Day 5:  Huamatay Glacier Lake Tour for the Team, Oxygen for Bone!

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Day 5 was Regine Verougstraete's day to Co-Lead with Liz. Regine is very much an eclectic, renaissance woman. Born in Belgium, she was a dancer in the Paris Theatre when we met her Husband who is a Hollywood producer, once married, they had two sons and while she was at home, she became a painter. She is very spiritual as Mile and Bone found out in conversation and is very focused on the concept of the "light". It was something she talked about and is very much reflected in her paintings. Being a friend of Liz, she joined the Team in Cuzco after already being on a two week retreat in Peru before this adventure.

 

Regine’s Strength: The Light:

THE LIGHT ~ Regine Verougstraete Deep in my mind,  The holy Christ in me, Is awaiting my acknowledgment, As me. He is in every single one of us.    When I find him, When I finally experience him,  In me,  I will understand how worthless are my idols,  How false the images which I believed were me.    My worth, my worthiness, my lack thereof in the last few days  is a false idol.    I am as God created me Unchanged, a Light Being,  The daughter of God.

 

After Regine's inspiring allegory, the most of the Team packed up for an amazing day hiking up to the Huamantay Glacier Lake, Bone was gonna be bed ridden for the whole day losing it from both ends.

 

The Unbelievable Backdrop of the Lodge in the Peruvian Andes

The Hike started at a leisurely time of 9:30 and took the Team on a fairly steep hike through some amazing alpine scenery up to 14,200 feet at the Huamantay Glacier Lake. 

The Team had trained well and hard for the Trip, but the it was a difficult hike. It was steep and from 12,000 to 14,000 feet the altitude played on several of the Team members. Despite the challenges it was a simply beautiful hike. Vast vista, amazing mountain ranges. Soon the difficulties and challenges were all forgotten,,, the Lake was in sight!

 

The Target is in Sight!

The Breathtaking Huamantay Glacier Lake

The Team went up and over a ridge and walked right down to one of the most beautiful and blue bodies of water ever seen!

 

The Breathtaking Huamantay Glacier Lake

Humantay Lake is one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Salkantay trek in the Vilcabamba mountain range in the Andes. It is located at the base of LAGUNA Huamantay and Mountain. It is one of the mountains that you see in the Salkantay tributary of the Inkan trail. The crystal clear water which comes from melting glaciers, that takes on blue, green and even yellow hues. The unique turquoise coloration is due in part to the green microalgae and the minerals in the soil and the brightness of the sun.

 

The Team at Huamantay Glacier Lake!

As the Team made it to the shore of Humantay Lake, all paused for a well deserved team picture. Once there, they rested and had a box lunch that allowed them to kibitz and enjoy the amazing scenery.

The word Humantay means “The Head of the Gods” and this mountain landscape is for many a very religious experience. It has a mystical quality to it and the region shamans and locals come here to make offerings to Pachamama. Pachamama is the deity that represents mother Earth and plays an important role in the Inca culture, which lead to the next interesting event.

 

The Dedication Ceremonies with the Quechua !

Next, Mike and the Team got to experience a Quechan Dedication Ceremony which consists of:

• Reading of the Coca Leaves: This is a type of consultation that identifies the chief concerns, whether they’re matters of love, health, or work.

• Harmonization and Propitation: This is a ceremony of offerings, dedicated Andean deities Pacha Mama and Apus. Pacha Mama is the Andean Mother Earth Goddess, and Apus is a type of mountain spirit. This part of the of the ceremony is for requesting health and good fortune in love and work, or other specific favors.

• Cleansing and Revitalization: This is a special part of the ceremony for people with blocked auras, for problems that might be tied to stress, nerves, lack of appetite, tensions, fear, and any other evil that might upset the natural balance. Priests use herbs to invoke the sacred elements that nature provides for healing.

 

It was and interesting event for the spiritual and non-spiritual alike, especially with the cookies! (shown above.) By now the day was starting to wane and the Mike, Liz, and the Team headed back up the Ridge to make its way down to Camp.

 

Heading Up the Ridge Back to Camp

The trip up the Ridge revealed a bunch of aching muscles and strained backs as the first real day of hiking ended, everyone made back into camp no worse for wear!

Except Bone! He was still flat on his back, and weak after 1 hours of purging at both ends. Score Atalhuapha: 1 Bone 0. The Peruvians were  kicking Bone's butt, literally. As most of the Team munch another gourmet Dinner, Liz and Mike were able to pour some broth down the depleted Bone. Liz gave him some oxygen to get his blood O2 back up since tomorrow was the BIG day, Going over the Andes an down into the Amazon side of the Range heading to Machu Picchu!