Day 22 April Sat 15th. Up at 6am for the bus ride up the hair pin bends with fabulouis views as we rose higher and higher. We had bought bread and fruit at the local market so we could stop when we saw any local children and give them some as we drove by. Arrived at the village of Qeshwarani and watched our mini bus drive away knowing that we wouldn't see it until the end of the trek!!!! We're on our own now, with our guide David and our cook and 3 porters with the horses, which would carry and food and tents and us if we had any problems. The locals came out to greet us and then after an alfresco lunch we were off....................well if you imagine Hay Bluff x 10 without being able to breath then that's how it felt climbing the first pass at Cuncani. I have never done anything like that ever before. The mind was saying go but the body could only manage a show plodding pace, the altitude was really getting to me at 4,000m. It was heaven to reach the top of the pass and then head down to our campsite next to a local farm house. I had such a head ache I thought my head was going to split in half, so took more altitude and head ache pills and felt better after eating a little dinner, as I was a bit worried as it wouldn't be easy to go up or down if the altitude continued to affect me so badly. It was a cold night but with a beautiful full moon over the mountians. I slept with all my clothes on plus Inca hat and felt 100% in the morning