I will write details of each day of the trek, but this will give a shortened version if you just want the highlights.
Why go?
I have always wanted to see Machu Picchu and wanted to hike the trail instead of ride the train. I finished grad school in May and am turning 40 in July so this trip was a celebration of those two things!
Who I went with
I went by myself and joined a group with Jenny Hadfield. She is a running coach and arranges running vacations. I went with her group on that Alaskan Marathon Cruise I did a few years ago. I didn't know anyone going, but I knew all the people in the group were like-minded runners/trekkers. I found out quickly many of them have done the Alaskan Marathon Cruise, Rim to Rim, the Caribbean Cruise marathon, etc. I made friends very quickly :) Erik's Adventures supplied our guides and arranged our tours - they were awesome!!
Trail
The trail was rocky, uneven, steep, and at high altitude. Our very cool shirts had a map of the trail.
Weather
I had heard horror stories of how cold it gets on some of the passes and how it can be cold and rainy. We were very fortunate that it only rained at night on the trail. It was chilly at night when eating, but it was snuggly warm in our tents. There were blue skies and sun most of the time we were hiking.
Gear
I am a novice hiker and camper. I went to REI for help and they hooked me up with an awesome pack. It was really comfortable even with a lot of weight in it and it was pretty easy to hike in. My water bladder leaked several days and on the last day I bent to tie my shoes and freezing water dumped over my head so the water bladder and I had to break up!! I had never used trekking poles before, but they were awesome! Like having 4 legs! I couldn't have made it down steep descents without them. My boots were totally awesome - actually made my feet hurt less than my trainers. My smart wool socks worked well with the boots and I couldn't have asked for better boots. I started getting a few blisters on the day we did all the downhills, but it wasn't too bad.
Altitude/Coca
The altitude kicked my ass! People use Coca to help with altitude sickness. We drank coca tea, ate coca candy, chewed coca leaves.... I think I left with a major cocaine habit :)
Lupus
I was kind of concerned about what such an arduous trek would due to my lupus. Usually when I get really tired, I stutter, get tremors in my hands so bad I have to eat with my hands because I can't use a fork. I have trouble with word recall and muscle movements. I can't use a zipper or button my own clothes. People usually get a little freaked out when they see it for the first time. I really thought I would have trouble since I was so tired, but thankfully I was fine!! no tremors, no stuttering.
I had dreamed of hiking the Inca Trail for a long time and I am really glad I did it!!!
Why go?
I have always wanted to see Machu Picchu and wanted to hike the trail instead of ride the train. I finished grad school in May and am turning 40 in July so this trip was a celebration of those two things!
Who I went with
I went by myself and joined a group with Jenny Hadfield. She is a running coach and arranges running vacations. I went with her group on that Alaskan Marathon Cruise I did a few years ago. I didn't know anyone going, but I knew all the people in the group were like-minded runners/trekkers. I found out quickly many of them have done the Alaskan Marathon Cruise, Rim to Rim, the Caribbean Cruise marathon, etc. I made friends very quickly :) Erik's Adventures supplied our guides and arranged our tours - they were awesome!!
Trail
The trail was rocky, uneven, steep, and at high altitude. Our very cool shirts had a map of the trail.
Weather
I had heard horror stories of how cold it gets on some of the passes and how it can be cold and rainy. We were very fortunate that it only rained at night on the trail. It was chilly at night when eating, but it was snuggly warm in our tents. There were blue skies and sun most of the time we were hiking.
Gear
I am a novice hiker and camper. I went to REI for help and they hooked me up with an awesome pack. It was really comfortable even with a lot of weight in it and it was pretty easy to hike in. My water bladder leaked several days and on the last day I bent to tie my shoes and freezing water dumped over my head so the water bladder and I had to break up!! I had never used trekking poles before, but they were awesome! Like having 4 legs! I couldn't have made it down steep descents without them. My boots were totally awesome - actually made my feet hurt less than my trainers. My smart wool socks worked well with the boots and I couldn't have asked for better boots. I started getting a few blisters on the day we did all the downhills, but it wasn't too bad.
Altitude/Coca
The altitude kicked my ass! People use Coca to help with altitude sickness. We drank coca tea, ate coca candy, chewed coca leaves.... I think I left with a major cocaine habit :)
Lupus
I was kind of concerned about what such an arduous trek would due to my lupus. Usually when I get really tired, I stutter, get tremors in my hands so bad I have to eat with my hands because I can't use a fork. I have trouble with word recall and muscle movements. I can't use a zipper or button my own clothes. People usually get a little freaked out when they see it for the first time. I really thought I would have trouble since I was so tired, but thankfully I was fine!! no tremors, no stuttering.
I had dreamed of hiking the Inca Trail for a long time and I am really glad I did it!!!
Congrats! I'm so excited for you....It's long been on our list of things to do, but timing has never worked out. I can't wait to see pictures :)
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