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Published: January 2nd 2010
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Ollantaytambo
Breakfast before the trek I have gone hiking before, but I can't say I've ever done anything like this. But to do this trek has been a dream of mine for a while, so I'm very thankful I had someone to do it with me. I was also blessed with a great group of people (four Kiwis, two South Africans, a dad and his two daughters from Colorado, a grandmother from Austin with both her son and grandson), fantastic guides (Juan and Manuel), and unbelievably strong and nimble porters (also called "chaskis"). I would highly recommend Peru Treks -- they took great care of us and fed us like kings!
22nd: We woke at 4:30AM, got ready, and were picked up around 5:45. Originally there were sixteen of us, but two had to drop out due to food poisoning (Cory and I were so thankful it wasn't us!).
The first day of hiking wasn't too bad. We stopped in Ollantaytambo for breakfast and to buy any last minute stuff (like coca leaves and walking sticks). Then it was off to Kilometer 82, the official start of the trek. The views were gorgeous and the weather actually wasn't too bad. The little bit of drizzle
actually just cooled you off a bit.
I managed to get through okay but I was really nervous about the second day and told Cory not to bother staying back with me (he's practically Superman).
23rd (AKA Day o' Hell): The climb up was split into three sections: 300m and then a rest, 400m of steep stairs and then a rest with tea and snacks, and then the final 500m push to the top of Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass). I think the second part of the trek was the most difficult for me. The last third, while I had to take more breathers due to the high altitude (over 4000m above sea level), was much more enjoyable because of the views. Cory took his time getting up the hill, stopping to snap lots of pictures along the way, and STILL managed to beat me (*grumble*). But I made it and I was pretty proud of myself. Unfortunately that glee was put on hold by the rainstorm (complete with hail) that began shortly after I reached the top. From Warmiwañusca to the second campsite is about 700m down a very steep and long path. On top of that, the rain
made the steps very slippery. I slipped, slided, and awkwardly stumbled my way down, thanking my lucky stars that I'd brought my dad's walking stick with me. It cleared up after a bit, but then promptly started raining again when I reached the campsite. I think I pushed myself a little too hard, and wasn't feeling too well when I got there. Cory very sweetly brought me some tea while I sat and thawed under both of our sleeping bags. That night was also a bit rough for me, despite having, as Cory called it, our personal sound machine -- a huge waterfall right next to the campsite.
24th (Christmas Eve): The third day was only difficult in parts, but it rained on and off for most of the day, which required getting in and out of rain gear constantly. After pushing myself so much the day before, I decided to take my time and stopped to snap a few photos of all of the pretty flora (we were entering the edge of the "Cloud Forest").
The last stretch on the third day is aptly named the "Gringo Killer." It's basically a couple of hours down steps that are
so steep in parts, I almost considered turning around and sort of crawling down backwards, on all fours.
The third campsite actually has a restaurant/bar and even HOT SHOWERS! Even though I got there fairly early, I had to wait almost an hour to take one. But it was a nice treat after three days of baby wipes!
Seeing as it was Christmas Eve, our guide gave us all Santa hats at dinner and we took a bunch of goofy pictures at the dinner table (Cory has some on his camera, so I'll have to post those later).
25th: Of course the only morning that it rained was the one that we had to be up at 4AM and hike for two hours to supposedly watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu. Needless to say, when we arrived at the Sun Gate, all we could see was fog (and rain clouds). Our guide, Juan, helped keep the mood light though, making lots of jokes and smiling the whole time as he took us on a tour of the ruins. Luckily Cory and I had booked an extra night in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes, so we were able
to return the following day and wait out the weather.
The trek ended with a group lunch at a restaurant in Aguas Calientes before everyone went their separate ways.
I don't know if I could do it again unless I trained a lot harder (I got a little down on myself for struggling as much as I did, which didn't make me the most pleasant person at times), but I am so proud that I did it. And as I said, Peru Treks and all of their staff were FANTASTIC! The chaskis were just unbelievable -- they would make us breakfast, tear down the whole campsite, literally RUN past us, set up the whole thing, and have another massive meal waiting for us (and have our tents up in the evening). They worked tirelessly to keep us comfortable and were always smiling and joking.
To top it all off, Cory and I had difficulty getting money out in Aguas Calientes, so we didn't know if we were going to have enough money to get back to Cusco. Juan actually loaned us over $150 to make sure that we got back okay and could do all the
stuff we wanted. He just said that we were family now and that you take care of family. I'm still just absolutely humbled...
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Suz
non-member comment
awesome
Oh Uni... that's so amazing. And I would be humbled, too.