Page 237 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
the Andean Mountains in search of the legendary city of “Paititi”.
Under the leadership of Colonel John Blashford-Snell, this was the third in a series of expeditions retracing the trade routes of ancient South American civilisa- tions. The team of volunteers included archaeologists, surveyors, engineers, doctors, a dentist and a vet, with a view to providing community aid to the local villages as well as conducting an archaeological expedition.
The journey began with the flight from London to the Bolivian capital La Paz which boasts the highest commercial airport in the world. At just 3,500m, merely stepping off the plane leaves you short of breath. The journey continued with an eight-hour bus ride along a road, proclaimed by the local guidebooks to be the “most dangerous road in the world”. The single track wound around the mountains, with a cliff on one side and a sheer drop of a few thousand feet on the other. Frequent glimpses of the truck and car graveyard down in the valley below and the many shrines on the roadside, did nothing to calm the nerves!
Our intrepid group arrived at Guanay, a small town nestled between two rivers, which had gained its wealth through gold mining in the mid-1900s. A few days were spent there gathering supplies, during which time accommodation was provided in the Hotel Panamer- icana – a fascinating cross between Butlins and Tenko! It was here that the team had their last shower for three weeks.....
The following day, the party continued onwards by truck to Quillapituni, the village that would serve as the forward base. The roads were poor, and the overnight rain had done little to improve the slippery clay surface. The pick-up truck became bogged down several times with the 30km journey eventually taking seven hours. Tired and hot, the group arrived at the village just as dusk was falling. Everyone was ready to pitch camp and get to bed, however, the local inhabitants had a different idea and provided a warm welcome, complete with speeches and a guest appearance by the school band!
The next morning, news of the new arrivals had spread, and locals brought their mules and ponies in droves, hoping to hire them out to the “Gringo explorers”. After much negotiation in their limited Spanish and some fairly animated sign language, Capt Gledhill and LCpl Hamilton checked the animals over thoroughly, paying particular attention to body condition and foot conformation. Many of the ponies had ear infections – ticks from the tall vegetation often attached inside their ears, drawing blood and attracting flies, which resulted in maggot infestation. One of the ponies had only remnants of one of its ears remaining.
The animals were unused to veterinary attention and although the majority were amiable, a few required rope hobbling – at which the muleteers were extremely
skilled – before a thorough examination and the admin- istration of treatment was possible. The mules were used to carrying loads of up to 50kg on homemade fabric pack saddles with a leather girth. Loads were secured with ropes and nylon webbing straps, and the animals, thankfully, suffered few sores.
The terrain prevented the trucks from carrying supplies beyond Quillapituni, making the mules the lifeline for transporting essentials to the advance base and beyond as the expedition progressed. Their sure-footedness paid dividends as the mules negotiated the steep, slippery jungle tracks, and they had the added advantage of being acclimatised to the environment – unlike their human counterparts who sweated and puffed their way through the heat of the day.
While they grazed at night, the mules were prey to vampire bats who approached through the long grass and climbed up the animals’ legs to bite the shoulders and neck region. The deep bites left welts of blood, which attracted flies during the day and potentiated the problem. The mules were also prey to much larger creatures and after a jaguar was sighted in our camp one morning at 3am, the team became particularly vigilant to protect themselves as well as their precious steeds!
In the last week of May, the advance party found what was believed to be the legendary city of Paititi. A tremendous sense of achievement and excitement filled the group and there was a surge of people rushing to get to the site to investigate. The increased demand for supplies forced the mules to work even harder to meet the need. After the initial rush, Capt Gledhill and LCpl Hamilton were able to relinquish their posts with the mules at forward base and make the three-day journey on foot to Paititi. The first river crossing was bliss – it was the first proper wash for nearly three weeks. Then, a full day’s scramble up through thick jungle. Their fitness training paid off and our intrepid heroines handled the ascent admirably – move over, Lara Croft!
After another day’s walking in intense heat, the sound of the magnificent waterfall at Paititi reached us long before it could be seen. The prospect of a shower urged our explorers on and the last 2km were covered at a running pace! Although no new treasures were unearthed, the location and extent of the site were well documented.
The return trip was easier but made more exciting by a hair-raising river crossing. Adrenaline flowed as the explorers traversed the raging torrent on a single plank of wood – legs still wobbly with fatigue from the steep descent down the valley to the river. This was, for many, the highlight of the expedition.
Back in Guanay, many wild and wonderful accounts of adventures were being exchanged over the odd drink or two. The explorers’ Spanish had improved dramati- cally, and their tans were coming on a treat.
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