Day UNO.
Rise and shine it’s 430am!
Leaving Cusco to embark on the world renowned, brain draining, muscle flailing, emotion invoking Inca trail.
Four days of intense physical and mental trials and tribulations ensues.
12 tourists, 3 guides and one driver, like ecstatic school children heading to an uber-exciting excursion.
We were bused for an hour and a half to a small village to purchase last minute snacks, drinks and coca leaves (the most important commodity).
We stamped our passports, were rigorously I.D’d, participated in a pep talk and were dubbed the ‘Extreme Condors’, then lifted our walking sticks in the air as a good luck salute and before we knew it, we were on our way.
The altitude was already somewhat of a battle for some as others persevered and pressed on. We walked for what seemed like hours but were well rewarded when we finally reached our lunch site.
Then…Lunch was served.
Another three or so hours before we reached camp for the night and as the adrenalin subsided and exhaustion kicked in, we were all feeling very lethargic and ready to hit snooze by 8pm.
We packed our duffle bags ready for the porters to whisk away and set up at our next site. We crawled out of our temporary homes and made a beeline for the breakfast tent.
The porters were then introduced to us one by one, we learnt their age, number of kids and number of wives. Twenty in all, ranging from ages 19 to well in their 60′s and each carrying approximately 30kgs.
The porters were off and running and as we turned the corner to continue the journey, we were immediately met with an enormous hill. Using our walking sticks and well conditioned legs we began to power on as a pack.
The sheer elation, personal achievement and adrenalin was a feeling of something entirely unexplainable. We were all cold, sweaty and tired but ecstatic to have finally reached our goal for the day.
Without Fred Durst and Christina Aguilera in my ears there is no way I would have made it!
Dinner was later served, some of the extreme condors had to miss out as they were suffering severe bouts of gastro.
A few more awoke with signs of gastro as we all discussed our bowel movements at the breakfast table over tea, toast, omlette, porridge and frittered bananas.
Forty minutes of pure uphill fiascos which lead to an incredible Inca building, we then had a history class and found out the building was built in the 1400′s and only discovered in 1911. It was strategically constructed to ensure all areas of access to the site were visible in case of the threat of intruders or enemies.
We persevered on for another one hour uphill battle.
I heard along the Inca grapevine that lunch was being served at the third Inca pass.
We still had approximately two hours worth of hiking to our night site, where a cold cerveza (beer) and jugo de naranja (orange juice) was promised.
Drunk and disorderly hikers all frog-marched straight to their sleeping bags as soon as this hour of rising was set upon them.
We enjoyed the history, architecture and picturesque location on an incredibly clear sun-filled magnificent day. Today the sun gods were really treating us. There were adorable fluffy llamas roaming about freely, thousands more steps, incredible architectural techniques and all perfectly located in a self-sufficient Eco-system .
Although the trek was physically and mentally challenging feat of strength, comradery and perseverance, I’m super pumped to say ‘I survived the Inca trail!’
Ensure to pre-book with a tour guide or tour company, I went through Geckos, whom were fantastic as number of hikers are limited every year.
- 1 pair light walking pants
- 1 pair jeans
- underwear
- 3 t-shirts
- 3 pairs running socks
- 1 rain jacket
- 1 Rain Pants
- water bottle
- First Aid Kit
- 1 light thermal top
- 1 light thermal bottom
- Beanie
- light gloves
- hiking boots
NO SHOWERS which mean Wet Wipes are your best friend!
- deodorant
- bandaids
- safety pins
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- sunblock
- chapstick
Electronics
- camera
- memory cards
- Headlamp
- Torch and batteries
Other Stuff
- day pack
- passport
- Fill your music player up with tunes!
Sounds incredible. Seeing Machu Picchu would be so much more memorable and rewarding after 4 days of intense hiking.
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Its funny you say that because once we all arrived at Machu Picchu, we agreed that the hike was just as good as the final destination!
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