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Published: June 12th 2008
The Clan
The band of trekkers.We woke at 5am today!!! Had breakfast at 5:30 and then jumped on the bus at 6am. I think both Paul and I were a little apprehensive as we didn't really know what to expect for the next few days. We met our guide Alan and the assistant guide Myra on the bus. Before heading off Manny told us that 5 more people would be joining the group and mentioned (to Karl in particular) that 2 of them were Swedish girls!!! You should have seen the look of eager anticipation on the guys faces ;-)
We drove to Ollantaytambo to pick up the others..... but......to the boys disgust.... the 2 swedes that got on the bus were male!! Hahaha...... classic…… kept the ladies giggling for a good hour or so. Before beginning the drive to the starting point of the hike we stopped in a local market to buy fruit and gifts for the children we would meet along the way while hiking.
The bus journey to the starting point of the trek was VERY hairy indeed!! I ended up having to switch seats with Paul so he was by the window
Spanish lesson?
At the start of the hike where we visited a local school because the bus looked like it was going to fall off the side of the cliff!! Most of the time you couldn't see the edge of the road.... instead just a massive DROP!!
Our starting point was a local school with a single class of about 12 or so children all about 4 years old. You should have seen their little faces when we gave them some of the gifts we had purchased. One of the English guys on the trip, George, had bought balloons which went down an absolute treat:-) We took some photos with the children and then headed off on the trek.
In general the pace on the first day was OK. We stopped after a couple of hours for lunch in a beautiful spot by a lake. The lunch was amazing..... hats off to the local chef who cooked everything in a small tent in the middle of no-where and to the porters who carried all the supplies along the way! The only downside to the lunch was that it was pretty hard to start trekking again with such a full tummy 😞
The scenery along the trek was absolutely breathtaking. And there
Our first pass
At the top of our first pass. It was really difficult but the views were mind blowing. wasn't another sole in sight.... accept for an odd child or local person who seemed to appear from no-where. We gave the children stickers, pencils and marbles as we met them on the way.
The first day of the trek was approx. 11km with one pass. The hike up the pass was REALLY tough mainly because of the altitude. We climbed over 500 meters in an hour and a half. Myra the assistant guide walked alongside me chatting along the way providing words of encouragement. And although I stopped frequently during the final steps, I arrived alive and I have to say it was totally worth it!! The views were spectacular and the feeling was amazing. There is an 'emergency' horse on this trip.... just in case anyone needs it and although it was difficult I managed to resist temptation ;-)
After a few minutes rest on the top of the pass we continued for another 30 mins or so to the campsite which luckily enough was a downhill walk :-) When we arrived to the campsite the porters were already there with everything ready….. all the tents were setup and there was a basin of hot water
awaiting our tired feet. We had some coca tea and ate a wonderful dinner around 7 pm. After dinner we were introduced to all the staff. One of the porters is only 21 but looks about 12!! The staff comprises of a chef, an assistant chef, a head horsemen and 3 assistants/porters. After the introductions we played a few games of cards and headed to bed around 9pm for an early night!! It was absolutely FREEZING in the tent. I put on my thermals (sexy I know!!) and I was still cold while Paul slept in nothing but boxers and a t-shirt!!! So day one is over 😊 It was tough but well worth it……but tomorrow is supposed to be the really hard day!
Day 2 of Lares Trek... The Tough Day! We woke early in the morning to a piping hot cup of coca tea provided by one of the porters.... just what the doctor ordered. I had a crap sleep because it was so cold and my thermorest was on some sort of slope which meant that I rolled off it most of the night! Paul on the other hand slept happily most of the night....
Going down is so much easier!
Another amazing view on the hike MEN!!!
We got dressed and had a yummy breakfast made by our wonderful chef! We started the hike at around 7am. The total distance for today was approximately 17km with 2 passes and we hiked to almost 4700 meters!!!! In the morning we stopped in a rural house to see how the local people live. The house was really small and the family kept a number of guinea pigs under the beds.... guinea pigs (or "cuy" as there are known here) are a local delicacy.
During the hike we bumped into some farmers working hard harvesting potatoes. We gave them some coca leaves as gifts. It was a really humbling experience seeing the look of appreciation on their faces. We also encountered a number of small children so we gave them some pencils, marbles and stickers. The views today were again really spectacular but the uphill hiking was really difficult. I ended up putting my day pack on the horse.... at least it wasn't me I suppose ;-) The final pass was the most difficult because everyone was so tired and our bellies were full from our earlier lunch! I'm so glad I didn't use the horse in
Hola!
We met tons of kids on the way. the end. No-one did and the views from the top of the passes were truly amazing. At the top of the 2nd pass we had a small ceremony offering coca leaves to the Andean gods while making wishes for friends and family.
When we reached the campsite both Paul and I felt both exhausted and excited….. thrilled with ourselves for making it!! My toes were killing me by the time we reached the campsite because of all the downhill walking. The campsite was located at over 4200 meters so we were in for a very cold night!!! After another gorgeous dinner we sat in the tent freezing our asses off while playing a few games of cards which was a great laugh. Before going to bed we filled our empty water bottles with hot water in an attempt to keep ourselves warm for the night. Paul and I put on almost every piece of clothing we had and we were still freezing. When we woke the following morning there was ice all over the tents!
So with the tough day over we could sleep and look forward to the final day tomorrow , most of which is downhill……yippee
Anyone hungry?
The cuys (guinea pigs) under the bed in a locals house. Can't believe I ate one of these. :-)
Day 3 of Lares.....Nearly There! Yippee... final day!!! The easy day of the hike.... approx. 8km over a few hours most of which is DOWNHILL 😊 Before setting off we had a fab breakie of pancakes and syrup. After breakfast Paul gave a lovely speech to the staff and as a group we gave them a tip to thank them for making our trip a truly memorable experience. It was actually really emotional saying our goodbyes.
The hike was really pleasant (probably because there was very few uphill parts!). We saw lots of alpacas on the way along with an odd child or two. Before reaching the end of the trail we stopped in the home of a local women who showed us the art of tapestry. She was working on a piece that would take over a month to make which she would sell for only $300!!!
Once we reached the final point we got on a bus back to Ollantaytambo where Manni our guide was waiting.... we didn't have time to shower or change and instead had to head straight to the train station for an hour long journey to the town of
Is that the Braveheart soundtrack playing?
Simon and Ramon - at one with their thoughts! agus calientes, the gateway to Matchu Picchu. When we arrived Paul and Karl flew off to find a pub, ANY pub that was showing the Champions League final :-) Thank God Manchester United won or Paul would have been in a bad mood for the rest of the night! I had probably the nicest shower of my life when I go to the hotel and that evening the gang of us headed up to the local hot springs for a well-earned soak!
All in all the Lares trek was an amazing experience. Although it was pretty tough the views, scenery and local people we met along the way made it a very special and humbling experience which both Paul and I would highly recommend to anyone.
Tomorrow we wake early to see Matchu Picchu! Can’t wait 😊
-- By Karen
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