June 13, 2007
Day 623
Laguna Glaciar Trek Day 1
Farms around Sorata.
We got started a little late this morning for some unexplained reason (maybe "It's Bolivia" will suffice), but later we were able to buy all the food we needed at the market. Next we met our guide Olando and walked uphill to the edge of town where we found his mules. We loaded up everything on the animals and continued walking up toward Olando's house in a higher village where he had to pick up some stuff. It was so pleasant only having to carry my camera and water with me.
After we passed Olando's house we saw few local people. We had lunch in a flat area overlooking Sorata that also served as a good pasture for the mules. From there we continued walking up until we reached Laguna Chilata at 4200 meters (13,780 feet), finishing today's ascent of 1500 meters (almost a vertical mile).
The lagoon was beautiful but not so much that I'd want to drink from it. Still, despite the lagoon's still water and the nearby grazing cattle, we had no other option but to drink it (after boiling it of course). We cooked up a huge meal, David gathered some wood and lit a little campfire, and we went to bed early in anticipation of the big climb tomorrow.
The photo album for this entry is here.
