Although we had only used the Steripen a handful of times it was becoming problematic – erratically flashing and not doing it’s job. I was charging the Seripen with my dynohub via USB. It would take hours just to charge it up to sterilize a single bottle. We carried the dirty water in water bottles on our forks, sterilizing it with the pen – before dumping it in our hydration bladders with the second filter. Our system was working but it was fragile.

Laguna Coñocranra

An Alpine Space

It was mid afternoon when we rode up to Laguna Coñocranra, a serene lake below a towering mountain of rock.  All around us were ancient herding structures and stone walls, no one was around – only a few curious cows. Coñocranra is the largest peaks in the Cordillera Negra at 5150m (16,900ft) – but from our vantage at 14,500ft high it appeared small. I stayed to make camp and Liz went to go exploring  – scrambling on the cliffs at the opposite side of the lake.

Coñocranra was a pristine oasis. Spring-fed water gurgled in channels through the Andean grass – feeding a diverse variety of plants and cactus.  The only thing out of place here were the numerous cattle that grazed on the lake’s shore – Their fur grown thick from the cold nights spent at elevation.

An afternoon shadow crept across the lake and the temperature plummeted. Liz returned and we prepared dinner. With temperatures dropping we quickly put on every layer of clothing we had and went straight to bed! Part of my weakness on this trip was my  old sleeping bag – which I pushed far past it’s rating of 40° F. That night our water froze.