First of all, thank you all for your training advice, and guidance in helping me take one step at a time. I have a dream of climbing Island Peak and glad I took your advice to start taking smaller steps to achieve my ultimate goal. It wasn’t hard to convince me to undertake this trek to Machu Picchu.
As a kid I was fascinated with the lost city of the Inca’s and Peru has long been on my mind. Time was an issue for me, a business owner with kids of my own. I knew I would have to find time to prepare and glad I took your advice as I enjoyed it all the more.
Trekking Machu Picchu
Hill Training
Hiking the hills once a month sometimes twice a month carrying 6kg – 10kg for 4 – 6 hours. Lots of walking up hill on the stair master, cycling, walking, light jogging and tried to be active 5 times a week was important. I wasn’t a big fan of the training but glad now I followed the advice and now know how to develop this for my next trek and climb.
Stay Longer in Cusco
It’s a long way to Peru, we rested in Lima for the night before heading to Cusco, which was one of the coolest cities I have ever been too. Culture, history, ancient ruins, quaint back streets and magical vibe. The restaurants were great and the company wasn’t bad either. I did notice the lack of oxygen straight away and drank 5 liters of water that day. We strolled around and took it easy that day, a little shopping and getting a feel for the people and this impressive city.
Our Sacred Valley Tour
The following day we headed to the sacred valley on a full day tour. We were so glad we had the extra day for acclimatization and this valley is nothing short of spectacular. Learning about the how the Inca’s constructed these buildings, managed the landscape and developed cutting edge technology, at the time of course. I had a great day and glad to have that extra day to relax and experience more of the country.
The Famous Trail to Machu Picchu
The following morning we were up early and brought to the start of the trail, it took a few hours to get everyone loaded up to carry our food, tents and gear into the mountains. All very excited, our guide was telling us about the local who can run the trail in 5 hours. We had the extended itinerary, so plenty of time to relax and enjoy the trail. We passed several ruins and drop points for the Inca’s on route to Machu Picchu.
Each day held up hill and down hill sections, some sections had steep rock steps and glad I had my trekking poles for this. I found day three the toughest. I was told I would be walking slowly and was so important not to push hard on the trail, but to walk as slowly as possible as there is no rush getting to camps each day. This is what I loved about this trek. Plenty of time for breaks, interesting information about the different sections of the trail and how the Incan civilization constructed this secret network of buildings, trails. It is so impressive and a system one can only admire.
The Ian Taylor Trekking Experience
We had great fun over dinner, food was unbelievable. We had comfortable chairs in the dining tent which we all appreciated. The Mountain Hard wear tents were great and the whole set up exceeded by expectations. we really got into the wilderness living and it was a great experience, the mountain toilets are not great but we had our own toilets. For me I was really getting into the outdoor living, and camping experience and knew a shower was only a few days away.
Each day brought amazing views, valleys and we only got rained on once. The group were really enjoying the whole experience and not having to wake up at 3am on the last day was a great. Waking up at Phuyupatamarca was my favorite day of the trip. Having time to explore the amazing Wiñayhuayna and two visits to Machu Picchu made this service and itinerary the best way to experience this place.
Hiking into Machu Picchu
After a great lunch we said goodbye to the porters and hiked into Machu Picchu. We hiked for a few hours to the famous sun gate. Machu Picchu was below us in all its glory. It is hard to explain, but I was excited to be in this magical place. I never forget walking down that famous real estate towards the city. It was a moment I will never forget.
I had seen plenty of pictures of Machu Picchu but walking down towards the city was just incredible and a great moment in my life. As we were hiking in later in the afternoon we had the place to ourselves.
We Picked the Right Itinerary
The preparation paid off and what an incredibly enjoyable experience. Our tour of Machu Picchu was amazing and then walking around for hours exploring this magical city was truly inspiring. I was glad we have two visits to Machu Picchu and I will return. We got on a train around 3pm and returned to Cusco. A great tour, experience and service and I will return with my kids at some point. Everyone should experience Machu Picchu and this itinerary and trek really are a once in a lifetime trip.
Thank you again for this experience, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole journey. I will be in touch soon for more training tips for Island peak.
Upcoming Hikes to Inca Machu Picchu
John Frazer – Inca Trail – 2017