Sucking up the thin air above Laguna Verde

It is December 22. Today’s dispatch is coming to you from the top of a mountain, just as yesterday’s did.

This peak does not have a name, I’m certain. We picked a route and began climbing for some conditioning and acclimatization today. The climb was considerably harder mainly due to high winds as we began to get up above 4800 m. As Larry said when we finally reached the top, “That required some major sucking it up!”

Yes this is the same Larry Crozier, for those of you who follow all the Berg Adventures cybercasts, who rose to fame in the karaoke bar in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia last August.

John Skeels was probably the first one on the top and is looking very strong today.
The entire group looks stronger. I should mention by the way that Deborah has earned the nickname in this group as the Dublin Flash because of how hard she worked to keep up as we crossed the salt flats in and around Laguna Verde a couple of days ago.

Anyway, Deborah “the Dublin Flash” and Donna – not being particularly large people – were walking close to me and were getting flapped around considerably in the high winds.

Behind came Karl with Leila and Karl’s comment as he staggered to the top was, “I have to quit smoking.”

We’re up here enjoying the clean and expansive views of all this terrain around us.