Foxes in Peru: The view from the clouds

I've been meaning to post the following information and photos for weeks/months now. Thanks to rising senior captain Jenna Robinson for sharing the amazing story and even more amazing photos from Peru, where she spent several weeks with rising sophomores Boushra Belkhir and Alyssa Lafave. Here is some of the email Jenna sent to me way back in June. Better late than never!

Boushra, Alyssa, and I completed a trek of more than 50 miles last week around the Ausungate Mountains in Peru. The very first day of the trek, we encountered a several-hour snow blizzard in which we had to literally wrap Boushra in different people's clothing to prevent her from freezing. Both Boushra and Alyssa did extremely well on the trek, always hiking in the front of the group as if they were accustomed to the high altitude. I on the other hand suffered some impairing altitude sickness on the first two days. We saw many different wild animals including alpacas, chinchillas, vicunas, and many more! We also slept next to glaciers each night, which was wild. One night I woke up to the sound of an avalanche. We were far enough away that I felt safe, but the shear sound of the crashing ice and snow was enough to give me the chills!

The highest pass we climbed through was at 5,100 meters, or 16,732 feet. CRAZY. Boushra was conducting a study throughout the trek which measured our heart rates and specific oxygen in our blood as we climbed to different altitudes. My resting heart rate was consistently at or over 100, while my spO2 was in the low 70s. Keep in mind, it is standard in the US to give oxygen to an individual with spO2 levels below 95 (said the two EMTs on the trek with us). 

It was SUCH a humbling experience climbing through these mountains. Seeing the native people, animals, and ecosystems taught us a lot about the delicate balance of life! I have attached a few of my favorite images from the trek of Boushra, Alyssa, and me. The photo (above) of the three of us with the snow capped mountain and sun behind us was at 5,000 meters above sea level. It is hard to tell but the wind was SO strong that we could barely stand for this picture.