We’ve boarded. The last 12 days have been a whirlwind. I can’t help but be a little sad that it’s ending. However, I’m anxious to see our dogs and start to imagine our life as the rest of forever. After the camera was lost to the lake – we went back to the lodge and dove straight into beer and quesadillas. …
Day 6: The camera’s final resting place
Day 6. The day our camera died an epic death at the bottom of a glacier lake. This morning we took a fast hike to Camp Grey at Glacier Grey. The sky was on cue – gray. The mood was – fine. Generally, we’ve seen better hikes. Our arrival, while early, was poorly timed with the closure of the restaurant and …
Day 5: Stickies and chewies
By some magic, we made it to Paine Grande yesterday. Having spent the last of our pesos on dinner at Chileno, I was already panicking for how we’d get to pay the catamaran’s hefty $30 per person price. Cash only. At Chileno, they told us that the Welcome Center at Torres Central had a bank or ATM. With that in …
Day 4: “Let the pumas have me”
Today – Day 4 – is one for the books. This book specifically. In a significantly improved mood and turn of events, we took off for a sunrise hike at 4 am. This time, we hiked all the way up to the three wise men. A killer 2.5 hours up. I wanted to die. Let the pumas have me. Every muscle …
Reasons I cried today
Because I love Aaron Because I hate failing Because I don’t want to ruin things Because FOMO is real Because shits not perfect Because everything hurts Because we paid money for the camps we’re skipping Because it’s nice to not have to travel solo Because I never figured I’d meet anyone willing to call an audible with me Because my …
Day 3: I gave up
Day 3. Today, I gave up. But first – Day 2 was incredible. Yesterday, we walked more than 12 miles through tons of crazy terrain. It was gorgeous. And fun. We laughed. We joked. We worked together. Even through the hardest hills, we cussed and kept each other going. It’s genuinely beautiful here – and that’s slightly overshadowed by my current emotional-ness. …
Day 1: Aaron yelled at me for soup
Day 1. Aaron yelled at me for soup…. The problem with arrows is that they point a direction. Not the direction. As we hiked toward Accampar Frances, I imagined that this singular problem could be how our 7 days in Patagonia could quickly turn to 2. Every arrow we passed pointed distinctly in the opposite direction. We found our way …
Day 9, Part 2: Kala Patthar
Over lunch, Dawa convinced me to try. My body was so, so tired – but believing it’s mostly mind over matter, I agreed to go. Thirty minutes into the climb, the trail flattens into a more-than-gradual uphill. At the official halfway point, I tapped out. “I’m done, guys. I’m out.” Watching the team walk away, I stuttered, considered continuing and – …
Day 9, Part 1: Everest Base Camp
The last two days have been some of the most physically challenging of my life. From the sound of it, everyone else feels much of the same. Last night, the dusty burn of yak shit in the dining room chimney got the best of me. Paired with the severe exhaustion – I went to bed well before I could finish …
Day 8: We made it
Today was magic. Granted, I’ve never been more physically exhausted in my entire life. But, magic none-the-less. We made it to Everest Base Camp. In the glow of 6 am, we started the days trek. 16 km. Uphill. Downhill. Flat. Totally not flat. Rounding the corner into Gorakshep was a much welcomed relief. But with less than an hour to …