..it's hard and painful and exhausting and breathtaking and an amazing four days. Nine of us did the trek - everyone took turns at being sick - imodium and paracetamol became currency - we started hiking before daybreak and after 7 or 8 hours we would crawl into our tents after dinner (and if we could be bothered a wet wipes rub down) and try and sleep (another side effect of the altitude).
Along the way we saw Incan ruins and orchids and cloud forests and spectacular snow capped mountain vistas that would take (any remaining) breath away.
The porters were inhumanly fit and cheerful. Even at 4 am (with our hot coca tea they had to use to entice us out of our sleeping begs so they could dismantle our tents) they were full of Holas and Buenos Dias's. AND all day we would pull over to the mountain side of the track so they could RUN past us, up and down slippery slopes - some wearing SANDALS (with straw stuffed in them for traction?) so they could get to the campsite and cook us amazing hot three course meals (we carbo loaded like marathon runners) and then APPLAUD us as we staggered into camp.... we would also pass trekkers too sick to continue being carried back by mule .. a tempting tempting sight ..
Day two was the toughest, first pass is about 4 hours and a steep quadracep shattering incline from 3000 - 4200m. Then it's down for a few hours and up over another pass ... Day three we had another pass (3900m) and then 2000 steps down (there goes the knees!).
My tent buddy (Marie from Ireland) and I make a blood pact never to climb another step, to always take the escalator and in future to only vacation at flat, low lying destinations .. like the Netherlands ...
At the end of day three I would have sold my mother for a hot shower ... but luckily you could buy one for 10 sol... it felt amazing although it didn't even cut through the first layer of sweat encrusted grime ..I think they plan it on purpose to lull us into a false sense of comfort before they wake us the next morning.. in the rain ... at 3.30am..
And off we walk, first with flashlights and then in misty sunlight .. towards Machu Picchu ..
sell your mum, for a shower. Joy is at least worth two shhowers :)
ReplyDeleteNow if you'd just followed my advice and added some one legged wall squats to your training mechanism, you wouldn't have had such a difficult time.
ReplyDeleteThat's what the porters did!
Good point - maybe for Mt Kilimanjaro ... now if I could just train for the altitude - it's too bloody flat over here!!
ReplyDelete