Macchu Picchu & the Inca Trail

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Perplexed

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Has anyone ever done this hike ? I'm not super fit but am told the best way to see Macchu Picchu is on foot. If I intended to do it in May would I need to get some sort of hiking training in first ? My only exercise at present is walking the dog for about a mile or so every evening & I'm not exactly a youngster either. Also does the altitude make a big difference ? Any advice welcome.
 
It's a fantastic experience. And i actually enjoyed the hike part more than the actual arrival at Machu Pichu! If you do the hike you get to see the sunrise over it and it is gorgeous. Also you get a chance to look around before the hundreds of tourists arrive in on buses.

Our group was very mixed age and fitness wise and they let you go at your own pace with a guide at the rear. I found it quite tough at times, and I'm fit enough. Like you I was walking a lot but if I had to do it again I would have put in a bit of work on the stair master!! My main memory is just of walking up hundreds of steps. There are frequent stops for food, so you can just do it in bursts at your own pace.

Tha altitude affects everyone differently and can hit some people badly. none of my friends had any trouble but one girl on our team who is a hardcore fitness fanatic got hit with it really badly and needed medical assistance. The main people who suffered with it seem to have been people who hadn't had a chance to acclimatise in cuzco before they did it.
 
Hi Perplexed I did the Trail in Sept 2004 ( 4 day Hike) and hiking really is the only way to go. The walking is pretty tough and you really do need to get in some training before you go. I had already done some hill walking here and I still felt I would have enjoyed the walk a bit more if I was fitter. I would recommend you start doing some hill walking here ( if you live in Dublin its easy enough to get up to say Enniskerry area on a Sunday morning) and this will really help. The distance you actually hike is not too bad ( about 40 Km) but its the up and down bits that get you! ( you start about 2750m, go up to 4200 m at the highest point and MP is at about 2500 m) I did not find the altitude too bad. I was 49 when I did it so dont worry about not being a youngster, and there is a good range of people on each hike.
Its a great experience and I am certainly going back for more.
I would be happy to give you any further information
 
Thanks to you both, that's exactly the sort of info I was looking for. Do you need to have your own tent, sleeping bag etc or are these supplied ? From my research I reckon you need to have at least a full day in Cuzco before you head off on the trail. Also can you recommend any groups to arrange it through ? I believe you need to book well in advance especially if you're time is limited & you can't hang around.
 
Tents & sleeping bags are supplied, but if you have a light sleeping bag, it might be worth bringing as well, or one of those thermarest mattresses, which will give you a little extra comfort and insulation. You can get the porters to carry your bag if you're worried about the hike, lots of people do this. The hike is through incredibly beautiful countryside. You should spend 2 or 3 days in Cuzco before the hike, there is a lot of daytours you can do from Cuzco. Don't be in a hurry to leave Cuzco, it's in one of the most beautiful areas in the whole continent.
 
Yeah, the handiest things I had were trousers from the Great Outdoors that you can zip off below the knee to make them shorts. When we did the trek, we were roasting during the day and then got colder in the evenings. Also make sure you have broken in your hiking boots and invest in a good pair of socks!
 
For my tuppence worth. Did the 3 day trek in 2005 (around August time) and it was excellent. I'm a stocky enough sort but of a reasonable level of fitness. Struggled for bits of it but found that walking down the steps was tougher than going up them. The group was some 40 something fitness fanatics, two 40 year old reasonably fit people, and 10 people between 25 and 35. One girl had problems (she was mid 20s) but that was because she decided to take a 20k backpack on the trail!

If you are worried about not making it then you should get all the help you can with bag carrying and make sure you pay a little bit extra for the guides who set everything up for you. Get some recommendations if you can - can't remember the guys we went with but our guide was called Hilbert and he was excellent. He told us that he had a qualification in the old Inca studies. Well, it impressed me anyway.

Regarding stuff to bring - check with the tour operators as to what they supply but usually you will get a tent and sleeping bag. Bring enough t-shirts (minimum 4), socks and jocks... other essentials (such as the detachable pants, a pillow case! and a good camera) should all fit in a small rucksack (5 kilos max). Consider getting one of those Camelbak things for drinking water they're quite handy.

The altitude hit us (we spent 2 days in Cuzco beforehand) but it was usually just a headache or two. So nothing serious. All in all it's a brilliant trip and if you have the chance to do it you should. The hike makes the city worth it. Enjoy.
 
My wife did a 3 week trip to Peru 2 years ago culminating in Macchu Pichu with the Explore group.They found the altitude tough.Her friend got sick.They are both seasoned walkers and would often have gone on 4 to 6 hour walks here in Ireland as well as completing long stretches of the Camino walk in Spain. The cocoa leaves did nt help much either.As far as I remember you have to go with organized group as you need passes to be allowed to complete route.Trip was excellent ,good food,accomodation acceptable and even internet access available in all kinds of locations in cities.
 
you should definitely do it, as someone else said i found the hike better than arriving (it was absolutley lashing rain and foggy so saw feck all). i'm not fit at all and found it tough at times and i was also affected by the altitude, you should spend a good few days in cusco beforehand, as others have said it's a nice town to hang out in and there are plenty of things to do there (we did an interesting cycle trip for example).
do some hiking here beforehand and definitely break in a pair of hiking boots, do use the porters to carry your stuff and bring double the clothing you would normally have if it rains you'll be glad of spare dry clothing and if the porters are carrying it it's no bother to you. if you find yourself talking to the lamas/alpacas maybe go downhill for a little bit until you recover - do chew the coca leaves as it may help you with altitude sickness.
it really is a great trip.
 
Newby said:
Get some recommendations if you can - can't remember the guys we went with but our guide was called Hilbert and he was excellent. He told us that he had a qualification in the old Inca studies. Well, it impressed me anyway.
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We had the same guide!!! Hilbert was fantastic! The company he is with is called 'SAS'. We went with them and couldn't recommend them highly enough. We had a fantastic set-up each night, and fantastic food. They also pay their porters a better wage. From looking at other groups on the trail, SAS just seemed to use better equipment and be more professional.
 
Just checked to see if that was the name of the company, and noticed they have a handy guide to the tre (heights and steepness).

[broken link removed]
 
Thanks a million for all the suggestions. paddi, thanks for that link. There are so many companies out there & I believe not all are reputable. I'm going to be busy for the next few months & Mizen Head I'm sure the hills of Connemara are every bit as good as the Wicklow mountains ! One more question if I might. Is early May an ok time to go ? July & August is winter there I believe. Will it be freezing at night ? Actually it would be worse if it rained all day ! Is there a storage place you can leave your main luggage ?
 
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There is a shorter trek that you can do . It starts early with a very scenic train ride from Cuzco to km 104 of the trek (you avoid the highest part of the trek). You trek for the whole day, taking in most of the significant inca ruins and the wonderful scenery along the way. You then overnight in a hotel at Aguas Calientes, (have a soak in the hot springs here after your trek) Then before dawn the next morning you take a bus to Macchupicchu to watch the sunrise, spend a few hours, then take the train back from here to cuzco.
This is still demanding and you need a certain level of fitness for the one day trek.
This is a good trek if you are a bit stuck for time, or feel you may not be able for the full 4 day trek.
It has to be done with a guide, and as numbers have now been strictly limited, you need to book well in advance, at least three months.
I have done this trek and it was excellent. We used SAS who were professional and the guide we had was very knowledegable.
They provided lunch and snacks which wasn't great but it did the job.
You need at least two days to acclimatise in Cuzco before you do the trek. Dont drink much alcohol while you're here - believe me the hangover effects are greatly magnified by the altitude!
 
paddi22 said:
Just checked to see if that was the name of the company, and noticed they have a handy guide to the tre (heights and steepness).

[broken link removed]
Click to expand...

Yup that was them alright. Everyone on the trek had a good time (bar one girl who got sick) and the guide carried her for about half the trip. So I would recommend them too.
 
Hi,

I did the trail last summer and like other posters it was great. We did it with 4 others. It was hard but great craic. The second day was hard as we trked for 12-12 hours.

The food was brilliant on the trail, and the poters guide were great. we did it with http://www.peru-explorer.com/

This was the best value I could fine. I would defo recommned taking one small back pack adn then getting the porters to carry your change of clothers etc...

You will have to book soon as it books up quickly as they only let 500 per day start the the trail. I think. This inludes porters.
 
Hi Perplexed, like the other posters I would recommend highly that you do the trek - it is an amazing experience. The trek itself is breathtaking and the whole experience is made all the more special by being one of the first people of the day to arrive at the Macchu Picchu site. The altitude may be a problem so do give yourself a chance to get acclimatised to it, a couple of days is usually enough. Be careful of the sun also, at that altitude even in relatively low temperatures it can affect some people, as it did my wife. She can normally take the sun quite well but it seemed to have a pronounced impact here. Keep you're backpack light and buy a pair of thermal trousers when you are in Cuzco - they are a lifesaver on the cold nights of the trek. We too used SAS, the guides were excellent as was the food. Enjoy!
 
It's really encouraging getting all the advice & I've taken it all on board. Thanks so much to everybody.
I'm going to buy a pair of good walking boots & join a hillwalking club & hopefully when the time comes I'll be raring to go !
 
The inca trail is an unforgettable experience; I did it back in September 2006 and if you are reasonably fit, then you should have no problems. The thing that can make it quite difficult is the altitude and to be honest, even super fit people can be affected by it badly. The way to combat this is to spend at least 3-4 days at high altitude before the start of the trek so you will acclimitise, drink plenty of water, keep alcohol to a minimum (or better avoid it altogether) and most importantly of all pace yourself on the trail.

I went on a two week tour of Peru which included the Inca Trail/Macchu Picchu which started on the 7th day. On the 2nd day we at Lake Titicaca which is at 3800m which is comparable to the altitude of the Inca Trail. I remember, that we stayed on one of the islands, at 4000m, the local children challenged us to a football match which absolutely killed me due to the thin air; I was sick as a dog afterwards. So lesson learned, spend plenty of time at altitude before any signifant excercise. By the time I started the Inca Trail 4 days later I was well acclimatised.

If you join a tour (quite difficult to get permits to trek independantly); usually the cost includes the cost of porters carrying all your gear and tents/cooking facilities etc and all you carry is what you need for that day e.g. water, snacks, suncream, camera (a must).

Best times of the year is June to the end of the year as it is the dry season, though that didn't stop it raining when I was there in September and my tent being flooded out. Also it was quite disappointing on the last day to reach the "Sun Gate" overlooking Macchu Picchu (you get up 2 hours before dawn on the last day) and the whole area being covered with mist. It did clear up later and we enjoyed the ruins immensely but we didn't get to see the sunrise which is supposed to be spectacular.

I would agree with the other posters who said that the trail is a bigger highlight than Macchu Picchu but it is still a great reward when you get there. The scenary is stunning and there are loads of Inca ruins along the trail to explore.

I went with GAP; the tour was Peru Panorama (see link below) a 15 day tour which covered Lake Titicaca, Inca Trail/Macchu Picchu and the Amazon Jungle which is an all round great tour. You can also get other tours which would also include Colcyn Canyon and Nasza Lines which apparently are also well worth it if you have the extra time. You can also get tours which will visit Macchu Picchu without the Inca Trail but you are really just cheating yourself if you did this. There are also other trekking options like the shorter 2 day Inca Trail but again if you take the trouble to fly half way around the globe you should go the whole hog. Oh if you are really adventurous, there is a 15 day trek which incorporates the Inca Trail over the snow capped Andes but you have to be more technically experienced for this as the use of crampons etc is requird

I am a bit on the chubby side myself and don't exactly do loads of exercise (although I did plenty of walking (not mountains) ahead of the trip) and I managed it; so it really is more of a case of "mind over matter". The guides allow you plenty of time and keep the pace slow so there is nothing really to worry about, but I will stress again ensure that you join a tour which will allow you plenty of time to acclimatise ahead of the Inca Trail.
 
We meet teens of 16+ on the trail who loved doing it. I wouldn't imagine bringing children would be a good idea.

Unless they are WELL used to hiking have done numerous hikes (especially high altitude ones); they would find it very difficult. It is a very LONG hike and can be hard going. There are thousands of steps and these would be dangerous to a child, especially if the child is tired or the weather is bad.

Also there is no way of going back if you find the child can't handle it after a while; they would need to be airlifted. I think it would be too much for a child.
 
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