Today is the day! No, not the day this laboriously drawn out blog finally finishes, so don't get too excited. It's time to face the legendary Dead Woman's Pass. The ominous name says it all. 4,200 long, lonely meters of wind swept desolation at the top of the world. Those who reach the summit march triumphantly into
Machu Picchu at dawn on the fourth day. Those who don't... well, let's just say you might get a pass named after you. Let Day 2 begin.
Hey, aren't we supposed to have the same genes? Why the heck am I buggered while that dude powers up with half the team's luggage?
So you're only stopping to admire the view? A likely story.
Base camp. This is it. The final staging area for the grueling final push.
It doesn't look so bad from down here. Why it's a mere hill!
Come on team, I'm not seeing much movement here. That mountain ain't getting any shorter.
At this altitude, every step is a victory. In this blog, every word is a victory. It's a bit hard to build up suspense when the next photo is from the summit. The problem with no oxygen is there's not much energy left for extraneous details like taking photos. Or standing upright. So let the record show
TeamPhatJ00
ster made it, and they made it in style. A finer group of adventurer you'll never find.
Better enjoy the view. And more importantly, better enjoy that kilo of chocolate that you hauled all the way up here. Victory is sweet. So is genuine
Cadbury milk chocolate, the likes of which this land has never seen.
You can't blame them for lingering at the top of the world.
This is what you climb for. This and the ice cold
Coka Cola that's waiting down there on the horizon in
Machu Picchu.
4,215m. You feel every one of them.
Take that Dead Woman! Mei doesn't get what all the fuss is about.
Mei just manages to push past 4,216m... on tiptoes.
It's a lonely road down the other side.
Gravity goes from being your worse enemy to your best friend. Must be a chick.
Someone's gotta keep the spirits up on the long, cold descent.
Swaggering down a mountain never looked so good.
Victory over nature gives you the right to poke sticks at people.
The carnage. It's tough up there, but it's tougher down here when the euphoria wears off and leaves just the aching muscles.
The three need no introduction. If you don't know them by now then... we'll you skim read this blog like everyone else.
Just 'cause we're half way to the sky doesn't mean there's no pressure. High stakes at high altitude takes nerves of steel. And a handy gas light.
Serenity at dawn. Until Mei has to be dragged kicking and screaming out of her tent.
Worth waking up early for? You be the judge.
Day 3 is all about enjoying the fruits of yesterday's labor. A leisurely walk across mountain faces and past misty ruins.
Leisurely? Rock takes issue with the commentator's blase attitude.
The second highest point on the trek measures up at 3,950m. Which is high enough to break out another chocolate bar. Of course, Rock's critics will point out that that's 3,949m higher than necessary.
Spot the only person who didn't have to carry their own gear over the hump.
Jared plots the quickest course to the coke fridge.
Another ruin emerges through the mist of the cloud forest. To bad Rock spoils the mood with another disparaging seen one seen em all remark.
Mei leads by example. Luckily she remembered to put her bag on long enough to inspire the troops.
An ancient outpost, the last link in a chain of mountain messaging posts that relayed messages to the final frontier:
Machu Picchu.
Careful, any closer and you'll get my swine flu.
The ancient walls still echo with the lost voices of the mighty
Incan warriors who once stood guard over their domain. Hang on, that's the annoying
yankee tour group trying to find the drive
thu window.
Spooky.
Who says you can't climb in style?
A lost city emerges from the mists of time.
Coaxing a bunch of gringos up and down mountains is hard work. Our guide takes a breather at the half way point.
None shall pass. Rock doesn't need a fancy magic staff to keep the balrog out.
Each peak brings a view better than the last. The same can't be said for the commentary.
Romance on the mountain.
Bromance on the mountain.
What a spot to contemplate the deep issues. Like whether the first meal back in civilization is going to be a juicy burger or a steaming plate of fried rice.
Mei works the runway. Too bad the only paparazi is more interested in taking a whole memory card full of cloud shots.
How many roofs does the world have? Welcome to Roof of the World III.
Team Phat calling Team J00ster, over. The test run of Incan signalling theory peters out when no one can remember the universal sign for You Suck.
How many trailers for Machu Picchu are they going to put out?
Now
this is a campsite. It doesn't get much better than this. Sure it's freezing, sure the tent is probably going to blow off the mountain in the middle of the night, sure we have to get up at 3am to ascend 2000 stairs in pitch darkness tomorrow, but gosh darn it, this is the coolness.
You'd think after all they've been through these chaps would be able to handle a little mountain breeze. Come on, it's only five below.
Unbelievable! If the next Master Chef challenge is to bake a gourmet cake whilst climbing a 4,000m meter mountain with 40 kg on your back, then our legendary head chef is a shoe in.
The support crew do all the hard work, and get none of the glory. If you can call the dubious honor of appearing in J00ster (and ten years later in Two Phat) glory. But thanks to their hard work, our hard work was much less hard.
So that brings us to the finale. And what a finale it will be. One of these days.
Hey, aren't we supposed to have the same genes? Why the heck am I buggered while that dude powers up with half the team's luggage?
So you're only stopping to admire the view? A likely story.
Base camp. This is it. The final staging area for the grueling final push.
It doesn't look so bad from down here. Why it's a mere hill!
Come on team, I'm not seeing much movement here. That mountain ain't getting any shorter.
At this altitude, every step is a victory. In this blog, every word is a victory. It's a bit hard to build up suspense when the next photo is from the summit. The problem with no oxygen is there's not much energy left for extraneous details like taking photos. Or standing upright. So let the record show TeamPhatJ00ster made it, and they made it in style. A finer group of adventurer you'll never find.
Better enjoy the view. And more importantly, better enjoy that kilo of chocolate that you hauled all the way up here. Victory is sweet. So is genuine Cadbury milk chocolate, the likes of which this land has never seen.
You can't blame them for lingering at the top of the world.
This is what you climb for. This and the ice cold Coka Cola that's waiting down there on the horizon in Machu Picchu.
4,215m. You feel every one of them.
Take that Dead Woman! Mei doesn't get what all the fuss is about.
Mei just manages to push past 4,216m... on tiptoes.
It's a lonely road down the other side.
Gravity goes from being your worse enemy to your best friend. Must be a chick.
Someone's gotta keep the spirits up on the long, cold descent.
Swaggering down a mountain never looked so good.
Victory over nature gives you the right to poke sticks at people.
The carnage. It's tough up there, but it's tougher down here when the euphoria wears off and leaves just the aching muscles.
The three need no introduction. If you don't know them by now then... we'll you skim read this blog like everyone else.
Just 'cause we're half way to the sky doesn't mean there's no pressure. High stakes at high altitude takes nerves of steel. And a handy gas light.
Serenity at dawn. Until Mei has to be dragged kicking and screaming out of her tent.
Worth waking up early for? You be the judge.
Day 3 is all about enjoying the fruits of yesterday's labor. A leisurely walk across mountain faces and past misty ruins.
Leisurely? Rock takes issue with the commentator's blase attitude.
The second highest point on the trek measures up at 3,950m. Which is high enough to break out another chocolate bar. Of course, Rock's critics will point out that that's 3,949m higher than necessary.
Spot the only person who didn't have to carry their own gear over the hump.
Jared plots the quickest course to the coke fridge.
Another ruin emerges through the mist of the cloud forest. To bad Rock spoils the mood with another disparaging seen one seen em all remark.
Mei leads by example. Luckily she remembered to put her bag on long enough to inspire the troops.
An ancient outpost, the last link in a chain of mountain messaging posts that relayed messages to the final frontier: Machu Picchu.
Careful, any closer and you'll get my swine flu.
The ancient walls still echo with the lost voices of the mighty Incan warriors who once stood guard over their domain. Hang on, that's the annoying yankee tour group trying to find the drive thu window.
Spooky.
Who says you can't climb in style?
A lost city emerges from the mists of time.
Coaxing a bunch of gringos up and down mountains is hard work. Our guide takes a breather at the half way point.
None shall pass. Rock doesn't need a fancy magic staff to keep the balrog out.
Each peak brings a view better than the last. The same can't be said for the commentary.
Romance on the mountain.
Bromance on the mountain.
What a spot to contemplate the deep issues. Like whether the first meal back in civilization is going to be a juicy burger or a steaming plate of fried rice.
Mei works the runway. Too bad the only paparazi is more interested in taking a whole memory card full of cloud shots.
How many roofs does the world have? Welcome to Roof of the World III.
Team Phat calling Team J00ster, over. The test run of Incan signalling theory peters out when no one can remember the universal sign for You Suck.
How many trailers for Machu Picchu are they going to put out?
Now this is a campsite. It doesn't get much better than this. Sure it's freezing, sure the tent is probably going to blow off the mountain in the middle of the night, sure we have to get up at 3am to ascend 2000 stairs in pitch darkness tomorrow, but gosh darn it, this is the coolness.
You'd think after all they've been through these chaps would be able to handle a little mountain breeze. Come on, it's only five below.
Unbelievable! If the next Master Chef challenge is to bake a gourmet cake whilst climbing a 4,000m meter mountain with 40 kg on your back, then our legendary head chef is a shoe in.
The support crew do all the hard work, and get none of the glory. If you can call the dubious honor of appearing in J00ster (and ten years later in Two Phat) glory. But thanks to their hard work, our hard work was much less hard.
So that brings us to the finale. And what a finale it will be. One of these days.
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