13 November 2025 - Another Postcard from Chile (4) - Summit Day and beyond

First light on summit day

Summit day was a couple of days ago, and they are now on their way home. Here are a few pictures via WhatsApp and Facebook - not in order.

The captions are from Sue, and her heading is as follows:

Yesterday three of us summited Licancabur, reaching 5924m at 9am, having started at 4600m 2am. At dawn, it went from cold to absolutely freezing, with a wind, perhaps minus 15 to 20C with windchill. It was worth it, with amazing views of the Andes and Lagunas Verde and Blanca.

This ascent is dedicated to my father, who died in February. Being breathless for 10 hours is nothing compared to the years he spent living with the breathlessness caused by heart failure, with stoicism and few complaints.

Looking north during one of our few rests

Laguna Verde contains copper and arsenic

Enjoying the warmth on our last break before the summit. L to R is Cristobal (Cris), our local guide, Nati (from El Calafate in Argentina, our high altitude guide), Nicky and Dan.

The crater and its lake from our high point

Start of the descent, past patches of penitentes, high altitude snow formations I hadn’t seen before

View into Bolivia (we were the wrong side of the crater to see down to San Pedro)

On the summit holding the Bolivian flag (we had to stay just over the border from Chile)

The Wiphala flag that represents the native people of the Andes

Just three, out of the 14 clients, made it to the summit.

OS Locate confirmation of our altitude, the highest I’ve been

The steep descent was fabulous - loose scree and small rocks made it very fast!

Pychnophyllum molle, tiny flowers on a low mat, around 4600m

A welcome sight after a 10-hour circuit

Even more welcome (once we’d escaped Bolivia) was a swim in the hotel pool in San Pedro

Jenny and Richard at 4800 meters, the highest they have ever been

Winding down, Santiago, and a few snaps before going

 home...

Well done, everyone. It sounds like a great trip.

9 November 2025 - A Postcard from Chile (3)

More from sunny San Pedro.

Coffee stop in Plaza de San Pedro

Hotel in San Pedro - view from first floor terrace

Hotel terrace

Church dating from 1750s

The oldest house in San Pedro, dating from 1540

More coffee, please?

Early November 2025 - A Postcard from Chile (and Wythenshawe Park)

                                                                               Click on any image for a slideshow.

Sue has already reported on a visit to some petroglyphs, etc, here. She never did learn to use her 'Nallo Lady' persona to post to this diary, but she has sent me a couple of batches of pictures from her travails in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Here they are - the first batch, including the image above, is a selection of pictures from 5 and 6 November. I'll add captions when Sue provides them. They include some more 3000 year old petroglyphs.

This second batch is from 7 and 8 November and covers sunrise over the altiplano, the El Tatio geysers (in an area of 10 sq km, where there are 500 geysers at around 4250 metres) and Puritama thermal pools. Also a walk up the Rio Grande valley from 3300 to 4000 metres, an area of wetland, Vicuna, donkeys and flamingos. And some flowers...

Meanwhile, back at Wythenshawe, there was a cracking turnout for Fechin's 'Auld Codgers' monthly get together.

L to R: Richard Bacon, John Archer, Keith Fletcher, Fechin McCormick, Keith Briggs, Mike Horwood and Mike Curley.

I feel very much an imposter in the company of these one-time elite runners who could all for one reason or another qualify for 'Legend in their own Lifetime' badges. Well done Fechin for organising.

Saturday morning was thankfully dry and calm for Wythenshawe parkrun number 639. 411 runners and walkers managed to run or walk 5km. There were lots of 'first timers at Wythenshawe' - they are being briefed on the right of the next picture. On the left of the picture is a graduation ceremony for some 'Couch to 5K' participants. They never leave anyone behind. Full results are here.

This chap comes with a dinosaur that has had to be replaced. I find that my pace these days is very similar to a dinosaur's...

This morning (Sunday 9 November) I was marshalling for Wythenshawe's Cumminity Run, beside a lovely tree that I couldn't resist capturing in the sunlight.