I like!

I am vertically challenged as well!

Looking forward to reading more, colduphere.

STW - one good trip report deserves another.

Although we live in Ottawa, we decided to fly Montreal-Houston-Lima. This appeared to be a straighter line than flying some of the other routes to Peru. And it meant travelling through only one bad weather airport (Montreal) - a key consideration for Northerners in winter.

We flew out of Montreal on Christmas morning. Since our parents are gone, being at home for Xmas seems somewhat less urgent than it once was. Having now returned from the trip I am uncertain if this was a good decision. Being home with growing children at Xmas is a very special time. Being in a motel on Christmas Eve, even if on the way to Peru, was a bit of a downer. Oh well, people have bigger problems …

The woman sitting beside me on the Houston-Lima flight was a Peruvian now living in Vancouver. She, like many others, talked about the dangers of Lima taxis. She was so concerned she insisted on going with us to the Green taxi stand at the Lima airport to ensure we found our previously reserved taxi. Some diplomatic friends of ours had emphasised the need to reserve a taxi in advance at the airport. I will talk more about Lima taxis later.

Taxi found, we were on our way to the Peru Star hotel in San Isidro. This hotel gets good reviews on Trip Advisor. It was now after 1am and the taxi driver had trouble finding the hotel. One problem was that there was no hotel sign. Only a number on a wall. At this point the thought of the driver leaving us in the dark was a bit unnerving. I have to admit we had read an awful lot about the dangers of Lima. But he stayed with us until we found a buzzer to press, after which we were let in through the locked door.

I asked one of the hotel owners about the lack of a sign. He said it was for both security reasons and a zoning issue. It was a great little place to stay, sign or no sign. The people there answered all of our questions patiently. The room was large. The neighbourhood was okay.

The highlight of our one day in Lima was a visit to the Church of San Francisco in Lima’s Centro Historico. Our guide was explaining the 17th century painting on the ceiling of one room. The painting contained a map of South America. The 12 year old asked whether anyone knew the shape of South America in the 1600s. The guide replied that that part of the painting was completed a month ago. We’re still wondering about that one.

The morning of the 27th we headed back to Lima airport for the plane trip to Cuzco. The TACA plane looked very new. An hour and a bit later we landed on what appeared to be a downtown street. Welcome to Cuzco, and its 11000 feet of elevation.

We had started taking 125 mg of Diamox the day before arriving in Cuzco. Overall none of us had serious altitude issues until we hit Puno (by which time we had thought we would have been fully acclimatized).

Enjoying your report. Looking forward to future installments.

Hi, Cold - great start. Your description about being afraid to go down stadium stairs when you were a kid made me think of my daughter. She cried at Ollanta because she was terrified to go back down the long staircase...

Keep it coming!

Thanks for reading Jackie and Althom.

I hope I mentioned that this trip was focussed on completing the Inca Trail. As that is the only way we can justify not spending any time in the Sacred Valley. Well maybe we did, I am still not sure if Pisac is considered part of the SV. It didn't look like a valley to me.

We had four days to acclimatize and have some fun in Cuzco. Four days pass quickly. The day of arrival you are not supposed to do much. So that is what we did. The big challenge the first day was getting money from a bank machine - a Canadian bank machine no less. The bank of Nova Scotia seems to be everywhere in Peru. But it didn't like our bank cards issued by a competing Canadian bank. So it refused to give us money. That is taking domestic competition to new heights. Oh and the other challenge was climbing the steps to our hotel.

While we were in Cuzco Sasark was posting her trip report here about being in Cuzco and staying in the same hotel we were staying in - la Piccola Locanda. While most people like the place, everyone talks about the climb up the steps to get to the hotel/hostel. Sasark noted that the steps influenced her activity - did she really want to climb those steps one more time?

I must say that I was initially dubious that steps to a hotel could be that daunting, particularly for folks planning on doing the Inca Trail. I mean if you can't climb a few steps, how can you climb 4500 feet in a day? Well we learned not to be dubious. From the main square there was a narrow road of perhaps 300 meters that was uphill but nothing too difficult. Then a right turn up 8-10 steep steps. And then a left with about 100 very steep steps to the hotel. Walk 20 steps. Rest. 20 more steps. More rest. This was not an encouraging process for a group about to do 45 kilometres of hilly hiking.

The highlight of the four days in Cuzco was a rafting trip on the Upper Urubamba river. Six of the nine of us went with a company called Amazonas Explorer. Their reviews were good and they emphasized safety. It was a lengthy drive south out of Cuzco along the same route that the Andean Explorer train and the Inca Express bus take to Puno. And from the road the river looked to be pretty tame.

Once we got in the river it wasn't tame. On a five point rating system we probably didn't get past 3.5 class rapids. But the turbulence was constant. At times we were paddling through air as the raft got tossed out of the water. The guide suggested we switch positions after awhile so the 12 and 16 year olds took up new positions at the front of the raft. I think in Canada having a 12 year old in the front of the raft would be a rare event. But both boys had an absolute blast. The water never stopped roaring up and over the middle of the raft. At times we couldn't see a thing.

There was one little event right at the end of the trip that was a touch scary. We have been on trips in Canada where the guide invites the rafters to jump into the river and float downstream. Usually you float to shore and that's that. In this case the three kids and I jumped into the river and were happily floating along. Then the guide starting yelling at us to climb back into the raft. That was a surprise. Was there another set of rapids coming up? A dam? Peruvian piranhas? It turns out there was nothing except that the water was getting a bit shallow and we were passing our lunch spot. But there was definitely a moment of concern. I mentioned to the guide afterwards that next time he might want to tell people that he would be asking them to jump out of the boat and then back into it.

I shouldn't suggest that the 12 year old was concerned. The kayaker told DS2 to hold the front of the kayak as he rolled the kayak. So the 12 year old rolled with the kayak. I am glad my wife wasn't there to see that.

Really enjoying this -- especially because it will enable me to pass on the Inca Trail due to my own, well known fear of heights (I slid down the steps of El Castillo on my tail) rather than my shameful hatred of exertion.

Really enjoying your report cold - we came down on our bums for part of the Pisac ruins so know how you feel!

A very adventurous family. I was there in late Sept. Having read ncountry's trip report, I really wanted to go rafting, but it was too cold to even think about. What was the weather like for rafting?

I've read that Peruvian piranhas really crave Canadians.

I can't wait to read more...I know that I'm not made for a trip like this so I will have to live vicariously through this report.

I did chuckle when I read about your son. I have one of those types, my oldest -- he grew up playing it safe and now is making up for lost time. The youngest however...I'll never forget the time he decided to climb the rail-less stairs of some church ruin in Portugal. He made it to the top and stood proud but then he needed to climb down. He made it two steps and then proceeded to sit on his bum for the rest of the descent...yup, he's his mother's son, lol.

There were a few ass slides on this trip. I only performed them when I was certain no one was taking my picture. Jackie the weather was about 70 degrees and overcast. The water was cold but tolerable.

One of the ways we like to travel is to not reserve too many things in advance. This drove one of our friends around the bend. He wanted to reserve everything five months ago. But that is just not our style. And we had five of nine votes.

We woke up the morning of December 29 and decided that we had better take a tour to Pisac. But how? As it has worked almost everywhere we have been, we asked the front desk if they knew of anyone who could drive us to Pisac and a few other places. Sure enough they did. Good driver and about $8 a person for the day.

I now agree with those who suggest seeing other ruins before Machu Picchu. They might seem less than spectacular after seeing MP. Having said this, Pisac was impressive. Not just the ruins themselves but the views. What a pretty area. We also went to the Pisac market. I found it hard to negotiate as the prices seem so low to start with. We prefer to negotiate at Chinese markets. You know they’re ripping you off. How can you tell a sweet Peruvian girl that you won’t pay $5 for that beautiful Cuzco ski hat?

Speaking of hats, although we were there in rainy season, we probably experienced only about 8 hours of rain over 15 days. There was usually the threat of rain, but not much fell. The risk of sunburn was greater than the risk of getting wet.

After one day of rest, one day of rafting and one day of touring, it was December 30th - the day of our pre-hike meeting at Llama Path, our trekking company. Llama Path is very highly rated on Trip Advisor. People rave about the guides, the food, the treatment of the porters. When we first reserved our spots back in July, Llama Path told us that with nine hikers, we could have our own private tour. But that was never really an option for us. We wanted other hikers to be with us. We wanted to meet new people and exchange stories around the dinner table. And have someone to walk with if we were really tired.

So when we showed up for our pre-hike meeting, we were happy to see that five people were joining us. All late 20s/early 30s males. Two from Belgium, two from Ireland and one from the US. We really hit the jackpot with these guys. All turned out to be nice, interesting and fun to be with. It would have been nice to have even more people join us although there is a limit of 16 people per group.

We also met our lead guide – Raul. I think Raul is a bit of a legend on the trail. He has completed about 640 trips. He has a great ability to be the leader while accepting that the hikers are paying the bill. He was in charge but he did his best to ensure that we were happy. And that is not easy when you have such a variety of hiking abilities, interests and dispositions. We also had an assistant guide named Marcelito (I am not sure of the spelling). Marcelito was soft spoken and gentle. He turned out to be a godsend to my wife as I will explain later.

Raul explained to us that the trail authorities had assigned us camping spots 1B and 2B. That meant we would hike further in the first two days that we had thought, whereas the last two days would be pretty simple. Instead of just day 2 being really difficult, both days 1 and 2 would be difficult. He gave us our sacks to fill with about ten pounds of our personal belongings for the porters to carry. We were told to meet in the square outside the office the next morning at 4:30 am. If we weren’t there by 4:35 the bus would leave without us.

After five months of anticipation and training, the Inca Trail was upon us.

Can't wait!

I am loving this. Yay, Peru! I don't have a problem with heights, but I was seriously respecting that the Incan messengers ran along the trail. (I only did the bit of it out of MP to the Sun Temple, I think it was; I'll claim respiratory issues rather than laziness.)

Hi Cold! Welcome back.

I am also not fond of heights. (But am working on it and doing better.)

I admire you for coordinating such an ambitious trip and for setting aside the heights issue.

Will be looking forward to hearing more.

Your family sounds fun.

gruezi

I'm enjoying this report. We were in Peru in October but did not do the trail - I'll admit that besides my husband's fear of heights, we knew we were'nt fit enough to hike the trail. Still we found the train ride lovely and Machu Picchu amazing. I also found the altitude manageable in Cuzco but had trouble in Puno.

BTW we lived in Ottawa for 5 yrs. Great city!

Amy - the porters running along the trail were the most amazing thing to all of us, as I will detail later.

Hi Baladeuse. I am glad to hear it wasn't just us who were fine in Cuzco but not so fine in Puno.

Gruezi - there is still time for you to do the hike as well.

New Year's Eve 2011 - We awoke at 3:45. Belongings were sorted into three piles. Things we would need along the trail like suntan lotion, water, jacket etc. Things the porters would carry for us ... mostly extra clothes. And things we were not bringing on the trail at all and would be left at the hotel, mostly clothes.

We left the hotel at 4:10 am as a group of seven as two of our friends were staying in a different hotel. Seven hikers walking by hundreds of late night partygoers still drinking it up outside Cuzco bars. What a contrast - hikers versus drinkers and lovers. Just for a second I wished I was a part of their group.

We arrived at the square at 4:20 followed shortly thereafter by the Llama Path bus. The Belgiums were there and ready to go. The Irish showed up at 4:30. I don't think they had gone to bed. At 4:35 with the bus about to leave, our American - Charles - came running up to the bus and climbed aboard, out of breath and with no time to spare.

Two hours later we were in Ollantaytambo for a rather overpriced breakfast and a final chance to purchase supplies. I bought a funny looking hat as did my wife. At the store we ran into another Canadian group. One of their members was complaining of a sore knee. Imagine. Months of planning and two tough days ahead and you have a sore knee. We found out later that most of this group turned back after day 1. In fact after we completed the trail and were meeting in a restaurant for a final celebration, the four members of this other group that did complete the trek came in and sat down beside us. We whispered to each other to keep our own celebrations down. They looked pretty bummed out.

After our breakfast and last minute shopping, it was back on the bus for the last short ride to kilometre 82, the starting point of the trail. Except the bus never got there. The road was about as wide as my rear end. We came upon a truck parked on the road with no driver in sight. After much discussion our bus backed up and then drove down a steep embankment into a farmer's field. That is where we made our last minute preparations and then strode off down the road to the start line.

There is a government building at kilometre 82 where everyone must check in. In particular you must show a passport that matches the name of the permit that Llama Path had purchased on your behalf months before. We had been repeatedly warned that any little deviation and the park officials would not allow us on the trail. Well we all passed but unfortunately the registration of Charles our American friend was seemingly lost. Raul our guide took over and negotiated Charles' entrance (I am sure all the guides and the park officials know each other. Perhaps a few soles changed hands.)

With that we crossed the bridge over the Urubamba river and started up the trail, followed closely by three horses and a donkey belonging to the locals. The first 100 feet of the trail was up a steep hill. Raul had told us the first two hours would be flat. I kiddingly asked him about this. He said "My friend, in the Andes, flat means hilly."

The weather was perfect. But as the trail became hillier it was clear my wife was having trouble with the up hills. Many people she had spoken to before the trip had told her that it was essential to go at her own pace, which meant slowly. At first I thought she was taking this to an extreme. But it soon became clear that she was really struggling with the hills. She would fly downhill and on level terrain, but every step up was a struggle. This would go on for four days.

Meanwhile DS1 was vomiting on the side of the trail. This continued all day. The guides recommended that we not wait and give him the Cipro right away. We did and by day 2 he was better. But while time condenses memories, the sad fact is that he hiked eight hours up 2000 feet while vomiting every hour or so. It was a very tough day.

Meanwhile DD was up near the front. From there she could spot DS2 who was leading the entire group. Everyone was talking about what a great hiker he was. But by day 2 he was also sick. In fact it was a reality of our hike that with different people being sick at different times, with my wife struggling up the hills and with cliffs scattered here and there, it was only so often that we could relax, look around and stare in amazement at how beautiful the Inca Trail is.

I can see this is going to be an extremely entertaining report.

I do sympathize with all of you other "ass sliders", being myself.

I was a little concerned when I read about voluntarily jumping into the Urubamba, when I visited I met some folks who had been involuntarily dumped and were as a result on a course of Cipro. I wonder if this was the cause of the illness of some in your party, cold?

Hi Mlgb - yes that is a good thought. In fact with nine people going different places and suffering different illnesses, we performed our own back of the napkin regression analysis one evening. One of the thoughts was that it was the lunch we had during the rafting as some people got sick who went rafting but did not jump in the water (although they still got wet).

I'm really enjoying your trip report, Cold. So sad about your family getting sick. I've experienced similar on much lower elevations (8,000 ft) and it's no fun.

I have a question- generally speaking, are the Peruvians in that area in good physical shape? I'm thinking they must be just by virtue of living in a place that requires of a lot of climbing- stairs, hills, etc.

Oh boy. Sorry to hear there was vomiting and cipro involved. Getting sick while traveling definitely stinks. But you sure sound like a hardy bunch. I'm picturing your son vomiting, drinking a bit of gatorade, and continuing on...

Hmm, perhaps any agency that would suggest you jump in the river may not be too hygiene=conscious with their lunch service?

Mlgb - a lot of rafting companies tell you to jump in the river. It was the "jump back in the raft" that caught us by surprise. It is hard to jump when your rafting suit is filled with 50 pounds of water.

Boots - we talked to the guides a lot about why there were not more world class Peruvian runners, a la Kenya, Ethiopia etc. Some of the porters and guides and many young people were extraordinarily fit.

On the other hand, two observations we made in other parts of Peru - there were very few female drivers (we saw one in 15 days) and much of the population seemed to be overweight. I have since found that the obesity rate in Peru is about half that of the US. It semed much "larger" than that in Lima.

Cold,
Did your wife recover okay?

Fantastic report, Cold! I am enjoying it immensely. Also an ass slider!

I am just finding your trip report after I was alerted to it today, cold. I am loving all the details; this was so adventurous of you considering your fear of heights in particular. The Inca trail just seemed so arduous to me that I didn't do it.

The rafting is a blast, isn't it?!! I am so glad you got to experience it. They told me that it was class 4 and 4+ the day I did it but your description sounds just the same. Better than any roller coaster, imo.

Can't wait to follow along for the rest of your adventures...

Cmc - Maybe we should have an ass slider GTG. We could start at the top of the Eiffel Tower. IBT - She's fine. Until she reads this report.

NCounty I have read a lot of people say that seeing Machu Picchu is more rewarding if you have hiked there. I am not sure. We were so focussed on hiking that after four days I would have gladly hiked right by MP if anyone had suggested it. By then we were explorers, not tourists. That would make a nice t-shirt.

I'm in.

The Inca Trail starts at 8,923 feet above sea level. Day 1 ended at the Ayapata campsite which is at 10,829 feet. Allowing for the downhill sections we probably climbed about 2600 feet that day. That is not that big a climb at sea level but is a challenge at altitude.

When we arrived at camp the porters had everything set up. Tents were ready, popcorn was being served and even beer was available as some entrepreneurial locals had hiked over with a few cold ones. The weather was perfect. Looking back down the mountain was encouraging. We had climbed a long way.

Our guides introduced our porters, who were invited to say a few words in Quechua. Most seemed painfully shy which is understandable. They then handed out the dumbest looking yellow clown hats for us to wear. Apparently this was in celebration of New Years. Looking at the pictures now we really do look like dorks.

I had probably read about 150 Inca Trail trip reports on the web. Many people mentioned that they ate very little during the hike. That had seemed strange to me given the level of exertion. But whatdoyaknow – dinner was served and I didn’t want to eat. Conversely, DS1 felt better and joined the others in the eating tent. For 15 minutes. He then rushed out and vomited again. He and I were both in bed by 7pm.

Our two guides, taking note of my wife’s slow pace, suggested that we start out early the next day, as in about 5:30am. In the trip reports I had read this was standard practice. Send the slower hikers out early in an attempt to keep the entire group within an hour or two of each other. And day 2 was to be the hardest day. It started with a climb of 3000 feet followed by a sharp descent and then another climb of 1500 feet. It did not take any convincing for us to agree to the plan.

One bit of good news was that the temperature that night did not fall below about 40 degrees. Sleeping at freezing or below can be difficult and we had been warned to expect near freezing temperatures. In fact it was a rather nice night for a snooze. And so many stars in arrangements us northerners had never seen.

The other bit of good news was that none of felt the need to use the squat toilets. Over the course of the hike it turned out that any day we did not use a squat toilet was a good day for everyone else in the group as well.

Gosh, this is quite a revelation. You really do write very nice paragraphs. Just the right length. And interesting too. Good to stop at the squat toilet. But not for long.

Wow, cold.... around 40 degrees? You are a hardy soul.

all those years of curling probably prepared you well.

Any chance we will get to see the photos of the gang in their yellow hats?

SM - you know I hate writing anything longer than 4 words. This is torture. Ncounty I hope I don't think of squat toilets the next time I throw a curling rock. That would ruin the ice.

In case it’s not coming across we really were having a good time. For an outdoors person hiking the Inca Trail is like an artist visiting the Louvre or a Catholic visiting the Vatican. It’s just that we were vomiting in the Sistine Chapel and in front of the Mona Lisa. No big deal.

Day 2 was my focal point of the trip. I had watched a hundred YouTube videos of people reaching Dead Woman’s Pass (13,779). It was to be our “summit of Everest” moment. The surprising news in the morning was that DS2 would set out early with Mom and Dad. He wasn’t feeling well. So after a very quick breakfast at 5:15 the three of set out with Marcelito, our assistant guide. There was really no need for Marcelito to come with us as it would be hard to get lost. But there is a calmness and supportiveness about the guides. They have the ability to help people through tough moments. And no one wants to let their guide down.

The first 1500 feet up was through a very pretty forest, much of it following a cascading creek. Very beautiful. On the other hand when you see water rushing down at you you know it is coming from somewhere higher than you. Much higher. The trail was a series of steep switchbacks. We would come to a switchback and turn hoping to see a level path for awhile. Didn’t happen. More steps and more steps and more steps. Some of them with a good 12-18 inch rise.

Twice DS2 told Marcelito that he had to have a bowel movement. Twice Marcelito told him he would find him a good spot. We were not sure what constituted a good spot. It was just nice to be able to stop for a second and rest. And crapping in the woods was not an issue as the trail itself was littered with Llama crap.

Finally after a couple of hours we came to LLulluchapampa, another of the camping spots and a very beautiful area. I am going from memory here but this seemed to mark the trail’s transition from forest to open mountain. I am not sure we were above the tree line but if there were trees I don’t recall them. By now the other members of the group had caught up to us. We all took a few minutes to rest, play with the llamas and gaze up the remaining 1300 feet at our target - Dead Woman’s Pass.

Once again my wife and I left our resting spot a bit earlier than the others. It was only a matter of minutes before the Belgiums passed us and then the Irish. The Belgiums were both smokers but incredible climbers. The Irish had not acclimatized at all, but they were relentless climbers as well. And DS2, after his forest bowel movements, was feeling better. So he took off with the leaders.

I should have mentioned that during day 1 I had taken most of the contents of my wife’s daypack and put them in mine. That included two large plastic bags of medications that must have weighed 8-9 pounds. And the guides both offered to carry her remaining daypack much of day 2. Those guys are heroes. They didn’t ask. They would often just pick up her pack and swing it over their shoulders. It helped her a lot.

The one difference with the remaining climb up to the pass was that aside from the Belgiums/Irish and our two sons, no one rushed by us. This was a steep climb, with hikers from our group and other groups all around us. It probably took another two hours to get to the top. Step, step, step … all with the pass clearly visible the entire time.

So let me emphasize again that while it may not sound like it we were having a good time. It’s just that if there was a disappointing moment to the hike, reaching the pass was it. I had hoped to get a picture of the family at the top. But the weather had turned cold and rainy. Raul had told the faster hikers not to wait at the top for the rest of us as they would freeze. So by the time we got there our three kids were gone (DD was just a few steps ahead of us). It was miserable weather. And I wasn’t sure my wife could complete the trip. So the supposed highlight moment of the trip wasn’t a cheery moment. Having said this, we could still look around and be amazed at what we saw. It may not have been Everest but it sure felt like it.

Here's a 20 second video of what the pass looks like (not us):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iksPPJuHtr4

CMC - they have been destroyed.

In case I forget to mention it later, our guide Raul said at one point "adventure travel isn't for everyone". While it was an obvious point, it really clicked with us. This was adventure travel. It wasn't supposed to be easy. Feeling queasy and tired was part of the plan. The plan was working.

After reading about all of the vomiting I thought, "They are so lucky that no one had the trots!". Oh well!!

With all of the loss of fluids and exertion, how did you manage to stay hydrated?

And cold, is your wife still talking to you?

STW - one litre bottles of water in our daypacks replenished every four hours or so by the porters. And the odd gatorade. Having said this on Day 1 DS1 drank his and my water forcing us to go dry for awhile.

I heard my wife telling someone yesterday ... it's not like you're out there thinking this is terrible. You're thinking this is amazing. You just feel shittty when you're thinking it.

Your report makes me feel like I am right there on the trail with you. I came back regretting not doing it; now I realize I made the right decision. I feel for your wife and am in suspense for the rest of the story.

When are you going to get to the cycling accident?

wow!

I am left with my imagination.......

Great reading. But I just crossed this off of my bucket list!

I would continue the story but FYB's comment hurts quite a bit. More than the mountain bike fall. She was hoping I would get hurt, far far away from Canada's excellent socialized health care system.

I may be able to continue tonight while watching curling on the tele. We noticed that curling was not big in Peru.

Cold,

Just found your trip report and am very much enjoying it. It is reminding me of my own trip to MP many years ago, and it remains one of the most awesome and inspiring trips I've ever done. The sights and sites are literally breathtaking... in so many ways ! I however took the train on the way up and hiked the way down, which wasn't any easier by the sounds of it.

Totally agree about the misgivings of not spending Christmas at home (we did it 3 years ago going to the DR and thinking how nice it would be to avoid the hustle and bustle, but later vowed not to again); I loved Pisac and the market but had my anorak and camera stolen from around my waist there while balancing a large bird of prey (not sure if it could have been a condor) on my arm; I also agree that bargaining seems like a crime when the prices are already so low. I have 2 nice Alpaca sweaters that I still use today and paid $8 for each.

Sorry to hear of all the throwing up and squatting down, but hey, its common on that trail. And Canadian bears never venture into the woods without a roll of Charmin'....

Looking forward to the rest of your trip report.

I wasn't hoping you'd get hurt. I was hoping you'd get stuck on the roof.

What a trouper your son is!! I am cheering him on.

I loved the video. I hope I don't have to put this trip on my list. I'm not sure I have it in me but it sure looks/sounds amazing.

wow is right!

cold's perilous peruvian adventure! I can't wait till you get to Machu picchu, and rafting, and Puno.

Mathieu - thanks to my wife I think we had 30 rolls of Charmin. We came home with 27. Gruezi we didn't see much of the boys after 1.5 days. They were too far ahead. Ncounty - the rafting trip is reported on above somewhere. The mountain biking was after.

So in 30 hours we had climbed 5000 feet. Over the next two days we would descend 6000 feet. The descent started in a pretty good rainstorm and cold temperatures. Raul was helping my wife just ahead of me but it became apparent she didn’t need any help. She was flying downhill. Our target was Chaquicocha, 1900 feet below. This was a campsite that many groups stayed overnight at. We were only having lunch there and would continue on much further before we stopped for the day.

You notice the porters going uphill, but you really notice them going downhill. They are carrying about 50 pounds each. They are small people to begin with. They were moving at about twice our pace, basically running down the steps. The steps are not wide, something that caused me a lot of problems with my size 15 hiking shoes. But the narrow steps were not an issue for the porters who did not even appear to be looking at the ground. They would leave each campground and lunch spot after us, pass us on the trail and get to the next spot in plenty of time to set up the tents and make the meal. We did see a few porters, not with our company, who looked like they were past their best days. It was very sad to see these men stopping every few hundred yards, unloading their packs and taking a break. Porter welfare is a very big issue on the Inca Trail.

You are aware of how far you are going up on the way up, but you really appreciate how far you have ascended when you go back down. The 1900 feet down took forever. It was laughable how the steps never ended. Okay it wasn’t laughable for one of our friends who took two nasty falls on the way down. She could have been seriously hurt. After seemingly descending forever, we spotted our lunch camp, and it was still way the hect further down in the valley. Another 45 minutes of descent.

Finally we arrived at Pacamayo for lunch. We had been hiking for about seven hours. We arrived to an argument. A Spanish fellow had left his group far behind and had now arrived well before his porters and therefore his tent and his lunch. He was asking to sit in our lunch tent. Our guides were saying no. This was not going over well with the Spanish jackrabbit, who started yelling at all of us. One good thing about being really tired is that we couldn’t care less about this guy. Yell, scream, whatever. Soup please.

Although my wife had put in a strong performance coming down the hill, we still thought we should leave early for the afternoon hike up to the second pass. Yes back up. I used to do a sport called orienteering where you find your way through the woods and around lakes using a map and a compass. The number one rule of orienteering is to avoid losing altitude. Don’t go down and back up if you can stay level even if the route is longer. Apparently the Incas didn’t orienteer. We had just come down 1900 feet and now we had to climb 1400 feet back up. And to me this was the steepest section of the trail.
From our lunch spot it took about an hour to climb up to the ruins of Runkuracay. While others heard about the ruins my wife and I sat on a rock and looked at the Pacamayo valley below. Another 60 minute hike brought us to the second pass (13,100 feet). Going up this last section was hard on the entire over 50 group. One of our friends was crying. But the rain had stopped and the scenery was gorgeous. We sat at the pass with a large group from northern Canada. We joked that next vacation we would just stay home and paddle the Nahanni river.

By now the really hard part was behind us. We had hiked about 28 kilometres and most of the climbing was finished. The descent down the steps from the second pass was very steep. Our friend who had fallen was near exhaustion. The good news was that this section of the trail, up to the 3rd pass, is particularly beautiful. After about 90 minutes we arrived at Sayacmarca, a ruin accessible only by a steep staircase. A steep staircase with a drop off on one side and a couple of rock outcroppings on the other side. These rocks pushed you over to the drop off side. Going up wasn’t a big problem. But our guide had to help all three women down the staircase. Two of the men, including me, chose to go down on our asses. We have our pride.

don't forget...

Pride goeth before a fall...

I think that's how the saying, "God gave you a brain, use it" came about. I think. You used your brain, coldie...very proud of you.

omg.... 1900 feet down, then back UP 1400?!!! aaargh. This reminds me of my climb up the mountain at Machu Picchu which I later you-tubed and found someone describe it as "excruciating". It seemed like every hour someone coming down would say it's only another 20 minutes more. Except my experience only lasted 5 hours; you did this for 4 days.

I did read about your rafting adventure up earlier, Cold. I think subliminally, I repressed it because I wanted to hear more.

IF your fear of heights is so much, it is difficult for you to casually walk down stadium steps. I have two words of advice:

Don't Go!

The inca trail is nothing but steep very steep/narrow slopes. You will be miserable, and worse could loose your balance and your worse fears come true.

This is not worth the money or the time. Go to a flat, ample destination like a beach instead. Your brain will feel more like a vacation than a torture.

LoL!

He went.
He returned
He survived.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

To Emasaly’s point, if I was still climbing down stadiums row by row, I would have not attempted the Inca Trail. But there are lots of people out there who have mild aversions to heights. I found it difficult to find a good description of how us vertically challenged (VC) would find the trail. I was going to address it later but here it is. And this is my experience only. Other VCs might see it differently.

If you don’t like steep steps forget it. There are thousands of those. The challenge for many of us is a sharp drop-off to one side. I noticed on day 1 that there were many such drop-offs ranging from 10 feet to god knows where you would stop rolling. In the majority of these cases the trail was 5 feet or so wide. So most of us VCs could edge over to the mountain side of the trail and feel only slightly uncomfortable. In some cases the drop off appeared even more severe but there was a foot or two of vegetation before the drop off. It is amazing how a bit of vegetation looks like a railing to the brain. Not only would you have to stumble, but you would have to penetrate a foot of grass before tumbling towards your death. “The grass will stop me. I feel safe.” LOL

Starting on day 3 there were some rock paths (not many dirt paths as found on days 1 and 2) that were wet and slippery. They were also about five feet wide but there was no vegetation serving as a visual barrier. The drop-offs in these cases ranged from 10 feet to 100 feet with continuing steep slopes after that. Our guide said that this is where he had heard of a couple of accidents. Not only do you have to worry about slippery surfaces, you also have to worry about people passing you. While everyone is told to stick to the mountain side when someone passes, rather than the drop-off side, it is still unnerving in a perceived dangerous situation to have someone pass you. In fact I heard a couple of people get snapped at for passing in the wrong place.

The other type of place where a VC person might be nervous is where you are climbing up or down a short but very steep staircase without a drop off on other side. On day 4 the last set of stairs to the “Sun Gate” is almost vertical. If you keep looking up you probably won’t have a problem. I don’t know about looking back down as I didn’t try it.

Now on the bright side, you get so used to focusing on your next step (where to put your foot, where to find the energy) that it becomes rather rhythmic. Yes there is a cliff there. But I will just put my foot down over here for the 40,000,000th time today. Ladiddah. If I fall, I fall. I’ll feel better than I do now. If someone had told me I would enter such a zen-like zone and that cliffs wouldn’t bother me, I wouldn’t have believed them. But with perhaps ten exceptions that is what happened. And the ten exceptions all happened on days 3 and 4. In fact we often commented that if there was just one of the drop-offs we experienced somewhere in our own city, there would be an outcry to but a barrier up. When there are a hundred such cliffs, you more or less get used to them. Oh by the way, there were places where small barriers had been put up to prevent falling. We laughed thinking about how they chose where to put them. “Okay boys we have ten barriers and 100 places we could put them. Let’s flip.”

So can a person with a mild aversion to heights do the trail? I would say yes unless it is staircases they don’t like. I would also add that I had more problems watching our own guide zip along the edge of paths, or standing with his back to cliffs while he was explaining something to me, than I did with my own fears. A couple of times I asked him to step away from the edge. He had two responses. 1) This is my 641st trip. I am still here. 2) The Inca Gods will protect me.

Wow, what a spectacular and gripping description of the, ahem, ordeal. I can just imagine it. My climb was very similar, with slick wet steep rocks to climb, including rappeling up with a rope at one point.... but again, mine was 5 hours. This must be a very memorable trip with true highs and lows.

Ncounty - our guide told us that MP mountain was much tougher to climb that Huayna Picchu. Here are some pictures of what you climbed. The fifth picture shows what would bug me, especially without the vegetation.


http://wonderaday.com/blog/4007/

great story and pictures. Adventure travel makes for fun reading. Mas!

and the 12th picture, too.

Great find, cold! That looks exactly like the day I climbed. I almost expected to see a picture of myself at the end taken by the French couple I met at the top (thought it could have been their blog); they took a pic of me since my camera just died at the very top. It was amazing to be looking down at Huaynu picchu and other mountaintops and clouds.

Looking forward to the rest of your TR... mas, as santamonica said!

We had arrived at Sayacmarca after about 10-11 hours on the trail on day 2. From there we could see our day 2 camping spot which our guide was claiming was at the same elevation as where we were currently sitting. It sure didn’t look that way. It looked like it was at least 200 feet above us and no one was in the mood for more climbing. We were suspicious because the guides were not above fudging the numbers to keep us motivated. So when he said the walk would be flat we didn’t believe him. And we told him that. It turns out he was telling the truth. Score one for him.

But he also told us it would only take five minutes to reach the camp. We all wandered down from the ruins in singles or small groups. It took us at least 15 minutes to get to the camp. One of our friends walked for ten minutes or so. Not finding the campsite, and with darkness approaching, she panicked a bit. She turned around and raced back down the trail, only to run right into Raul. “Where are you going?” he asked. “Oh” she said “I thought maybe I was going the wrong way.” This sounded funny to our guide as there are only two ways on the Inca Trail. This way and that way. Mind you it sounded funny to our friend that our guide didn’t appreciate how getting lost in the dark in the Andes with all of those Inca spirits floating around might spook someone.

Safely at camp everyone had the same idea. Toilet time. This would be my first visit to a squat toilet since Beijing in 2008. There were two toilets for probably 50 men (more than one group used the campsite). So by the time I entered the area was a bit grungy, though not as bad as I had read it would be. I’ll try not to give too much detail but then again, comparing squat toilet stories was the highlight of the post-hike celebration party. It goes without saying that I missed the target. But what I also missed was the string you could pull to release a torrent of water that would clean up most of the mess. As I didn’t see it I didn’t pull it. So when I left the stall the porter entering after me gave the Quechua equivalent of WTF? Later I would find that pretty funny. I thought the locals would soil my toilet. Here I was ruining theirs.

Skipping ahead to the third day, I had hoped my toilet use on day 2 would carry me over to the end of the trail. No such luck. As soon as we arrived in camp on day 3, a touch of diarrhea hit. I raced to the toilet. Missed the target again. But at least I understood the sprinkler system by now. So I pulled the string. But the stream of water was missing the target. So I tried to use my foot to redirect the water to where it would do most good. Complete failure. I raced out of the toilet, wet foot at all, so at least no one would be able to identify me as the culprit.

The mood at day 3 dinner was a mix of festive – the tough part was behind us – and fatigue. We had walked for 12 hours. We had another great dinner combining meat, rice, salad, tea and other foods. As usual our guide gave us the briefing for the next day. We only had 15 kilometres to go. We were at 11, 800 feet, 4000 feet above Machu Picchu. Day 3 would be 10k and the final day 5k. We would stop at more ruins and spend a little more time at each. It felt like the hiking part of the trail was almost over and the educational/spiritual part was beginning. We would be ending the trail feeling more refreshed than if the tough days were at the end. Although for the guides it doesn’t sound as if there are any tough days. Someone got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. They ran into the guides watching a movie on some small portable device. That would have been about 3 hours before it was time to get up.

The Inca Trail truly is a magical experience. But as a person in the marketing business I have to say someone has done a brilliant job of designing and packaging the hike. The flow, the messaging, the visuals. As one example to be discussed later, getting up at 3:30am on the final day seems to me to be an attempt to pay the porters one less day and to let them get back to kilometre 82 to start another hike. To us it is explained as a way to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu at the Sungate. In fact many people cry at the Sungate when the clouds shroud MP. Personally, I say pay the porters another day and let us sleep in.

Wow, loving your report. I've only seen you in the lounge, where you're one of my favorite posters (ok, my favorite, but don't let it go to your cold head). But here, in this trip report, you've taken it up a notch... or a few steps anyway (and really... what are a few steps, right?).

Can't wait for the rest and am also looking forward to the Puno portion. I took my daughter to MP (and Puno where we did an overnight home stay on one of the islands) several years ago. She wished we'd hiked the MP trail, but she would have been terrified. I sent her your story about how you used to have to wait for the stadium to empty out so you could climb over the rows to get down. She said it made her want to hug you.

Anyway, i'm hanging on every word, so keep it coming!

althom said it well, cold, you have taken trip reports up several notches, or steps!

this is a wonderful start to my day with my morning coffee/tea.

Those Peruvian guides... they are so hardy. I came up with a name for the woman guide at Pisac and I can't remember what it was but I am sure it was a very clever and funny name. It was something like sadistic goat. She could deftly climb up anything at a rapid pace with no show of effort and then gently "yell" at those who weren't keeping up.

Thanks so much Althom. I have read all of your trip reports, including Egypt (where we were last year) and Peru. We also used All Ways Travel in Puno. They were great. I have some minor issues with Uros, but I know your overnight was further out in the lake.

... as was yours Ncounty. By the way Ncounty gave me the name of a guide to use in Puno. But when I contacted the company they said they had never heard of the guy. But boy did they have a great offer for me lol.

Our guide in the Sacred Valley would stand with his back to the drop off with his heels over the edge - I couldn't look at him!

What an amazing and arduous experience. Are all your vacations like this one? Did all 9 of you take part in the planning and know what they were getting into?

Elizabeth_S - I told our guide that someday I would read about him falling. He said that that would be the perfect way to go. Jackie, most of our vacations are to interesting places. This was just the hardest physical trip. And we aren’t rich. But we don’t want to wait until the kids are gone to travel. They are 80% of the fun.

The original plan was to go Australia but the airfares were through the roof. Once we agreed on Peru, we invited one friend who had just lost her Peruvian born mother and another friend who has a PhD in archeology. Their spouses came along, with moderate degrees of enthusiasm. I did most of the planning because I have the most experience with this stuff. And some people really dislike making decisions.

I made a mistake above when I referred to our day 3 dinner. We had only finished day 2. I get the end of day 2 and the start of day 3 mixed up in my mind. I think we were on a roll by that point and the ruins were starting to resemble one another.

As we only had 10k to travel on day 3 you might think we could sleep in. But it was time to rise at about 6 and move out by 7. The mind works in strange ways. We were warned on days 1 and 2 that we would be climbing thousands of feet so that is what we defined as our challenge. On day 3 our highest point would be 270 feet above our start line. As we had in our minds that day 3 would be downhill, those 270 feet seemed like 1000 feet.

The path climbed initially into an area where I started thinking “Oh oh. These cliffs are going to get me.” The paths were very rocky, curvy, no vegetation and no more than 5 feet wide. The fall-offs weren’t that great but high enough to kill someone. A few times I held on to the rock wall on the other side.

From there the path descended into a magnificent rainforest or cloud forest as they call it there, full of orchids and ferns. We also passed through an Inca tunnel carved into the rock. This is one of the spots I wish I could do again and again. The first and only time you do it you are very careful to watch where you are stepping. The tunnel was steep, narrow and wet. Then you get through it and keep going to stay with your group. Too bad as those tunnels were amazing to look at.

The trail then climbed up to the 3rd pass (12,700 feet). This was our favourite pass as it was extremely gentle. The porters lined up to clap upon our arrival. The view from the pass offered great views of several snow-capped mountains. It was here the guides found the highest spot, pulled out their phones and tried to call someone - family or girlfriends? We could not receive a signal on our phones. One of the Belgium guys explained that in South America some people use a phone and a network that is somewhere between a cell phone/network and a satellite phone. Thus they could call and we couldn't.

We continued downwards after the pass to Phuyupatamarca, the most impressive Inca ruin so far. Actually I am reading this off my Llama Path map, but I have to say I have no recollection of this ruin. What I remember is being followed by a porter from another company and his beautiful black dog. I had noticed the dog when I glanced over my shoulder to see if someone was passing. What I saw out of the corner of my eye was a medium-sized black animal. My first thought was that it was a Puma. Now that could have made us miss a step. But it was the same black dog we had seen the day before leading the way for his master, the porter. The poor guy was sitting down every few hundred meters to rest and have a drink. Our guide told us later that this particular porter also has a drinking problem.

We also had another porter race by us that day. Apparently, one company had left without sufficient porters and this guy was racing over 30 kilometres in one day to join the group.

I am again (as I write this) reading from a description of Phuyupatamarca from the Internet. It says “Leaving the site via an impressive Inca staircase leading from the west side of the ruins (the far end from the baths) you descend a thousand or so steps.” I must admit that I remember the lead in to this ruin and the thousand steps after it but I don’t remember the ruin itself. That is awful. I do remember the next ruin called Intipata. That ruin was on a steep hillside. We could see for miles on a beautiful day. We could also see our next campsite. And we knew that Machu Picchu was just around the next mountain. What a great place to relax.

Frankly, I'm beginning to find your trip report a little discouraging. It's too good. Too cool. Who's going to be interested in our dumb trip to anna maria island in february after reading this report? Boring. Florida, meh. Oh well, it's what it's. At least it's not skiing.

SM - Anna Maria island? Was everywhere else booked?

LOL, sm. I know the feeling.

Cold, I got goosebumps when I got to the great views of the snowcapped mountains with the porters clapping. What an experience that must have been.

I love the honesty of your writing; I especially chuckled when you should have been appreciating the ruins you had labored so hard to get to but was instead focused on the black dog.

I also love that you are putting in this adventure travel while you have all your kids in the household. Very wise, imo. I took my son to London and paris last year after my Peru trip (he would have come with me to Peru but he was in school during my birthday; also, I don't think he would have been quite up to all that adventure). I plan to travel with him more in the next few years before the college grind starts; take full advantage of the time we have them.

Ncounty I have a story for you later about travelling with children.

The final campsite is at Winay Wayna. It seems like every group stays here so that we can all start the mad rush together to Machu Picchu the next day. Our tent was perched along a sliver of ground about two feet wider than the tent. You had to pick your way in front of the tents or you would fall about 7-8 feet – not far but far enough to do some damage, especially if it happened in the middle of the night. Note to self – no trip to the bathroom tonight.

This positioning of the tent was noteworthy as it reminded us of a show on Canadian television about two people being killed on the Inca Trail in 2010. It had been raining for days resulting in landslides. One Argentine woman was killed when her tent was hit by a falling rock. A guide was also killed. We had watched this show just weeks before leaving for Peru. The producers recreated the scene of the woman’s death. While watching I commented to the family that someone would have to be crazy to pitch a tent along a sliver of ground below a steep slope. Well our tent in Wanay Wayna appeared to be in exactly the same spot. I am sure it wasn’t but the similarities were creepy. And that night it really started raining hard. Oh well … we survived.

The humorous part of the stay at this site was how long it took five of our group to race off to shower. Answer – about 30 seconds. The campsite had one cold shower and a separate building where you could pay 5 soles for a hot shower. The Irish boys took no time in jumping into the cold shower – not together mind you. Our daughter and the two other women in our group immediately headed off for their hot shower. They were gone quite awhile. Apparently there was much cleaning to be done! My wife and I and the two boys didn’t bother. After three days without a shower what was one more day?

The third night on the trail is the night you say goodbye to your porters, even though you will see them the next morning. It is really the night you thank them and the cook with tips. Most companies recommend a certain amount per porter. Our company was recommending 60 soles per porter (about $22) and 120 for the cook. Our guide called us together and suggested 60 soles for the porters but mentioned 200 soles for the cook. I was named collection agency manager.

These tips are a hot topic in chat rooms. Some hikers feel manipulated, especially those from countries where tipping is less common. Our guide left the tent and I did the math. 19 porters times 70 soles (we were generous) divided by 14 hikers = 95 soles plus 15 each for the cook = 110 soles from each hiker (about $40). The Irish guys paid immediately. Charles from the US borrowed the money from me but paid it back at the end of the trip. The Belgiums told me they didn’t like the idea of tipping at all but said they would pay. And they did pay most of the amount at the last minute. I didn’t have a problem with their objections. The process is a little awkward.

After dinner Raul called in the porters to our dinner tent from the pissing rain. He summarized their assistance to us and then asked me to say a few words. I have read some groups pick a Spanish speaker to speak but we only had 1-2 Spanish speakers and they weren’t volunteering. I will repeat what I said that night not because it is particularly eloquent but because it does signal the great respect we had developed for the porters. They work hard from 5 am to 8 pm. It’s a dangerous job. Many of them also end up with significant health problems. So I said:

“In our group we have people from many different countries. We have two people from Belgium, two from Ireland, one from the United States and a large group of us from Canada. Even though we come from different places, we agree on many things. We agree on the beauty of your mountains, your forests and your rivers. We agree on the importance of your ruins and what they mean to you. And we agree that Raul and Marcelito have taught us so much about the Incan and Quechua cultures.

But many years from now when we are back in our own countries, there are two things we will remember the most. We will remember how our cook Valentino managed to make wonderful meals under less than perfect conditions. Always good, always healthy and always more than enough food. And always with a smile on his face. Thank you Valentino (handshake, picture and transfer of 200 soles). And we will remember how hard each of you worked to make us comfortable, from getting us up in the morning, to setting up our lunch spot, to carrying our belongings to helping us go to sleep at night. The image we will all remember is the sight of each of you carrying so much weight, racing down the trail so that you could keep us comfortable. You are good people and we appreciate what you have done for us (transfer of 1330 soles)."

It all sounds a little corny now but I daresay that as much as we will all remember our first sighting of Machu Picchu, our most dominant memory of the trip will be those porters racing up or down steep steps with our stuff on their back. Yes they were being paid. And they sure were earning it.

Very nicely said.

Well said!

You are a master wordsmith, cold!

Cold,

Good for you for being the funds collector and the eloquent ambassador.

Thanks for a very interesting and informative (and fun to read) report.

I heard there is a special on Business Class seats heading down under. Check with Clara for details.

gruezi

Well done, and well said !

Yes, well said!

Hmmm - all very nice of you but it really isn't difficult to say nice things about people when you believe what you are saying. We all came home with very strong feelings about the porters. And we know right at this moment most of them are probably back on the trail cleaning up after dinner. Amazing people.

I was hoping to write about day 4 tonight but Ottawa is playing Toronto in hockey.

That was a really great speech, Cold.

I forgot the other highlight of the day 3 dinner. It seems that many cooks bake a cake, icing and all, for the final dinner. Our cook had made a very large white cake. I think it said Feliz Navidad on it. But our guide asked who in the group had the next birthday. And that was DS2 who was turning 13 in a few days. So the entire group sang Happy Birthday to him. I can’t imagine being a 13 year old in a tent on the Inca Trail having people from 5 countries singing happy birthday to me. I wish we had a video of that.

We all went to bed right after dinner as we had to get up at 3:30am for day 4, or whacky day as we were calling it. There were probably two hundred hikers all staying in the same camp. Our plan was for all of our group to get up early so that we could get in line to enter the national park (?? – I don’t even know what we were entering) at 5:30 and then be among the first few to the Sun Gate to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu. Of couse each group has the same plan. As I said above it seems to me that it is all a ruse to get the porters back on the train so the company doesn’t have to pay them but I am not certain.

So up we got up at 3:30am in a pretty good rainstorm. We ate breakfast for 10 minutes and then packed up our belongings, threw on our headlights and left camp. Except we were only going about 200 meters to a waiting area at the entrance into the park. Everyone else in the campground can hear everyone else so we could judge each others’ progress. The reason we were hurrying was that we would have to wait at the entrance to the park until 5:30 as that is when it opens. There is a covered area outside the entrance with a bench long enough to sit 3 groups of hikers. Many groups of hikers would end up standing in the rain. We were the second group there so we got nice covered seats on the bench.

Once we had our spots the guides said that we could go back up to the campground to go to the bathroom if we wanted. Which many people did. So the rest of us spent the next 20 minutes defending the seats of the bathroom goers. I really didn’t like this process. But what makes it all particularly wacky is that it didn’t matter what time we got in the park (or whatever it is), we were not going to be one of the first groups to the Sun Gate to see the sun rise. We were up against 20-30 year olds who were going to race by us on the trail. And it didn’t matter anyways as it was pissing rain. Rain = no sunrise over Machu Picchu.

Finally at 5:30 our group was allowed through the gates. The trail from the gate to Machu Picchu took about 1½ hours. The trail was very wet and had its nerve wracking moments. In fact there was a line up of hikers behind us at one point. We came to a very steep downhill staircase through some rocks. Suddenly there was no one behind us for 10-15 minutes. I am guessing the person right behind us didn’t like the staircase and took a long time to get down it.

The sky was getting light before 6am.The rain had stopped but it was very misty. The trail follows the mountainside and drops into a cloud forest before coming to what our guide had warned us were the “gringo killer” steps. By his description this was an almost vertical set of steps that might pose a problem for some of us. Indeed the steps were an almost vertical flight of 50 steps leading up to the final pass at the Sun Gate. The person in front of me is a friend I have cross country skied with for 25 years. In cross country skiing you have to be very careful going up a steep hill that the person in front of you doesn’t hit you with the sharp end of their ski pole. Going up these stairs we were using our hiking poles. I told my friend I would let him get several steps ahead of me. I guess I didn’t give enough room. One of his poles slipped on the wet rock and brushed my cheek right under my eye. No damage but a near disaster.

There was quite a crowd at the top of the stairs. Most groups had passed us on the trail so we were all standing in this rather small set of ruins called the Sun Gate. From here you can supposedly gaze down at all of Machu Picchu spread out before you. It would have been a fantastic sight but all we got were glimpses though the fog. This is what it is supposed to look like:

http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/inca/machupicchu-big-photos/view-from-sungate-of-machu-picchu.jpg

As I said above, some people have apparently burst into tears when their view from the Sun Gate was obscured by clouds. While no one in our group cried, one person did say afterwards that she would like to try the hike again in an effort to experience the classic view from the Sun Gate.

Aw, it is too bad it was raining when you arrived, cold. It was misty and foggy when I arrived but cleared up a bit by early afternoon so that I got some classic pics.

I can not believe they can bake a cake on a trek like that! Remarkable.

Ncounty here is my story about travelling with chidren. Many years ago my boss was the top public servant in Canada. She was speaking at an event about woman in the workplace. She told the following story. She had gone back to work after 6 weeks of giving birth to her only child ... a son.

She then proceeded to work very long hours and travel extensively for the next 20 years. She noted the tradeoff between working so hard and not being around her son as much as she wanted to be. But she said the one thing she and her husband did with their son every year was to take one interesting vacation to a foreign country. Every year they would ask him where he wanted to go and more than likely they would go there.

When he was 16 they asked him where he wanted to go and he responded "Um Mom, I am 16 now. I am really not interested in going anywhere. I'd rather be here with my friends."

As she told the story you could see the surprise and hurt in her, even though the event had taken place four years previously. I always think of that story when considering whether to suggest another trip to the kids. You just don't know when the last trip will be.

Wow, poignant story, Cold. I am still tucking my son into bed every night (he is 14 and insists it is my parental duty). Although some nights I am dog tired, I don't know when the last time will be so I soldier on and do it.

I think, and hope, he and I will be traveling together for many more years though.

I like looking at the link above as it reminds me that the last part of the hike was all downhill - 1200 feet down. This part of the trail was crowded but everyone was in a good mood. We were all close to our target.

With everyone together on the trail it was a good opportunity to look at the demographics of who does the trail. I would say most were between 25-35. We might have seen a couple of people older than us. Most had excellent hiking gear. While there were some non-English speaking Europeans my guess is that 30% were English speakers and 40% were Spanish speakers. The rest were from other parts of the world. Of course this was only one day's sample on the trail.

Hikers enter the site from the left side as you look at Machu Picchu. The first place you come to offers a platform with a terrific view right out over the site. Everyone wants their picture taken here, both individually and as a group, and every group seems to have about 15 cameras. That's a lot of pictures. The guides try and move people along who are lingering too long on the platform. This created a bit of tension while we were there. Several people said things approximating "Would you F off. We spent 4 days walking here. We are going to take some pictures."

Having entered the site (or perhaps it just looked like we had entered it), we walked down quite a long staircase to the entrance, bought a drink ($$$) and went to the bathroom. We then turned around and reentered the site. I think we did this in order to submit our official entrance tickets to the grounds but I am not really sure. We were in hiker mode and basically going with the flow.

I won't go into detail about the site itself. I thought our guide did a tremendous job of telling us about the various elements of interest. It wasn't an easy job as everyone was taking pictures, talking to other hikers and, in my case and that of several other people, just gazing around. Take away Machu Picchu and you still have the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. Mountains, valleys, and a river way down below. I thought standing on the Great Wall offered tremendous vistas. But Machu Picchu is in another league.

Notwithstanding the excellent presentation by our guide, when he finished most of us did not linger on the site even though our agreed upon lunch down in Aguas Calientes was two hours away. Machu Picchu had lived up to expectations but we were tired and looking forward to sitting down in a restaurant and having a beer. And it was starting to rain. So we exiting the grounds and climbed aboard a bus for the exciting trip down into town. I would not want to drive that switchback road every day. By the time we got to the bottom it was really raining. The river was raging. We could only imagine what it looked like two years ago when floods killed some people and tourists were stuck in town for five days.

While it was a great visit to the site and wonderful to be sitting with friends, it was also a sad moment. We had trained so hard for the hike and now it was over. The people sitting beside us had lost half of their group on day one. We felt sorry for them. And we would soon be saying goodbye to some of our new and good friends. And I will say that we felt sad about saying goodbye to our guides. It is a job for them and three days later they would be starting with a new group of hikers. Still, you don't do something that hard with people and not form bonds. And it is not an easy life they have. We think of them often.

Thanks so much for this detailed blow-by-blow of the trail from the point of view of the "VC". Especially from the POV of the "ass-slider" over 50-club, who have always wondered if we made the wrong choice in taking the easy way up by train and bus. Your descriptions really flesh out the photos that we have all pondered.

When I was walking up, I passed the older, slower trekkers coming down the steps from the watchman's tower, and they looked pretty whipped!

A couple of things, cold...

Your description of how the Vertically Challenge cope (or fool the brain) is very accurate! For myself, when flying, I take the isle seat so that it feels like I am just sitting in a room. I want nothing to do with the window seat although sometimes when passing over snowcapped mountains my curiousity enables me to take a quick look. Every time we head out west, my husband and I make a day trip to the Grand Canyon. The first visit I could hardly move I was so riddled with fear of falling in the canyon (kind of hard to do when you barely make it out of the parking lot, lol). This past trip I really started hiking the rim (using the brush as that visual barrier you were talking about) and it was going really well until I got to a spot where it was just open rock and started to think...and that was that. Maybe the next time I'll make it a bit further on the trail...

It's not surprising that you formed such a bond with these people -- you really depended on each other! In any event, you really painted a very detailed picture of your family's experience and I really enjoyed reading. I'm hoping there are more details that you will share with us!

Again, thanks for writing (and now you can go back to the Lounge where you need not write more than a sentence at a time - heehee)

About traveling with children....You have given your kids a great gift!

I have been traveling with my sister's family for many years now. It has been interesting to watch the kids' (now 26 and 28) travel desire wax and wane with age. My nephew figured out what he was missing a few years ago and hasn't missed a major trip since. My niece is always asking where to next. They both just moved out of the country and my sister thinks their wanderlust was influenced by all the travel they did growing up.

Really enjoyed your description of hiking the trail and the experience with guides and porters. Thanks for taking the time to provide all the details.

"..Take away Machu Picchu and you still have the most stunning scenery I have ever seen. Mountains, valleys, and a river way down below. I thought [.......] offered tremendous vistas. But Machu Picchu is in another league. "

Those were then at the time, and are still now, after many years since of amazing travel and moments, my exact thoughts and memories of MP. I was humbled by the sheer beauty and size of everything around me up there. It reminds one how insignificant and tiny we really are in the grand scheme of nature. You look down, way, way, down and realise how high you are, then you look up and see things even higher above you. It truly is a magnificent and very introspective place.

We were lucky to have 2 bright and sunny days with just a light drizzle on the first afternoon. We had 3 hours there and were among the last to leave as the light was fading. We also witnessed the sun rise early the next morning and the shaft of light that passes through a series of holes in the rocks to briefly illuminate a certain spot of significance in a cave room.

Thank you for an interesting report of the trek. I'm sure it will rank as one of your most memorable trips - for many reasons.

Mlgb - You should have seen us after day 2.

STW - I am still not certain I have captured the VC issue, although all I can do is relate my own impressions. Everyone is different. But in rereading my words, if anything I have underplayed how often I said to myself "Jesus H Christ - I can't do this section." But having no choice helps a lot. You really do have no choice. You just have to blank your mind out and start walking.

Jackie - we have always been there to watch over the children. Our daughter now wants to go to Tunisia for four months. Suddenly travel seems less like a great idea.

Mathieu - you're right about the insignificance you feel. At one point I remember feeling like a little ant climbing over this much larger presence. Accompanied by many other little ants of course. Boy was it crowded the day we were there.

I sent my sister an email upon the completion of the hike. My family had suspected that I was trying to kill my wife with this adventure and I wanted to let them know that if that indeed had been my strategy that it had failed. She asked whether the rest of the trip would be anti-climatic. We had to agree that it would be. Even with another week to spend in a great country like Peru, what we had focussed on for so long had now been completed.

At our lunch down in Aguas Calientes I spoke again to the group about what a brilliant decision the Canadians had made not to take a private Canadian tour. We had so much fun with the Belgiums/Irish and lone American. Indeed after we returned to Cuzco we saw the Irish and American again twice and then the Irish duo again in Puno. The Irish know how to have fun. We admired their zest for life.

I had not heard good things about the train from AG to Ollantaytambo. Our first impression was very positive. Leather seats and nice windows. But it soon became apparent that leg room was non-existent. I was sitting with three people from South Korea. Eventually I had to stand as there was no leg room. The train tracks parallel long sections of the Urubamba River. Our rafting company had said they prefer to raft the upper sections of the river as they are much cleaner than this section near Machu Picchu. That certainly appeared to us to be the case. There was a lot of garbage in the river.

We arrived back in Cuzco about 6:30 pm. All of us gave Raul a hug. In the case of our daughter the hug may not have been the last one as she, Raul and the Irish went out to a bar that night until 4:30am. I suspect Raul was buying our daughter drinks with the tip we had given him. Being back in Cuzco it was time to climb the stairs back up to La Piccola Locanda again. I was assuming we would now fly up the stairs as by then we were in top shape. Wrong again. Those steps were really difficult. Except for DS2 who ran up and down them trying to establish a new personal best time with each attempt. His best time was 30 seconds.

There were two events of note on our last remaining day in Cuzco. We had agreed to take a half day biking trip with the same company that took us rafting. They picked us up at 1 pm the next day. We drove out the back side of town on the road to Pisac. Three of the six of us mountain bike regularly. But two of the six could almost be considered non-cyclists. This was a tough combination for the guide to figure out what to do with. The first mile of our ride was on the road to Pisac. This was not my idea of mountain biking. Though I will give Peruvian drivers credit. I found them to be very careful drivers outside of the cities. Eventually we turned on to a dirt/mud road and rode through the country side. The route was ultra-safe until near the end when we were coming back into Cuzco. There we were attacked by two dogs. The guide said he had never seen that before, which was a bit hard to believe as there were stray dogs everywhere.

We then drove in a van back up to the start line. This time we split up with the two non-cyclists sticking to the original route and four of us doing a "single-track" route. This trail was narrower and steeper with lots of loose rocks. I am not sure what happened about half way down the trail. I must have been putting extreme pressure on my brakes and perhaps the rear brake released as suddenly I was ass over teakettle. I went right over the front handlebars and landed on my back. DS2 behind me thought I was dead. The guide thought I was dead. I knew I wasn't dead but soaked up the attention for a minute or so. We then coasted into town and called it a day.

The other notable event on this last day in Cuzco was that one of our friends flew home. He certainly had work issues to contend with, but we also suspected that with the hike over he just wanted to get back home. And he must have really wanted to leave as his rerouted ticket was Cuzco-Lima-Bogotá-Toronto-Ottawa. And the additional charges must have cost a pretty penny. His wife stayed with us for our final days in Puno and Lima.

why can't you just go to some nice quiet beach like everybody else?

Isn't it funny how you can keep running into your travel companions on your journeys, cold? I really enjoyed that element of going through Peru.

In Puno, I was walking around the main street solo at night and spotted one of the other gals who was also traveling solo who was having dinner with another solo female traveler. Her face lit up when she saw me like I was a long lost friend. I joined them for a delightful dinner.

Sorry to read of your bike accident but glad it wasn't any worse.

lol, sm...

SM the whole point of these trips is to produce iconic pictures for our funerals. The beach doesn’t do it. Ncounty – with kids and phones the whole follow-up meeting process was arranged by text messaging. Though I know what you mean. We met two Fodorites in Beijing and then again by accident in Xian.

So I am going to wrap this report up by offering a paragraph on each of a few subjects, in two instalments. First, the Inka Express to Puno. Those of you who have taken it know the IE has a separate bus station. Well at least that is what we thought. The bus station appears to be one small room in the southern part of town. But it didn’t matter. Everything was very organized. When we got on the bus the guide asked us who our tour guide was. When I said we didn’t have one he looked confused and asked again. I don’t know the purpose of the question. Rules? Tips? The bus ride was pleasant enough. The guide kept insisting that we stick together at the stops – a request many of us ignored. And the kids got sunburned in about ten minutes at one stop. But we arrived at the scheduled time.

Juliaca – I don’t mean to pick on cities down on their luck. And we had often read that Juliaca was down on its luck. But my my. I thought parts of Cairo looked run down. They now look like Beverly Hills compared to the parts of Juliaca we drove through on the way to Puno. On our way from Puno to the Juliaca airport a few days later using a different route, the city looked okay.

Puno – Our dominant memory of Puno will be firecrackers. We were there during a celebration of some sort (can’t remember what it was). But we must have heard 2000 firecrackers in three days. Usually just below our hotel window. The town has a nice square and a very interesting market. For some reason the family wanted to stick with the “tourist” market near the docks. Our guide had told us to go there. I found the local market more interesting, especially with all of the animal parts on sale. You couldn’t buy animal parts at the tourist market. And it was a Saturday morning so the local market was very crowded. I can see why people in big cities like to travel to smaller towns for the markets. Lots of activity to watch.

Uros – so I know P_M and others have had good experiences on these floating islands. And I would say we had a good time but partly because we admired the slick business approach of the islanders (as I mentioned above). They had their routine down pat, including singing “row, row, row your boat” to us as we paid 10 soles a person to be rowed from their island to another. One of our friend’s brothers did his PhD in Peru and told us when we got home that very few Uros residents live on the islands. They live in Puno and head out to the islands every morning. I don’t know if this is true but it would be consistent with what we experienced.

Sillustani is a pre-Incan cemetery about 40 minutes outside of Puno. Once again, the ruins were interesting but overshadowed by the physical beauty of the place. You could sit there all day and look at the lake and surrounding hills and eventual mountains. Unfortunately a storm blew in with plenty of thunder. Right in the middle of the site is a very large lightening rod. The guide was showing us this rod as the storm blew in. I asked whether we should be inspecting a lightening rod during an apparent thunderstorm. The guide responded that he hadn’t seen any lightening yet. I don’t think this guy was much of a planner.

Well I take that back. He had a plan to take us to a nearby farm where we could see how a local family lived. We have been around and get the drill. But we would rather the drill be above board, especially after the Uros experience. So we asked the guide what was expected of us … buy something, tip the owner, pay for pictures??? It turned out it was all three. But still it was worth it. The grandmother at the farm gave us the tastiest baked potatoes, although they were ultra small apparently because they don’t use fertilisers. Seeing all the animals standing around it was hard to believe they needed fertilizers. The fertilizer was everywhere.

We really didn’t mind supporting the local economy as much as we could. In fact we way over tipped just about everyone we came in contact with. I know that is a questionable thing to do. But this area saw its share of unrest last year, some of it directed at mining companies in the area and some of them Canadian companies. We were giving back in our own small way.

Elevation – we had had no problem is Cuzco (11,000 feet) and none that we noticed on the Inca Trail. But in Puno (12,600 feet) the lack of oxygen was noticeable, especially at night. Someone probably knows the answer to this but my theory was that our respiration rates went way down when we went to bed to the point where we were not getting enough oxygen. Every minute or so we had to take an extra breath. I could see how this would panic some people. It was not a comfortable feeling.

So funny about Juliaca, cold.... I was amazed as I rode through that town on the bus. It reminded me a of a cross between an outpost in that Star Wars movie with renegades and sleazy bars and the setting for Mad Max, the Thunderdome.

I've never seen anything quite like it other than a movie set; it was quite entertaining.

I did ok in Puno but it was a bit of huffing and puffing climbing the hills in the out islands like Amantina and Taquile (which were gorgeous). My tour mates on Amantina looked on with envy as I ascended to the hilltop on my horse which they had all passed up; one of my best decisions on this trip.

Great trip report!.... this has to be yet another one of your most memorable trips.

Wow.. kudos to you cold and the entire cold clan

I would have loved to have seen the face of the porter at the squat toilet "Quechua equivalent of WTF?" LMAO

When I started reading your report I thought I could do this (no fear of heights to slow me down) but I honestly don't think I could go 3 days without a shower especially after all that hiking which incidentally I probably couldn't do either...

I spent Christmas Day in an inner tube floating down a lazy river with my family. It was 80F and at sunset I sipped margaritas and walked on the beach.
Just like you we got a little sunburnt on vacation

LOL to sassy cat.

Someone described Uros as "human zoo." I'm still glad I went because how can you go to Lake Titicaca and not? But U could have done with a higher entry fee and a five minute visit, rather than the sales pitch. I decided not to go rowrowrow your boat in Uros. I waited on the ferry and it was interesting to watch the islanders after the tourists left.

Our guide between Puno and Bolivia said there are many more islands now than when he started guiding. Some obviously built just for tourist trade.

Can't think of too many spots that impressed me as much as Machu Picchu. It's up there with Grand Canyon at sunset, Milford Sound in the right weather, and maybe Torres del Paine.

Hey 100 posts. Of course 93 of them were mine. Okay Sassy Cat – where were you? Disney World? Mlgb please tell me when we can enjoy good weather at Milford Sound. I gather it can rain a bit.

So – to close this report off. We flew from Juliaca to Lima on Sunday January 8th. Juliaca airport is the first airport we have been to where the check in agent spoke not a word of English. He wanted to charge us more for luggage, which would not have been correct, but since we could not have such a technical discussion in Spanish he just waved us through. We then saw our incoming plane arrive from Lima (I believe). It pulled up to the gate, passengers got off, passengers got on and it took off. No boarding announcement. More like a bus than a plane.

This time around we were staying in Barranco which is further south in Lima than we had stayed two weeks previously. What a gorgeous coastline and beach area. That night we went to the Larcomar shopping center in Miraflores to meet some friends who had lived in our city until a couple of years ago. We had a good chat with the parents as our collective six kids took off to be by themselves. At the end of the evening the father came out with us to the taxi stand and interviewed three taxi drivers before he would let us get in a taxi. He told us that when he takes a taxi home from his office at night, he always phones home or pretends to phone home and tells his family what taxi he is in. This man is a Lima native. He said that taxis are the worst part of living in Lima, well perhaps aside from the exhaust fumes. You simply have to be careful with taxi drivers. As it was the successful interviewee could not find our hotel. When he started driving in circles, and we knew we were close, we hopped out of the cab, gave him 15 soles and took off.

The next morning we visited the Canadian embassy. The embassy is in a nice area of Miraflores. We met with a couple of people who explained much of the aid work that Canada supports in Peru. It was an interesting conversation and it basically sold my daughter on the foreign service as a desired career. This was good news and bad news as I know we will have a hard time relaxing if she ends up in certain parts of the world. But what can you do?

So my final story could take a year to tell if I let it but I will relate the short version. Our plane was to leave Lima for Newark at 11:30pm on January 9. At 2:45pm I received an incomprehensible email from Continental telling us to be at the airport at 3pm. In 15 minutes. After some investigation we discovered that it meant our plane would not take off until 3pm the next day. Indeed there was no plane as the incoming flight had not left Newark. Despite being certain that we could not depart, we nonetheless were directed to go to the Lima airport that night to change our tickets. One of the women in our hotel spent an hour on the phone with Continental. By the end she was so upset with them that she could barely talk.

We went to the airport four hours before the cancelled flight time. One might expect that if an airline knows that they will have to rework the tickets of 250 people they might open the ticket counters early. But no, they opened them at the regular time – 3 hours before departure. Most people in the now long line did not know that the flight had been cancelled. Quelle surprise. In any event, we were third in line. There were four ticket agents. We got up to one fairly quickly and were hoping they could reroute us. No deal they said. Come back tomorrow. But it took them 75 minutes to issue us new tickets to Newark and they never did manage to issue us new tickets for the Newark-Montreal segment. 75 minutes. The line behind us did not move. What a complete fiasco.

To give Continental a little credit, they finally put us up in a nice hotel that night in Lima (after making us wait another hour for a bus to the hotel). The next day we showed up for our 3pm flight and there was some sort of airport strike going on. Thankfully whoever was striking was allowing international flights to depart. So we took off just a little late.

About half way through the flight there was an announcement asking for a doctor or nurse. The man sitting behind my wife was having a heart attack. No doctor or nurse could be found. In the end we were diverted to Baltimore so the man and his wife could be taken off the plane. That scene would rank up there with the saddest sights I have seen. The man was taken off with his wife crying behind him. The FAs were hugging the woman. So sad. I hope he made it as apparently his condition had really deteriorated in the 30 minutes before we landed.

We arrived at Newark at about midnight. We had been assured that lots of Continental staff would be around to handle those passengers who required hotel vouchers and new boarding passes because of the original flight being cancelled. There was one Continental person. To handle perhaps 80 people. Oh no that is not right. There was another Continental person. She yelled at all of us to form a proper line. And then she showed us where to stand. Then she put on her coat and left. Truly unprofessional behaviour. We were also left on our own to find our way from the “Flight Assistance” centre or something like that to the sky tram or whatever it was called to P4 to find the airport shuttle. We arrived at our Newark airport hotel at 2am and had to be back at the airport at 6am.

How anyone who doesn’t speak English or is a novice traveller can navigate these airports at 2am is beyond me. I know I will worry when our kids start travelling alone. In any event I arrived back in Montréal at 10am to pick up the car. The others had switched to a Newark-Ottawa flight and beat me home. A memorable trip over. Thanks so much to the people who read this rather long report. It was fun talking with you.

wow and omg, cold.... what a cliffhanger ordeal to end with. It is about as bad as I have every heard; must have been so frustrating. It would be difficult to keep my blood pressure in check...need to practice some Buddhism. An unforgettable trip indeed. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Glad to hear that your journey home was a piece of cake after that hike.

We were in Mexico for Christmas so it wasn't a completely sanitised Disney experience. No squat toilets but we did have to respect the plumbing and throw the tissue in the waste can.

I'm most impressed that you managed to fit in a little career research with your daughter while on vacation in deepest darkest Peru. In Mexico my son got a one night gig playing piano duets with the regular pianist at the hotel bar. He earned himself a drink or two.

Our vacations are eerily similar

Oh good grief, cold. That journey home was some nightmare. How very sad about the heart attack patient.

Welcome home, where to next?

I don't know how you could ever top this trip for its challenges, mix of adventures and memories. I'm curious...any thoughts on where you will go next?

After my trip, I was spent and couldn't even think traveling any place exotic. And, I didn't even do anything adventurous!

Great job, from start to finish!

You might enjoy reading Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams, an editor of adventure magazines who had never been on an adventure until he decided to follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham. He's a very funny writer, kind of like someone here . . .

Yes Sassy Cat - they sound identical.

You know, this may sound like an adventure but it is basically walking. When we knew we had to get up at 5:30 and walk for 12 hours, I remember thinking it is not like skiing down a mountain, or driving through Cairo, or speaking in front of a television audience, or operating on someone for 12 hours. It's walking. We all know how to do that. I said to myself.

Thanks for the book suggestion Fra D. I will look that up.

I say this after every trip but when you're in your 50s, with no pension and three kids in or about to go to university, it might be time to save a buck or two. But if there is another trip the South Island of NZ would be great. Or the Nahani River in northern Canada. But rafting/canoe trips on the Nahani cost $5000 per person for 10 days. Those must be nice canoes.

hmmmm.... I have done close to all of the other activities you listed, cold, (well, I was driven through Cairo and got in a minor accident) and they all were far easier than the Inca trail by your report, especially with fluids coming out the top and bottom.

I had a discussion with someone years ago who said one of her main sports was hiking. I said that doesn't count as a sport, it is glorified walking. This type of "hiking" would prove me wrong, imo.

But rafting/canoe trips on the Nahani cost $5000 per person for 10 days. Those must be nice canoes.

Come to Texas. I'll take you boating for free.

I wonder what you call your trip report?

I am so sorry to read the end of your trip report as I've enjoyed every word and looked forward to each new installment. Machu Picchu is on our short list of places to go, but we would probably not do the entire hike up. Lucky you, to be able to do the whole thing!

Thanks for sharing your amazing and entertaining trip.

Godfather 5.

Wonderful trip report! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I've been wondering about a trip to MP and hiking the Inca Trail, and whether it's something I want to do. Or maybe I'd rather just skip the hiking part.

I think I understand what you mean about adventure travel, and I relate to your wife saying, "It's not like you're out there thinking this is terrible. You're thinking this is amazing. You just feel shittty when you're thinking it."

I've felt like that, and I've especially felt like that on some long backpacking trips. I guess I'm not sure I want to spend a lot of money to backpack the Trail when I know I can take a bus and see it, and I know I can backpack for free, see great scenery, and be a bit miserable on a hiking trip closer to home.

I really appreciate the honesty in your trip report, and it sounds like you had an amazing trip!

Re toilets: better than blue-bagging, and when we raft, we use a communal bucket (I *hate* the bucket).

Love, love, love the report. It's so true that adventure travel (even of the mighty soft variety that I do) has you doing things you'd shrink in horror from in your daily life, but it's so worth it. (Yes, fire ants to the hands in the Amazon camp, I'm lookin' at you.)

Thanks Kalo. I am kind of sorry to be finished writing. It was fun remembering the trip. I hope you get there.

Kureiff, yes I know you have a very outdoorsy family. I remember your story about your father (or FIL) skiing in Yellowstone. He does things I wouldn't do. It's an interesting question you raise. This hike was beyong anything we could do around here. We don't have climbs that start at 9k and end at 14k. The guides and porters add so much as do the other hikers. When your daughter is older I am sure she would love to do something like this with her parents. But I think that meant more to our oldest two children . Your daughter has a few years to get to that age.

On the other hand taking four days to hike takes away four days when you could be doing something else. And it can be uncomfortable as I have written. And you are already a hiker - with no need to prove anything to anyone. There is no right answer. I hope you make the trip with your family in some fashion. IMO these trips help families be families.

Amy - I draw the line at snakes. And I think there are snakes where your next trip is taking you. Sleep with one eye open.

colduphere,

Just read your great trip report. Great details and an amazing account. I am exhausted just reading it! Thanx for writing it.
I can see the possible connection between our Continental flights, as you mentioned.

<<I hope you make the trip with your family in some fashion. IMO these trips help families be families.>>

Me, too! I loved your trip report; what a great thing to be able to do with your kids. Where's the next trip planned?

I don't know Kureiff. The cost for five of us can be through the roof. It works in some places where things are cheaper but our remaining target of Australia/NZ is not cheap.

It may be the good ol Rocky mountains.

IF you can find a reasonable international airfare to NZ (or use points) AND you stay away from commercial tourism (ie guided walks, bungy jumps, jetboats), AND try not to eat out at restaurants for every meal, you can get by in NZ at a moderate cost. The park system has free entry, and the huts are free for those under 18. So you may not want to wait too long!

Hi Cold,

Wow - adventures and excitement and suspense right to the end.

My daughter also is interested in the foreign service so I know what you mean... For now, the foreign service is only lukewarm about her so I am hoping she can get a bit more savvy before she is sent off somewhere afar...

You and my husband could have a good commiseration about university tuitions!

(And, I'm glad you know travel experiences are way more educational than college!)

I almost joined the Foreign Service when I graduated many years ago (I was also very interested in the United Nations), and almost had another chance at it just recently now as a professional but didn't pursue either opportunity further and am glad with my decision. Having many friends in the FS and posted around the world in great locations, theres a lot that goes with the job that many are unaware of.
However I also think a lot depends on where you are in your life at the time, and being younger is definitely better too.

Mlgb - thanks for the tips. With two of us requiring premium economy seats to arrive in one piece, the airfare is so expensive. I spend hours trying to find innovative ways to fly to NZ/Australia. Stop at an island. A round the world fare. Air Canada points. One of these days ...

Gruezi - I read the threads about US tuition and I thank the Gods we live in Canada. Tuition is going up here, but is still much cheaper than what you face.

Mathieu - We were thinking about how "younger helps" when we were in the Canadian embassy in Lima. Everyone had such a carefree attitude about their next posting. Here, there, wherever ... it was all fine with them. One big adventure.

Thats a large part of it Cold. The other is the money - the majority of those jobs don't pay very much, and it can take a long time before you can make a decent wage, not to mention the competition and heirarchy for promotion, and the transient nature of the job. Most of your perqs are non monetary though your benefits can be attractive. You work all hours of the day and are always on call, and have some glamourous moments but thats not the norm for most FS staff. So yes, it's an exciting adventure when you're young and starting work (though immaturity in that line of work can also have it's problems) and I think a very worthwhile experience, but hard to consider if you are older with some roots put down, and used to a higher income than you'd likely earn, even with commensurate experience.

I forwent my opportunities in favour of the private sector (Banking), and in 5 years was considerably further ahead than I think I would have been had I pursued the FS career (based on the friends I know). And travel to exciting places was still a possibility.

Cold I enjoyed your trip report SO much. It is a trip that is high on my bucket list, but after readying your report, I'm not so sure I'd be able to do it. I could easily read your report over and over, and pretend I'm right there doing the trip. The thought of altitude sickness scares the hell out of me. I experienced it a couple of years ago in the Andes, and I wasn't nearly as high up as you were. And even though I don't really have a fear of heights, I think it would still be scary..

But what a fabulous trip! Thanks so much for taking the time to put your experience down on paper.

Keep saving your Aeroplan! I got to NZ that way, stopping in Fiji.

Happy travels.

Cold, wow, what a trip report. My feet hurt just thinking about those rocks. I could visualize your 12 year old running up the steps over and over, you know, just for fun. Little shits, where do they get so much energy?
You are right about the family trips coming to an end soon. My girls are 31 and 29, with spouses, children, jobs, house payments, inlaws, etc. It is hard to coordinate a 3 day weekend with all of us. So grandma and I bought a house large enough for all of us, it isn't Peru but the sound of little feet running around again is perty cool.
As far as college is concerned, I don't care how much $$ you make, when you have two on campus at the same time, it isn't enough. Good luck with that,oh and don't forget there might be a wedding in there somewhere, right about the time you think you can afford a six pack again.
Is ass-slide a fodors patented term now? I enjoy your writing and didn't you have a layover in Houston?

Kodi - those Aeroplan bas5ards just stole 50,000 points from my wife and daughter (no activity for a year). I have 220,000 points but cannot find a business class seat to Australia (I am 6'3"). They will offer it to me one way but the other way is always economy, except for the Ottawa-Toronto segment which is business class - yippee. I am really sick of Aeroplan.

Ziggypop - you are so right. We will have three in university at some point. And the oldest was just in here saying she could get 30% off her Alexandria, Egypt tuition if we reduce our income a bit. There's a great plan.

Yes we had a four hour layover in Houston. Just long enough to see the world's largest cockroach run across the floor in front of the McDonalds tables in the departure lounge.

Cold, so sorry to hear about the loss of 50,000 points . That really stinks. Good luck with the business class seat to and from Australia.

Have meant to read your report for some time but the world has intervened. So now I have and can say, sorry, cold, but you and I have no future. No way do I poo on the side of a mountain....


Seriously, an amazing trip and TR. As others have said, wonderful memories for your family.

Excellent trip report - you do have a great writing style. Brought back happy memories too and from the sound of it we had it much easier - I'd definately recommend trying to do the Inca Trail in the dry season if at all possible.

TD - just hold it in for four days. No wait - that was my plan. It didn't work.

Tjhome - I am trying to figure out how to get back and do the trail again. Maybe it will be in our summer (their dry season) next time. I just read your trip report. Many of our observations are very similar. I look forward to your report of the strange train ride.

It's nice to know that as a vertically "TERRIFIED" person, I am now alone. I am 58 living in a state with many bridges.I can only walk on many bridges with 1 foot on the sidewalk with the other in the street. The Missi R. is one on side of the state with the Missouri R. on the other. Unless someone drives me across the bridge, I am forever stuck here. Thank goodness for airplanes because I do not mind flying to get over the rivers - if need be. In the mid-1960's I wanted to be an archaeologist so I read everything I could get from the library.Of course there were the articles/pictures of Machu Picchu. The pictures always showed sheer cliffs, deep canyons. Then, there wasn't much tourism and a rope bridge was always pictured going over to the area. I cannot even get on a rope bridge withour becoming catatonic. My mother was very aware of this. She used to "jeer" at me saying what was I going to do? I would never become an archaeologist...Well, I never let my mother influence me too much. I am an archaeologist in the nice rolling hills and bluffs of the midwest - it works. This year I am finally making the trek to Machu Picchu - I am not going on the Trail - I believe what you say. Can't wait to read more.

I sorta/kinda read everything backwords so now I see the "finali" - great travel log. A suggestion for a very affordable, fun, somewhat challenging family vacation is a 1 week canoe/kayak float on the Mississpi River basin area.There is a none profit organization that plans the annual trips - generally during the last week of July - following on the heels of RAGBRAI - the Great Bicycle Race across Iowa (that's a challenging ride too). Anyway the River Rumble is doing a trip on the Missouri this year. Generally the floats are in the Wisconsin, Minn., Il., and Iowa areas - the prettiest sections of the river. They plan all the camping sites, eating areas, transportation of all one's gear, etc. The Winona Canoe Co. sponsors the trips. 1 can rent the river craft. The best thing is the trip does not cost $5,000 for 10 days. The main cost is about $350 each for 7 days - one has to get themselves to the ending point and they will take you to the starting point for a small fee.Go to www.riverrumble.org for this year's info and info on future trips. It is a very interesting trip. You think the river flow will take you down river with no effort on your part. How can 1 be so wrong! I never had to paddle so hard for so long to maintain the day's trip goals. Gives 1 a great appreciation for when river travel was a principle mode of transportation. There are great water gun fights too!

Hi coldy, I just found your report today, it brings back a lot of memories of my trek on the Inca Trail in 2008. Thanks for taking so much time to share your trip with us.

Cold, just found and read your excellent inca trail report! I have started to do research for my trip in June booked this week and I am excited and terrified after reading your family's experience and watching some YouTube videos. I don't have VC issues but I am not exactly Ms. Outdoors, just an adventure lover looking to experience all this fantastic world has to offer. At any rate I'm just wondering if I've bit off more than I can chew. Wouldn't be the first time.

This was the first trip report I've read on the hike and I think I can stop now. Well done and very helpful.

Hi Jen - I doubt very much you have bitten off more than you can chew. A good company will take care of you. And if you are an adventure lover you will have a great attitude.

I have thought more about this trip than any trip we have taken. Just yesterday my wife was saying how much she misses our guides. That is just so unlike her. It is not like every moment is wonderful. But the whole trip adds up to a wonderful life moment.

I hope you will post how it goes.

I should add that so many vacations are satisfying on the emotional and intellectual levels. Trips like the IT add in a significant physical sense of satisfaction. The synergy is wonderful.

Awesome! Thanks, I really could tell that you felt that way about it even with some of the physical challenges. I will definitely come back and post and probably will post a help me with planning thread in the next few months which I hope you will contribute to. Don't worry I'm not planning to take any jeggings with me .

Knowmad - I love your quote:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain.

Now if only I can pretend it is mine.

A wonderful quote!

Hey TD - we love a quote that isn't here anymore. I was wondering about that post as the primary purpose seemed to be to promote the fella's company. But there are some posters on other fora(ums) who do the same thing. Whatever, I am sure the editors know what they are doing.

Maybe there is some history with Knowmad..... whatever his name is?

I’ll skip the raft and I know I won’t be able to find the hotel you stayed in without a sign. So there’s no curling in Machu Picchu, darn.

Despite a variety of illnesses, squat toilets, and some ass sliding, you made it! The clapping porters and your fond memories of them are really touching. Thanks for a great report.

A mule bumped me off the track & as I was free falling down the abyss, I tumbled into your trip report, Cold!

What a great read - I've enjoyed every dusty, pole bending footstep and "oooohhh look at that!" moment.

Just back from 3 weeks in Nepal, a week of which was trekking in the Annapurna; I couldn't say it better than you did about our Porters & guides. Our 7 porters were fantastic, their smiling faces, fitness, great attitude and songs are the constant images floating through my Nepal memories.

Thank you again for such a great trip report. You've nudged me to sling a word or two into my backpack & see if anyone would like to share them over a cold "Everest" at Beer O'Clock in a day or so.

Bokhara - We just had dinner with one of the couples we did the Inca Trail with. She is dying to try the Everest Base Camp trek. He is dying to stay at home and play with his IPad. So I threw the Annapurna in as a third option. I would love to hear your experience. Annapurna sounds like the better hike but the pull of Everest is pretty strong.

It's interesting Cold; apparently the Annapurna Base Camp trek is more technically difficult than EBC. There are some interesting discussions on TripAdvisor's Nepal forum that may be of help to you. The Fodors Nepal forum seems to be deader than the Dodo.

I will do a TR, but if there's anything specific you think I can help with in the meantime, bearing in mind I'm a rank amateur on her first trip to Nepal and first trek, too; I'd be happy for you to drop me a note. bokhara77 at hotmail dot com

Very sad news - flash flood,seemingly caused by a landslide, has taken out two villages, killed 13, in & upstream of the Pokhara region yesterday. (Saturday 5/5/12)

That is very sad about Pokhara.

I was just thinking that the Inca Trail is indeed a Long Way Down from way up there in Canada.

May I suggest the "Prince Charles Royal Trek" so named because it was designed for Prince Charles, who hiked it before getting married the first time. Not overly challenging so you can focus on the scenery and culture. When I talked with hikers who had done other routes, especially the base camp route, they mentioned how many other hikers from other groups they had encountered on the route. In contrast, our group on the Prince Charles route saw no other hikers until the last hour of the several day hike.

Rumor has it that Mick Jagger did the same route as the prince, so if you want to Move Like Jagger...

I am so sad to hear about Pokhara; I have very fond memories of that place after spending several days there after doing the Chitwan jungle. I hope the 13 yo chef at the guest house I stayed at is okay (although he would be 36 by now).

And Ncounty I am sure that chef has fond memories of the beautiful, smart, pleasant 40 year old American woman he served.

Hey!!! I was only 28 at the time, lol. Although I should lie and say 18.

I really enjoyed reading this. My son and his family love adventure travel.

A comment in the lounge indicated you had abandonned us for maybe The Inca Trail or elsewhere.

Please respond to this and negate such rumors.

Congrats again on rising to this challenge and conquering the Inca Trail. I just got back from Machu Picchu, by train. I hope that still makes me worthy to post on this thread.

He's gone from Fodors, sniff

Saraho, Atravelynn and Mlgb - I asked to be reinstated so I could thank you for commenting here. And the got to me.



I never would have thought this a year ago but South America really touched us. I read this forum every day, trying to figure out how we can travel to either Patagonia or the World Cup in Brazil (2014) for less than $500. Family of five.

Any suggestions appreciated.

I said nice stuff too.

PS, I want thank you, in that thanks to this TR I no longer feel shame when doing a steep downhill trail section "by ass".

Cold -

Welcome back.

As you can see, you have been the most missed living Fodorite in Fodor's history. I hope you have been keeping up with all the threads about yourself.

Don't ever go away again.

Between the weather and your return, here is how I'm feeling this fine day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRwsTyUPIYE

cold...get your butt back to the lounge. Pronto.

I don't fit in here in the South American Forum and miss you terribly.

Oh oh oh Coldie, you're BACK!!!! You have been missed, my dear. Some days, well, it's been hard to carry on. Now I'll just let out a few tears of relief.

Yippeeeeeeeee!

Cold, I'm so glad you are back! We really missed you and your sense of humor.

Welcome back! Can't help you with another South Africa trip for a family of five for $500. But there's lots of talent here that might be able to pull it off.

I was wondering who that misfit on the South America forum was. It was JanetKMR.

So it appears you'll be doing a steep slide "by ass" over to the lounge now, Cold! Don't hurt yourself.

Thank you for a wonderful trip report! We are hoping to travel to Peru this coming summer and have been debating whether to do the IT. Question: Is there a minimum age to do the trail and if so, what is it?

Hi Jeanned. I believe with Llamapath it was eight though I can't find that on their website. With two other companies I checked it is eight and seven.

It was a year ago today we started the hike. The three couples are getting together again to wear the dorky hats they gave us at 11,000 feet to celebrate New Years Eve.

Another question: How much is it per a person?

I think we paid about $550 each plus $65 extra for a porter to carry some of our stuff plus small amounts to rent sleeping bags and poles. Including tips we were probably around $700 each. Children/students are a bit less.

Thanks colduphere! We are hoping to go this summer but I am debating whether we should do the IT portion. My youngest son is 8. He is a good traveller and hiker but I am worried that this may be too much for him (my other sons are 14 & 15).

Hope you all had a wonderful new years celebration, hats and all!

Jeanned - yes I read your other post and saw the ages. That is a tough one. My guess is that there is an 80% chance the 8 year old would manage fairly easily. We were worried about the 16 and 19 year olds as they had done zero training. Hee hee. They had no problems except for one day of sickness.

If he has hiked he would be okay with a backpack which can be another annoyance for kids not used to it.

Anyway, good luck. It is a tough call.

We are waiting for the photos with the dorky hats.

And sorry if our requests for tea closed down your other thread.

Happy New Year and happy travels.

Gruezi - I don't know if you saw my post in that other place. We are now going hiking in Norway and Iceland. I believe you are a fan of Norway.

I will be an even bigger fan of Peru after this next trip. The cost of hiking in Scandinavia brings home what incredible value touring in Peru is.

Iceland? You're going to Iceland!!! I LOOOOOOVE Iceland as much as I love Peru; they're my top two, actually. It's been a long time since I've been there (although I have been there three times) but I do remember the pain to the wallet pretty well. But it's worth it.

Are you hiking Thorvald?

(Oh,and I'll just be all jealous about the Norway part. Harrumph. I've wanted to go there for a long time, but I keep going to cheaper places instead.)

Are we hiking Thorvald? Well Amy, who really knows. What can't they names their places Smithsville and Browntown? I keep reading about places and then can't remember what I just read. Too many funny spellings.

I think the current plan is to do this:

http://www.mountainguides.is/OvernightTours/TrekkingTours/LandmannalaugarThorsmork/

But I'm waiting for other proposals to come in. Is Thorvald the same as Thorsmork?

Yup, that's the one! Of course, it's got that Icelandic slipped P rather than a Th, but my computer gave up on that one. I think maybe Thorsmork is the mountain-y bit and Thorsmork is the "woods" (I speak generally: no trees) around it. Even though we went through four tires on the bus in getting to it, it was worth it. That trip looks wonderful.

In case you've missed my paean to Iceland, here 'tis:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/and-nowthe-100-best-things-in-iceland.cfm

Cold

Yes I'm all about the scenery and hiking. You will love Norway. But it will make your trip to Switzerland look very cheap. Horrifyingly expensive. But the seafood will make you realize you've never properly tasted fish before.

When are you going???

" But the seafood will make you realize you've never properly tasted fish before. "

Not if you've already been to Peru! Fantastic seafood!

In August Gruezi. I know your daughter was looking at Egypt. Our daughter is now going Turkey - Tunisia - Sweden - Norway - Iceland. When I was her age I went to the corner store.

Mlgb - yes the seafood was terrific. I won't be eating seafood in Scandinavia. In fact I doubt I will be eating.

Oh - I would love to go in August for the midnight sun. I love that serotonin high... I went in May and the daylight until after midnight was great. Unfortunately I also had a lot of rain But still, the country was so beautiful and I very much liked all the young people I met. Really nice and very helpful. Perhaps you can find a good corner somewhere for panhandling or busking to earn your fish dinner

I like your daughter's itinerary! Lucky you to get to meet up with her for a part of it. I've not been to Iceland but sure would enjoy that. And Sweden in August is another dream of mine. Was supposed to go last summer but my husband's company screwed that up... lots of sad ones in the gruezi family when that fell through. I was in Sweden in December and absolutely loved it. Not as expensive as Norway either... heh, heh.

Not sure where my daughter will land. She is a bit nervous about Cairo these days. I don't think anything has really changed there so much since she applied for her fellowship (although she says it is no longer safe for her) but maybe she just decided it was too far from her boyfriend or something... I am not too sad she won't go because it probably isn't very safe, although I wish she would look into Turkey or Morocco or Jordan. Apparently they don't speak the "right" Arabic there - eyes rolling. Perhaps she decided she is not up to Arabic. Who can read the mind of a 22-year-old? Well, like I said before, got to let the birds fly. I think mine will only be flying off to DC where the most dangerous thing is the hot weather in August! Maybe your daughter needs a visitor?? I like to buy dinner for starving college students...

Brilliant trip report Cold, really engaging and entertaining!

Thanks Susan - very nice of you. We are hoping to make it down to one of your favourite areas - Brazil - for the World Cup of soccer in 2014. I will be reading your trip report to prepare.

Wow Cold!!! What an amazing report.

I would so love to do the hike but as another VC person, I'm trying to decide if this is just too scary for me to attempt.

I have worked very hard to overcome my fears and I'm very proud of my progress. I can even do stadium stairs without breaking much of a sweat, so I'm tempted. Really tempted!

Hi Marigross - I don't think I mentioned in my report that if at any time I felt I couldn't make it past a steep drop-off, I am certain our guides would have stood between me and the cliff. You could discuss that with any potential guides in advance. These guides face this situation all the time and are incredibly helpful.

You'll make the right decision.

Or Marigross, the other strategy would be to go somewhere worse first. We are going here in August:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preikestolen

I am already yelling at the teenagers that they will NOT GO NEAR THE EDGE! So I suggest you do the Preikestolen first (feet over the edge) and then the IT will feel like a breeze.