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  • Mt. Bierstadt Group Summit - Front Range, Colorado
  • A rest before the summit push on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Broken Ankle + 6 Miles = Tired
  • The classic San Juan approach - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Overlooking Noname Basin from Twin Thumbs Pass - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Upper Noname Basin - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Nearing Noname Cabin - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Twin Thumbs Twins - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Nearing the summit of Pt. 13,736 - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Blustery day on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Morning snow at 15k, Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada
  • Artesonraju from the summit of Nevado Pisco - Cordillera Blanca, Peru
  • February crowds on Gray's Peak - Front Range, Colorado
  • Kicking steps on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Final traverse to the summit of Wheeler Mountain - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • The long walk to Pachanta - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Afternoon at 17k on Cerro Ramada - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    The final ridge on Iowa Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Summer summit on Longs Peak - Front Range, Colorado
  • A rest day at the Pachanta Hot Springs - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Mind over matter on Mt. Parnassas - Front Range, Colorado
  • Rest stop on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Post nap surprise on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Summit on Cerro Lliani - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Ridge walking on Grizzly Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Enroute the summit via the West Ridge on Pacific Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • Mule train bound for Chilca - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Taking in the view from Fletcher Peak - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
  • Hiking on Silverheels - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Traversing! Gladstone Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • banner24
    The best of times at Willow Lake - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
  • banner29
    High Altitude Cerebral Edema? - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
  • Bound for Chilca - Vilcanota Range, Peru
  • Going alpine light, Holy Cross Ridge - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Cumbre! Campa I - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
  • Roadside lunch with the best of company - Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
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    Long ridge walk to the summit of California Peak - Sangre de Christo Range, Colorado
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    Crossing el Rio Colorado . . . in the afternoon - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    Dealing with Fall snows high on Casco Peak - Sawatch Range, Colorado
  • Moonrise over Mercedario - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
  • Still climbing at 20,900 on Cerro Ramada - Cordiller Ramada, Argentina
  • Talus on Halo Ridge, Mt. of the Holy Cross - Sawatch Range, Colorado
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    Deteriorating conditions on Mt. Arkansas - Ten Mile Range, Colorado
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    After the climb - Cordillera Ramada, Argentina
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    Taking in the view from the summit of Crystal Peak - Tenmile Range, Colorado
  • Topping out on Mt. Arkansas' North Couloir - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Glissade on Mt. Arkansas - Mosquito Range, Colorado
  • Hard snow morning on Teakettle Mountain - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Spring snow announces the start of the climb on Dallas Peak - San Juan Range, Colorado
  • Crossing the Eolus Catwalk - San Juan Range, Colorado

Argentina 2010

A Day of Rest in the Valle de Colorado . . . January 20, 2010

 

Breakfast at the liesurely hour of 9 a.m. followed by reading, followed by lunch, followed by a nap, then dinner, then cards, then a warm sleeping bag . . .

We took this rest day seriously as we knew that th next day was going to be a long walk. The trip back to Santa Ana would take no less than eight or nine hours and we had seven river crossings to deal with. Our post climb days demonstrated that when the sun came out the Rio Colorado turned from a respectable meltwater river to a red, swollen torrent deserving of a great deal of respect. By mid morning the river was all over the gravel plain below the camp and we knew that short of a cloudy day, we would have our hands full by the time the mid day sun did its thing. Well, that was an issue for the next day as today we had a camp to break, gear to pack up for the mules and even some hand washed u/w so we could cover 18 miles sans a good case of chafe.

The clutter in the tents came out and was spread on the ground to dry and sort into the six bags that would have to hold all of our gear for the trip down by mule. Once all but the essentials were packed, we all lazed around the camp, taking in the sun, reading the final pages of the books brought along for just such moments, and just taking time to take in the beauty of this valley. G took a two hour stroll across the valley in search of a liepre, the Argentine answer to the viscacha that we were used to seeing the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. Celeste alleged that she had seen one of these white rabbit looking creatues the day before when she, Manuel and Multi-Presa were bouldering on the far side. G took a trip to see the evasive liepre and returned unsure if the liepre was the mammal equivalent of the North American snipe.

For a rest day, the time passed very quickly and we knew that in the morning we would leave this valley. We had long since realized what a special place we had come to . . . a place that in the U.S. would have set trails, lots of people, overnight permits and park rangers but here we were alone with no other inhabitiants but for the cluster of guanacos that called the valley home. Evening came soon enough and we all squeezed into the cook tent for a final family style meal. Good food and good friends made for a mellow last evening in the Valle, all backlit by Mercedario in the light of the moon.

 

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