Valle De La Luna

It was on the return ride from Tatio geysers that I got talking to William, a gardener at Kennsington palace, who was quite nutty about volcanoes. I agreed with him that I would like to try to climb one. Try being the right word for all are well over 5000m and this is the highest I have ever achieved (whilst at Everest in Tibet).

I wanted to try Lascar, the most active in the range, whose smoke was visible each morning. The volcano climbing agency agreed Lascar was a good one to try as the ascent is just 800m and the climb not techical. The problem was altitude, and no one can predict how a body will react to that.

Over breakfast I met Jamie from the Cotwolds, and told him of our ascent plans. He wanted to try to. So that day Jamie, William and I got to know each other better on a cycle rid out to the so called Valley of the Moon, where everybody heads at least once during their stay in San Pedro, to view the sunset over the lunar rocks and volcanoes beyound.