11-Mar Nevados Tres Cruces

Abandoned Inka mining city

Interesting rock beds: note the tilt

Vicuñas graze near Laguna Santa Rosa 3700m

Vicuña

Ercio picked us up at 8:30 and drove us eastward towards the mountains.  We paused for coffee and to watch videos of the tsunami damage in Japan.  Alexis had originally wanted to go to the beach today, but it seemed like a better day for the high country.

We stopped first at an old Inka mining town abandoned in the 1930´s.  We ate lunch at 3000 meters (9100+ feet) where there were some interesting tilted rock beds. We then continued on up over a 4700m pass (15,000+ feet) to Laguna Santa Rosa at 3700m.  I chewed cocoa leaves to help with the altitude and faired well with the rapid elevation gain.

Laguna Santa Rosa was incredible.  It was a blue green shallow lake dotted with flamingos, Chilean geese, and black horned coots.  The backdrop was the 3 peaks of Nevados Tres Cruces; all three summits are above 6000m.  Vicuñas were feeding on the nutritous grasses that graced the near shore areas of the lake.  I took a ton of photos.

Laguna Santa Rosa 3700m

Flamingoes & Nevados Tres Cruces

We continued further along the altiplano on 4WD track past some stunning volcanoes

Volcano with beautiful colored terrain

Volcan Wheelock (?) with lake mirage

Ojos de Salado

We eventually reached the breathtaking turquiose waters of Laguna Verde at 4300m.  Laguna Verde boasts some of the highest hotsprings in the world.  And I couldn´t miss the opportunity to try them out.  There were climbers acclimitizing in camp here which made me more than a little envious.

Laguna Verde

Laguna Verde 4300m

Hot springs at 4300m

When we headed back westward, the sun was beating down on me through the window of the truck and I began to feel crappy.  I got a headache from too much direct sun, heat, and dehydration from being at altitude.  When I ascend quickly, my body´s reaction is to bail out water to make my blood thicker.  Hence, I lost more water than I was able to take in.  I have suffered from this type of heat exhaustion before.  However, I always recover quickly after a short nap in a cool, dark place.  The guide thought I would feel better at lower elevation, but I knew better.  Indeed, I did not feel better until after 1.5-2 hours in bed.  Even feeling like crap, this was one of the most interesting and scenic days.  I´d do it again.

Interesting arroyo

More volcanoes over 6000m