Ok so most people who know me understand that the prospect of walking 20K per day for 5 days, camping at altitude at the base of snow-capped mountains before ascending hundreds of steps up to the entrance of Machu Picchu is not my most normal of weeks.
That was our challenge though... made harder with only three hours sleep and a hangover. The tríp started well... we were picked up an hour earlier than we had been told to be ready (quick scrambling to pack our things), we found out we were not with the tour agency we booked with (and everyone else on our tour had paid about 100 dollars less than us) and we had to endure a three hour minibus journey to the start point.
Despite this we were lucky to have a good group and immediately made friends with Neil (from the UK) and Shawn (from the US). From thereon we were to form a foursome that made up the core of Team A - a self appointed name for our group which tended to lead the trek.
We were told by our guides that day one and two would be the hardest and after this happy news set about getting day one out of the way. It wasn´t too bad. Despite all four of us having hangovers we made good progress, got to know each other and reached camp for the night an hour early.
The downside to arriving early was we had to wait for the horsemen who were carrying the tents and our belongings and the cook to arrive. An hour becomes an incredibly long time when you are cold (we were at 3900 feet camping at the base of Salkantay snow capped mountain) and tired.
When the guides finally arrived we set-up camp and prepared to sit down to a well-earned dinner. Sadly we were treated to a very small portion of spaghetti and tomato sauce and started to realise why this tour was so much cheaper than all the rest.
After day-dreaming of snickers bars, hot cups of tea and a warm bath we headed to bed for what we all knew would not be a very restful night.
They next morning the mood was sombre. No-one had slept well due to the cold. Mike and I had made things worse for ourselves by using our rucksacks for pillows and forgetting they still had bladders full of water so awoke to find all our stuff wet.
Nonetheless after a breakfast of pancakes and hot chocolate we headed off to tackle day two - the hardest and highest climb of the five days.
Team A continued its lead, despite me slowing them down on the ascent to 4600 metres, at which I had no choice but to turn to 80s soft rock and an ipod to get me through.
As the day progressed our membership grew with Jenni and Carolyn from Germany and Jerome and Maria from Holland joining the team. We all kept each other going as we dealt with bad weather (cold and rain all afternoon) and bad food (it didn´t get better).
Camp at the end of day two was an improvement on day one. I managed to have a hot shower and a beer - definate improvement. However the camping situation did not improve with the horsemen having got all the tents and belongings wet on the journey. It was left to Jenni, Carolyn and I to explain to the guides that as three of the tents were soaked that we would need to sleep in their huts (which house 4 beds).
After the first two days, day three and four were a breeze. On day three we spent the morning walking through the rain forest to our lunch point before getting a bus to our campsite where we had the luxury of a afternoon off. Mike and I opted to go to the hot springs in Santa Teresa which were a definate highlight of the trip. Set in the midst of the mountains the natural pools are split into three, each of varying temperature. After three days of hiking, cold and wet wipe showers this little luxury was heaven.
Our last day we opted to spend the morning zip-lining instead of walking and met the rest of the group at lunchtime to finish the hike. Zip lining was excellent fun, and such an adrenaline rush. Can´t wait to do it again.
When we rejoined the rest of the group it was a mad rush to reach Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. Big thanks go to Neil for carrying my bag.
That evening was spent arguing with our original tour operator to find out what had happened with our tour (it transpired the other couple had cancelled last minute), having dinner (eventful as we saw a rat run across the restaurant floor) and getting an early night as we had to be up at 3.30am the next morning to start the hike up to Machu Picchu itself.
The last day up to Machu Picchu was a challenge for us all. Already shattered from the trek to date we had to push ourselves up the final 8km of steps to be at the entrance for 6am opening of the site.
While the trip was hard it was definitely worth it, we met some great friends, saw some beautiful landscapes culminating in the unforgettable experience that is Machu Picchu. These photos are a small testament to the fun we had.
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