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Matt Norman

Arrival in base camp


Posted from:Base camp Mismi
Yesterday our three-vehicle convoy drove higher and higher up into the Andes towards Mount Mismi in search of the source of the Amazon. On route we stopped in a tiny town to refuel and while waiting, Zubin, Matt B, Luis (our driver) and I played football with two small lads of no more than 10 years in age.

The Mismi base camp
The Mismi base camp

Within minutes the boys were weaving the ball around us demonstrating amazing skills. I had a few runs with the ball but the high altitude left me wheezing on the kerb side, to the amusement of the victorious local duo. This also left me a little concerned about whether I'd be acclimatized enough when we got to Mismi, as I'd be hiking and handholding a heavy High Definition camera at a much higher altitude than this.

Today we arrived at base camp, 4,400 metres high. Several of us went for a walk with John, our fixer and altitude expert. This was to help acclimatize ourselves. I started out carrying a rucksack to see how I could cope but eventually dropped this in the middle of nowhere to find and retrieve later on.

Even when just walking the altitude makes me feel as though I'd just finished a sprint race. After stopping for just a minute all was fine again but the 'granny' technique seemed to work best for me. This involved lots of tiny slow steps and not pushing the pace to keep up with others. This is the technique the Puruvian guides recommended and it seemed the only way I'd stand a chance when having to carry the camera as well.

A guide gave me coco leaves to chew on as this is supposed to help the body overcome the symptoms of altitude. They are mixed with soot to help release the chemicals and don't taste of anything really. They did start to make me feel queasy when I accidentally swallowed some.

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