Rainbow Mountain looks unreal in photos—like someone cranked up the saturation until the world glitched. But the real hike? That’s a different story. I spent most of it counting my breaths, chewing coca leaves that tasted like bitter grass, and wondering if I’d pass out before the summit. The air thinned out so fast it felt like my lungs were shrinking. I kept thinking: No one posts about the headache, the way your heart races just from tying your boots, or how you start bargaining with yourself every hundred meters. The view at the top was wild. But honestly, the real victory was not needing the emergency oxygen. Would I do it again? Maybe. But I’d tell the truth about it next time. #Travel #AltitudeReality #TravelWithoutFilters