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The Inca Trail Andes Mountains of Peru - November, 2000
I took these photos in November of 2000, while on a hike in Peru. I arrived at Machu Picchu after a grueling but incredible four days of high-altitude hiking and camping along the Inca Trail. Hiking in to Machu Picchu was an amazing experience. The ruins here weren't discovered until 1911. Hiking there, I now understand why. Hiking through the clouds, I literally got right upon the ruins before the clouds slowly broke to reveal Machu Picchu below. Standing there, watching the scene unfold before me was an amazing scene. It was one of those occasional epiphanies that confront each of us somewhere in the course of our lives. This particular hike required four days of trekking the Inca trail -- up and over a series of high peaks and low valleys ranging between 8 000 and 14 000 feet. That's the altitude of the trail I was hiking, mind you -- 14 000 feet. For reference, the highest peak in all of Rocky Mountains is 14 400. My hike started at 8 000 feet, after jumping off the train at kilometer 82. The ensuing days took me a through 26 miles of of undulating peaks and valleys. It was an amazing experience to be donned in hat, gloves, and Gortex on a mountain peak -- only to find myself sweating it out in shorts on the valley floor a few short hours later, only to head back up to the next pass. On the fourth day, I woke before dawn, and descended down to Machu Picchu, which sits at 8 000 feet. This trip is grueling, but it's completely doable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness, and strong sense of determination. The trail isn't too bad. The altitude is the killer. I remember the second day on the hike vividly. I started out, timing myself at an hour between stops to catch a drink and rest. Within a few short hours, I had deteriorated to the point of pushing myself to take five steps between rests. And that was after spending five days acclimatizing before the hike! The hike offered some amazing opportunities that most other visitors to Peru never get to experience. I got to hang out with the porters and guides that work the trail. They are a simple, happy, sociable bunch. I was able to visit ruins that are too remote to otherwise be seen. Experiencing these ruins really helped me understand the differences between the sites, and see how their design and construction clearly indicates that each was built with a specific purpose in mind. I got to hike through the cloud forest. Hummingbirds darted along my path. Clouds obscured my view. Some of the flowers had such stellar saturation of color, that no film processor to date has been able to reproduce the colors accurately. I got to breathe the thin, pure mountain air. If you go... Get a good guide. An important part of this trip is camping at an altitude lower than you hiked that day. It's essential in order for your body to allow a good night's rest. The good guides know where to camp. They will also help explain the ruins you'll pass along the way, and give you the opportunity to spend some time with a native Peruvian. Make sure your guide speaks English, Spanish, and Chechua. Make sure you and your guides are in agreement on food and gear. Don't take Diamox. The wonder-drug for altitude sickness has the side effect of increased urination. Drinkable water along the trail is present, but not plentiful. It's usually a day's hike between sources. Do you want to carry all that extra water? And bear in mind that you generally need to double your water intake at the higher altitude. Diamox works by quickening your breath -- you're gonna get that once you're hiking the trail, either way.... Diamox would help you get a better night's sleep, but the drug can't be timed that specifically. Bear in mind that you're only hiking -- at most -- eight hours a day. There's an opportunity to turn in early and catch some extra sleep. Coca, Senior? Everybody there chews the leaves and drinks the tea. It's highly touted as the antidote for altitude sickness. But note that coca leaves are the source ingredient of cocaine. Considering the massive number of leaves required to create cocaine, I doubt a couple of leaves is going to help or hurt anyone. Knowing my luck, they would be just sufficient to trigger a positive hit on a drug test. Whatever you decide, don't try to bring the leaves back to the states. It would be a violation of both agricultural import and drug laws. Pack for all weather. The chances are good that you'll use it all -- shorts, gloves, sun glasses, and poncho. This trek is the perfect justification for an investment in a Gortex jacket and pants with zip-off legs to convert to shorts. The rainy season starts in November. Convertible pants are a great way to save on the amount of clothing you take. Bring plenty of fresh wool hiking socks -- the ones that wick moisture away from your feet. You can skimp on shoes. The trail is paved in stones. Stiff hiking boots are recommended, but cross-trainers will suffice; especially if will allow you to take the items I listed above. Whatever you do, don't try to break-in a new pair of shoes on the trail. Avoid your fellow Americans. I love my country and my fellow countrymen. But we - more than anyone else in the world - tend to complain on trips like this. We also tend to yell, shout, and generally feel the need to punctuate the beauty of God's creation by talking incessantly. When you go, you're bound to run into a group of Americans. You'll see what I mean. The group I ran into; I heard them a half mile ahead of me, and another half mile after passing them. If possible, travel with Aussies and Brits -- even when they complain, their accents add a humorous light-hearted tone. Let me know. I'd love to ramble-on with more details about the trip I took, and share some more specific advice. Pack less. This is a more-general travel topic. Try and remember that no one outside of America wears a different set of clothes every day -- and in most cases, they wear the same clothes as yesterday; without being laundered.
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