Day 978
Pastoruri Glacier
‘So this is what old age feels like’ was what I thought as I slowly made my way up the 2km walk to the glacier itself. We were now at 16,000 feet, but it was definitely worth the effort. It is one of just a few glaciers left in this part of the Andes. Over the last 30-35 years it has shrunk in size by nearly a quarter and lost over 15% of its mass of ice. Still it was an impressive sight. We all took our time, wandering around, just losing ourselves in the beauty of this site. We had the whole place to ourselves, the tour buses wouldn't arrive until midday, long after we would have gone. There was a billboard showing the gradual shrinking of the glacier, the reality of climate change brought home to us. We were lucky to see this with our own eyes, future generations may have to rely on pictures.
