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| October 23 |
 Back to the summit. This time our entire team goes, led by our guides, Carlos and Arcadio. The going seems easier this time as we ford the treacherous spots with ropes. While at rest on a boulder, Johan describes the route that the Inca followed to the summit with their llamas.“You can see the Inca tambo, or base camp, at the base of the scree slope. They probably cut back and forth in the mountain to reach the summit.” I could visualize the Capacocha procession zigzagging up the side of the mountain. The tambo resembles a clear area of sand with scant remains of stone rings scattered about. The burial platform at the top consists of a circular wall of stones rising above rock and ice. Last year, Johan and José two sacrifices, metal discs attached to textiles, pottery, and a statuette. They speculate that more artifacts are buried under the frozen rock. |
 I am still amazed at the resolve and stamina of the Inca, hauling supplies and people, to extreme and frigid heights. I ask Johan if they found any sacred red dirt similar to that of the Ampato burials. He said only a narrow band of dirt was found (go to Tomb section of this feature to see a representation). |
 At the summit, we snake along the ridge over to the first burial platform where the others are working. We chat with José and his students who have discovered nothing so far, except sore limbs. He suggested we walk out to the summit. I was not keen on the notion or the precipice until José mentioned the existence of another burial platform. Follow the Inca road, José said. |
 Indeed it was! Rising about a meter and a half was another wall of stones. Part of the platform had collapsed, although most of it remained intact. The chances seem good that we can begin at least partial excavation there. |
| Almost the moment I came down from the second platform, more corporeal matters beset me. I was shaking violently. My stomach was naseous, my head pounding. It was altitude sickness hitting hard. I started down the mountain immediately, disoriented, dizzy. Stumbling in places. I reached base camp in forty-five minutes. Not a moment too late. I crawled in my sleeping bag, still shaking and feeling feverish. An hour later, Marcos brought me some soup I could not stomach. I hope by tomorrow this condition abates. |
Yancey Hall
nationalgeographic.com