each step.
The thinner the air got the more spectacular the views became.
It's amazing how diverse the colours of the rocks are up here. Even
though there were still some small bushes and shrubs around base
camp there was nothing green up here anymore.
We could see the next leg of our ascent from our newly-created
material depot , slopes of gravel piled endlessly to the sky. We could
only vaguely imagine what it would be like to carry our bikes up there
when the time came. We sat for a while, taking in the mountain.
Devout silence. Only the wind dared break the spell as it howled
between the rocks from time to time.
We returned to the Jeeps and put up the tents. As we did a
breathtaking spectacle unfolded before our eyes. The setting sun
emboldened the colours of the desert to glow even more vibrant.
Once down, the desert turned ice cold, a reminder of the sheer
range of temperatures present in these parts.A haunting history
In 1999 archaeologists made a fascinating yet gruesome discovery.
The mummified bodies of three children were found on the summit.
The cold had conserved them so well that they still looked like they
were sleeping when they were found. They are thought to be have
lived and died between 1430 and 1520 AD.BIKING IN CHILE
PART II: THE CLIMB
WITH BASE CAMP ESTABLISHED,
ATTENTION TURNS TO THE LITER ALLY
LOOMING TASK AHEAD.APU WAMANI:
IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF THE GODS
WORDS: GERHARD CZERNER
PHOTOS: MARTIN BISSIG