The Strength Within – Conquering Rainbow Mountain.

by Meredith Gibbs (Australia)

I didn't expect to find Peru

Rainbow Mountain promises a colourful landscape, drawing in budding young photographers and curious adventurers alike. Like many I was eager to see this very sight with my own eyes. It was a pre-dawn start in Cusco as my partner and I were packed into a minivan like sardines with fellow travellers and surprisingly a local family who wanted to see what all the fuss was about in their own backyard. The city was soon lost in the rear-view mirror and we were greeted by the sparse countryside with mountainous peaks in the distance. Most weary travellers caught up on precious sleep while others assumed the role of travel guide, trading stories of their adventures and tips of where to go next. More than 3 hours later, we were almost ready to start the final part of our journey. The minibus navigated a narrow, dirt road, hugging the side of the mountain as it manoeuvred around tight corners. There was no room for error as our driver safely guided us to our destination. As I stepped outside the van the bitterly cold wind slapped me across the face – a reminder I was 4,600 metres above sea level and the sun would provide little to no comfort today. We set off as a group walking along the straight dirt track for several kilometres, for most this would normally be a piece of cake but the altitude makes it harder than your usual Sunday stroll. Everyone is struggling to some degree except of course the family from Cusco and our guide. Other tours gave up and hired horses from the locals but no one in our group dares to succumb to the temptation. Finally, we reach the bottom of the mountain. The last hurdle to what is promised to be a colourful wonderland. We start our walk, it’s harder than expected and pretty soon - one by one- several of the group start to drop off while others find a burst of energy and surge ahead. The beautiful snow-covered peaks admired upon the walk - now don’t register as your eyes are either on the ground or focussed on the top of the hill. It’s funny how high altitude can affect your body. Dragging one foot in front of the other, my lungs are burning, I’m struggling to breath. My heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. I say several times, to my partner “I can’t do this” It’s a mental battle as much as a physical one. But I don’t give up. Everyone has their own game plan. There are those who push through, trying to get to the top as quickly as possible to end the pain. Others need motivation in the form of music, while some sit down and just looked defeated. My feet feel heavy as I try to take it one step at a time. I start bargaining with myself “if you make it to that rock 10 metres away you can stop for a quick rest.” This works, it gives me something to work towards and then gave me time to catch my breath and prepare mentally before setting off once more. The final push was the hardest, my partner telling me “don’t stop, keep going, we are almost there”. Digging deep, I give it one last crack and finally I’m there – 5,200 metres above sea level - sweating, exhausted and relived, I soak it all in. We watch as people jostle for the best position or as they take a selfie with the Alpacas. We watch as fellow travellers who didn’t know each other before this morning help each other with the final few steps. No one is left behind as our tour guide drags one of our group members to the top. We watch the next wave of tourists scrambling up the mountain, going though the same struggles we did. From a distance they looked like hundreds of ants foraging for food. We let the kaleidoscope of colours wash over us. Rainbow Mountain testing us all in our way, the payoff worth every minute of pain.