Confessions about my trip to Machu Picchu
February 26, 2014
“Hiking to Machu Picchu is one of greatest things I’ve ever done.”
I have heard myself describe my 2006 trek to Machu Picchu this way many times. The trip was a huge challenge for me and without a doubt, what I accomplished in those four days changed me for the better – physically and mentally.
Physically, I came back from Peru in my best shape ever. I was never physically active before this trip. After an accident in grade 4, I had never taken phys. ed. in school or played team sports again. On the Inca Trail I found out how great it feels to be active and realized that I am a lot tougher than I thought. So when I got home, at 36 years old, I took up sports and outdoors activities and I have kept it up ever since.
Mentally, I was feeling pretty sharp when I returned home too. I had faced the biggest challenge of my life head on, with strength and determination, and was successful. I never gave up and I have never been so proud of myself.
Thinking of joining the Expedition of Hope to Machu Picchu?
This September, Ovarian Cancer Canada’s second annual Expedition of Hope is a hike to the ancient city of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes. If you are considering this adventure, I have a few confessions to make that you might want to know about. Hopefully, my experience might help you make the decision to go.
Confession #1: Three months before my trip, I had no idea what Machu Picchu was.
When friends suggested the trip to my husband, Dave and I in June 2006, I had no idea what Machu Picchu really was. I knew it was in Peru and that people hiked there.
Dave and I had travelled together for years – including eight months backpacking through South East Asia on a shoestring budget and we had already been discussing that it was time for our next adventure. Because Dave was so excited about the idea, I threw caution to the wind, paid my deposit and then I googled Machu Picchu!
There is nothing you can read and there are no pictures that will allow you to truly experience the majesty of the Andes, the mysterious nature of the ruins or the beauty of the Inca Trail. People talk about a ‘spiritual energy’ that emanates from the stones at Machu Picchu. I have never considered myself to be a spiritual person but I believe that Machu Picchu is spiritual and magical; you have to go there in person to experience this yourself.
Confession #2: I almost backed out at the last minute.
The night before our four-day hike, I was in my hotel room in Cusco for hours listening to rain banging down on the tin roof above my head – waffling about whether to leave on the bus at 4 a.m. or not.
I mentally reviewed our trip preparations, vacillating between concern and utter fear. First: “The three-hour hike we took on the Rouge Park trail with three large tin cans in each of our knapsacks was a good simulation and that was no problem.” And then one minute later: “I am going to die.”
I don’t know what finally tipped me over the edge but I have never regretted that decision to go. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. No doubt, this trip will challenge you but it is one you can complete.
Confession #3: I hired a half porter.
I admit it – I paid for the services of a porter to carry 7 kg of my things and I hiked with a day-pack (approximately 6 kg) which was mostly a large water bottle and snacks.
While I carried a little pack and struggled through the hardest physical activity of my life, the porter carrying my belongings finished taking down our tents and breakfast gear, packed it all up and ran right by me in flip flops (he was also carrying two large tents, a propane tank and more) to race ahead and prepare lunch in time for our group of 15 to arrive at the lunch site.
The porters and guides are fantastic. They are used to the high altitude. They have been climbing in those mountains and taken that path so many times; they will guide you well. The fittest person in our group, a spinning instructor, got struck badly by altitude sickness and had to be carried on a stretcher made of reeds for two days, but the guides and porters took great care of him.
Rest assured, people from all different backgrounds and physical abilities have done this hike successfully.
Confession #4: The hiking was actually relaxing!
I know it is hard to believe but that is the truth. The days I spent hiking in the Andes were the most relaxing time I remember as an adult. Once I got started and headed out on the trail, there was nothing else to do but be there and be in the moment. Work, home, your to-do list – they all fade away.
Walking in the high altitude was more difficult than usual and absorbed some of my attention. But when I had a chance to stop and look around, I was surrounded by the most magnificent views I have ever seen. There is a mix of beautiful mountain scenery, lush cloud-forest, subtropical jungle and a trail of Inca paving stones and ruins all along the way.
There is nowhere to be but in the moment. You’ll never felt so stress free.
Confession #5: I liked the hike better than the actual ruins!
Though they are totally amazing, it is not just about visiting the ruins – it’s about the journey to get there. It is about spending time on the Inca Trail, and being immersed in the history and magic of the area.
When you hike, you reach the ruins at sunrise and you get to spend a few hours there with relatively few people before the hordes of regular day visitors arrive on the train from Cusco.
Fast forward seven years and here I am again excited about a trip to Machu Picchu. This year, I get to send off the Expedition of Hope hikers on their voyage to Machu Picchu, and wait patiently for their pictures and stories from the Inca Trail.
“It’s the going, not the getting there that’s good.” Harry Chapin
