This happy/succesful team consisted of (from left to right): Top row - Connie Smith, yours truly (Hugh Scholaert), Steve Hawkins, Liberate (assistant guide), and Spencer Massie; Middle row - starting with the green jacket - Andree Legendre and Simon (our guide); Bottom row - Nancy Smith-Laidman, Tristan Scholaert, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Charles (assistant guide). The core team this year included the same hardy group that survived last year's Cordillera Blancas: Hugh Scholaert, Andree Legendre, Steve Hawkins, Connie Smith and Tristan Scholaert. Joining the team this year were Dr. Bonnie Henry, Spencer Massie and Nancy Smith-Laidman.
In very many ways, this was a physical and psychological challenge to all since this climb was by far the highest altitude ever achieved by any of us. But as the picture above attests: we all made it...but this adventure was not without incident!
The following is our story...
