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Published: December 13th 2023
Undoubtedly the greatest challenge I’ve taken on in my life I’ll clarify a couple things here before beginning. First, I am writing entirely of my own experience in this blog, as my Dreamchaser soulmate Stan opted out of this particular adventure. Secondly, I’d like to state that, although I have done a few hikes in the past, I am not a devoted trekker. Not even close. I’ll take a bike, scooter, or kayak any day, instead of walking. The last - and only - time I even did an over night hiking trip was when hiking the Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, but that was close to fifty years ago, when I was about twenty years old, and I believe there were some mushrooms enhancing that hike. 🤣
So I think its fair to say this was my first « real » hiking trek. But anyone who knows me would likely confirm that I have an « all or nothing » kind of personality, so why not begin my new trekking interest with a 45 km, 4 day Inca Trail Trek, which would include taking on the « Dead Woman’s Pass » on day 2, at
a mere 13,776 feet above sea level?
Jump in I did, as I seem to always like a challenge, and a challenge it definitely was. The second day of the four day hike « Dead Woman’s Pass » alone took 13 hours for me to complete. My prior longest trekking in one single day was maybe five hours.
Nor have I ever begun a trek at 3:30 am, but that was our experience on the fourth day of the trek, so that we could arrive at the Sun Gate near sunrise - the other days being a comparatively lazy 5 am start. It was new and very physically challenging, but these conditions came with no other options than to accept and carry on, all of which translated to great character building and is, ultimately, the definition of adventure.
I have my son Tanner and daughter in law Annie P to thank for inspiring this idea months ago, when Tanner first began plans for our family reunion in South America. And so the training began last summer, when my summer leisure activities of biking and kayaking were replaced by walking, stair climbing, walking, and more stair climbing, along
with my continued yoga practice.
But even with all the months of working out, trying to prepare for something that was totally incomprehensible to me, I completely had a melt down the day before we were to depart. What the F was I thinking? I was terrified. I don’t even like hiking. I have never done a multi-day hike. I hate being cold and wet - and we were going to be hiking in the rainy season, when being cold and wet were highly likely.
But all things pass, and a good cry, I have often maintained, is very cleansing; for the spirit, like a sponge being squeezed of its weight of water, is thereby released of its heavy weights of fear and doubt.
Besides, I had already paid. 🤣 And more importantly, I could not let down my hiking companion, Stan’s sister Anna Cole, for we had both talked each other into taking on this challenge several times over the preceding months. Annie P, Tanner’s partner, was also to have trekked with us - in fact, the entire expedition was her idea - but she had had a motorcycle accident just a week before the trek
The Highlight of My Trek
Images cannot capture the sense of awe but it was there. I sat just above and overlooking a beautiful ancient ruin, almost as large as Machu Picchu, and from there meditated upon it, and on the mists moving in the mountains, for an undetermined amount of time. It was perhaps the highlight of my trek, and a deeply moving, spiritual experience.and sadly could not participate. Even after learning of the mishap, Anna C and I still renewed our commitment to complete the Machu Picchu Trail without Annie P, so I simply could not Anna her down. Nor myself.
So on we went. And it was gruelling. Endless hours of walking. Ridiculous steep inclines. Uneven steps, long, long hours of gruelling ascents, matched by endless hours of treacherous descents. And yes, there was rain.
But there was so much meditation, for walking down steep inclines on treacherous, wet, slippery rocks allows for nothing other than complete concentration. To do otherwise is to roll an ankle, or worse. It translated to many hours of living in the moment. Climbing steep inclines equally so, as there was no room for error, for spacing out, planning, worrying, being elsewhere. It was meditation in the purest sense of the word.
Add to this, of course, the stunningly beautiful surrounding environment; the mists rising and falling in the deep valleys below you - for you are, yourself, above the clouds, looking at the massive peaks of the Andes mountains. All of this, along with the knowledge that you are at that moment walking
Dead Woman's Pass
This pretty much summarizes much of the day 2 trek. Hard work. Endless climbing, followed by a shirt teaser descent, then more endless climbing. Thirteen hours of sheer rugged determination - along with good hiking boots, trekking poles, a good breakfast and substantial dinner, and lots of water - brought me back to a camp reunion with fellow supportive and equally tired hikers, and a great supper waiting before lying down for a deep well deserved sleep. on an ancient trail that was created for travel to a destination specifically for spiritual practice, definitely makes for an unforgettable, deeply spiritual, and one might even say, life changing experience. I spent many hours on the trail walking in solitude, freely and loudly singing the sacred chants I have been learning for the past couple of years, my version of prayers, asking for strength and protection from harm while also thanking Pachomama for this gift of life. At one point my guide arrived to walk with me and I taught him the chant to Pachomama (Mother Earth), and we sang it together. At another, I was joined in the same chant by two of the younger hikers, as we took a rest break and stared in awe at the beauty of the mountains which engulfed us.
We were a group of ten trekkers. With the exception of my seventy year old self, and my sister-in-law Anna, who at eighty years of age is possibly the oldest woman to have ever completed the Machu Picchu Trail, the rest of the group were thirty-somethings. There were two lovely young couples from the UK, each starting their respective lives together travelling
throughout South America, three young, strong, fit German men, and a delightful American woman from Texas. They were all a pleasure to get to know a little and to share this experience with.
Anna and I worked diligently to maintain our hierarchical positions long before we left, agreeing that I would be second last and she would be last. Our group was most supportive, and each time we arrived in camp, usually twenty minutes or so apart from each other, we were greeted by cheers and warm rounds of applause, not only from our trekking mates, but also from our two amazing guides and the incredibly strong and efficient entourage of twenty porters who supported the camp. Anna was at one time even bestowed a crown made of grasses on the trail by our guide, which, following the tradition of the Incas, was placed upon the head of the wisest and most brave elder. It was a beautiful, and very well deserved tribute.
Rewards have, of course, the greatest meaning when they are hard earned, and the greater the challenge, of course, the greater the reward. I feel completely justified now calling myself a trekker. I have earned
the title, and feel I can take on anything. The growth has been enormous, both physically and mentally.
I owe much gratitude to my son Tanner and daughter in law Annie P for inspiring this adventure, to my sister in law Anna Cole for taking on this incredible challenge with me, to my husband Stan for continually supporting my dreams, and to my trekking mates and the entire company at TreXperience for facilitating this beautiful experience.
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Mickey Rostoker
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Machu Picchu
Greetings to you from the Sierra madre of Guerrero, Mexico. No hiking here as there is cartel activity in the region. I so empathize with your journey to this wonderful site. For me the purpose of any hike/trek is to take photos, so people I am traveling with are always way ahead of me. And I like hikes of no more than 4 hrs/day. Abrazos para ti y Stan.