I’ve done a lot of crazy things while travelling in recent years but none of that could prepare me for the physical and mental challenge that I’d have to overcome for our 4 day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu as a travel destination has been on the rise since the turn of the century with more and more people going every year. With rumours swirling around reducing the number of visitors per day or closing it off entirely, it’s become on the top of a lot of people’s bucket lists including my own.
Determined to make the trip happen, we planned a mega 2 week trip to Peru that included Machu Picchu and the Amazon Rainforest. We would later find out that we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
Inca Trail is the only one where you literally hike into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate
Read more about Peru
- How to pick which Machu Picchu hike to do
- Inca Trail to Machu Picchu hike guide and review of Alpaca Expeditions
- 9 surprising things I learned about trekking the Inca Trail
- Why choose trek Salkantay trek over the others
Where to stay in the Cusco?
- If you’re looking for great places to stay, my recommendation is to take a look on Booking.com. For a really comfortable luxury stay, the Palacio Del Inka was incredible for us but on a budget, we equally loved the Hostal Illapa Inn. For our one night in the Sacred Valley, the Tambo del Inka was another Marriott property that blew us away.
Table of Contents
In This Article
Picking a Machu Picchu Trail
At the beginning, I was completely overwhelmed and most likely you’ll feel the same way. The ultimate goal is Machu Picchu of course but when you start researching for multi-day trek options, there are an overwhelming number of options. Which one is better? What are the differences? My Machu Picchu planning guide goes through the top choices and my Machu Picchu hike breakdown delves deeper but in the end we went with the classic Inca Trail hike. It came down to the fact that the Inca Trail is the only one where you literally hike into Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate while all other hikes end in Aguas Caliente which forces you to take the bus up with all the other tourists.
After a ton of research and back and forth, we landed with Alpaca Expeditions. I remember reading a ton of reviews and honestly, all the trekking companies were respectable and I’m sure we would’ve been fine with any one of them. While I hate to say it, TripAdvisor was the ultimate deciding factor where it came down to positive reviews, price, and the fact that they’re a local company and treat their porters and guides extremely well.
The best decision for us was booking in early March and we kind of did it blind because the only thing we knew up until that point was that we wanted to go near the beginning of September. So like a game of pin the tail on the donkey, we picked a random September day to start our 4 day Inca Trail hike.
What I Thought the Inca Trail Would Be Like
I figured that a relatively fit person like myself would have no problem with a hike like this. I hike all the time. Every summer, we head up north to hike and I’ve even gone as far as doing a pretty badass multi-day hike with camping gear and in knee-high water. Going a step further, I knew that there would be a considerable amount of uphill so I even started doing a lot of stair master and leg punishing squats leading up to the trip at the gym. I got this right? No problem!
The Inca Trail has never been pegged as a big bad hike. Everyone talks about how beautiful the views of Machu Picchu are. Sure it’s a mountain and sure it’ll have some uphill but with Diamox and a bunch of acclimatization days set in the itinerary, I didn’t think it’d be all that bad.
What The Inca Trail Was Actually Like
I’m not one to sugarcoat things so I want to set the record straight. The Inca Trail kicked our ass and real hard at that. Despite all of that planning and preparation, what really happened along the Inca Trail was night and day compared to what I had envisioned.
Every step I took felt like I had 20 pound bags wrapped around my leg. The unrelenting stair master from hell seemed to be on an infinite loop which pushed my lungs to the limit. Feeling like I was in post-5K marathon shape, my lungs actually felt tired, overworked and overstretched. Just imagine taking 10 steps up and being completely gassed. That’s why we took a lot of breaks along the way and why we always seemed to be one of the last groups to make camp.
Get to the end of the post to find out how.
Altitude
The x-factor for it all of course was the altitude and it hit us like a brick wall. At our highest point along Dead Woman’s Pass, we were pushing 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). To give a sense of scale, the peak of Whistler is 2,184 meters, airplanes cruise at 11,887 meters, and the peak of El Capitan is 2,307 meters.
All of us were afflicted by altitude throughout the Inca Trail. I had severe exhaustion after the first day and possibly a fever plus diarrhea going into day 2 and 3. My friends had similar issues but most were stomach related, inability to sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Amongst the 4 of us, we pretty much got everything in the book. To top things off, Chantelle, on day 4, as we were racing towards the Sun Gate, awkwardly stepped on a small rock jutting out from the ground and twisted her ankle.
Climate
Climate was another thing that September had in store for us. While still in the dry season, September is one of those transition months for Peru, moving from winter into spring. The Andean mountain range is also known to be quite temperamental.
With how much the temperature was fluctuating it felt like we were constantly changing. On came the fleece or off it went. If it was raining, we’d have to pull out the poncho but once it let up, we stopped and put it way because it was unbreathable and just plain annoying.
There were times where it was hard to figure out what to wear because it might be cold and you’d layer up but after you started climbing, it got really hot so you’d take layers off but because of the breeze against your sweat, it’d get cold again. Catching a cold was a serious concern and could have been the cause of some of our illnesses.
The other thing that carried on with us from Cusco was the fact that it was ridiculously dry in this region. There were a couple of nights where I noticed crusted blood in my nose. The outside of my nostrils were so insanely chapped that I used my chapstick on there more than I did my lips.
Mosquitos
You’d think that the high altitude meant that there’d be less mosquitos. WRONG! In fact, it was the complete opposite up there and twice as vicious as the ones we have back home.
These Incan mosquitos don’t mess around. They’re small, fast, and leave big welts behind that take a long time to heal.
We woke up to day 2 with swarms of mosquitos as we prepared to head out. It was so bad that we actually had to use our mosquito head nets that we purchased for the Amazon. That only helped a bit as these little buggers still managed to get you if the net was sitting against your face. My only solution: Do the wiggle dance.
Where we got hit the hardest was on day 4 when we arrived at Machu Picchu. It was a beautiful and sunny that day. With the sun beating down on us, we naturally layered off to our shorts and t-shirts. That was a mistake. The mosquitos locked onto our bare skin like magnets. Anywhere that wasn’t protected by deet mosquito repellent was ravaged with bites.
So you see, the Inca Trail is no walk in the park.
What They Don’t Tell You
Let me break down for you everything that I wish I knew going into this. Some of it you might’ve heard of but hopefully you’ll learn something new here as well. Don’t mess with the Inca Trail.
- When you land in Cusco, you’re already at 3,400 meters (11,200 feet) so you need to tell your doctor to account for that when prescribing Diamox.
- There’s really not a whole lot of flat portions on the trek. After you pass halfway through day 1, the uphill gets more and more intense and culminates in the infamous Dead Woman’s Pass. We’re talking about 5 hours of continuous uphill where you continuously ask yourself “Is it over yet?”.
- Breathing technique is actually pretty important. Our guide, Juan Carlos, hilariously told us it’s like smoking weed. We had no reference for that so we learned that it’s about taking deep breaths in and breathing out in one quick blast. Rapid breathing doesn’t do you any good as I learned after day 1.
- Altitude not only affects the breathing but pretty much your entire body. What we learned was that even things like digesting food becomes a difficult. They tried to build in extra break time after meals but you definitely still notice feeling sluggish for awhile.
- Don’t push yourself too hard. Needing to push the pace towards the end of the first day because we were falling behind, I cut my breaks down and went all out. I was leading the pack but by the end of the night, I found myself on the verge of collapse. Cut out the heroics and go with a casual pace.
- I don’t know how you can do a hike like this without a hydration backpack like a Geigerrig or Camelback. Another key to success for the hike is making sure you’re sipping water almost all the time. Our guide told us that the best indication of hydration is whether your lips are moist or not. There were good stretches of the hike where I just had the hydration tube in my mouth and I was just constantly drinking small drops of water.
- You should pretty much go into the hike and in fact all of Cusco with the knowledge that you’re going to have some sort of stomach problems along the way. Pack accordingly. Even if you don’t though, the good thing is that your guide is pretty well equipped with first aid.
- This one’s a bit obvious but pack as light as you can. Towards the end of our hike, all of those “nice to have” and “just in case” items were all chucked into the duffle bags for the porters. Do yourself a favour and bring as little as you possibly can.
- Bring lots and lots of toilet paper. Trust me, you’ll need it. I’ll just leave it at that.
- Beware the mosquitos. As much as deet is terrible, you need the heavy stuff to stay protected if any skin is exposed. The other way to stay protected is to wear long everything all the time.
With all that said, I’m honestly not trying to scare you guys off from doing the hike. This is how the Inca Trail affected us but we met a ton of people along the way and even in talking to folks afterwards that they were completing fine. On the other end of the spectrum we heard countless stories along the way of people being forced to bail from the trail or having to get evacuated. In the grand scheme of things, our experience was in the middle somewhere I suppose?
Couldn’t Have Done It Without The Green Machine
Talk about a good trekking company. We couldn’t have done this without Juan Carlos and the Alpaca Expeditions porters. It is UNREAL how good our porters were. While we were dying along the trail, our porters were strapping on 20 kg on their back and racing up and down the steps in flip flops and shoes holes in them.
Their mountain ways didn’t end there though. We were fed like kings up there. Between breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner, I don’t know if there was a day that we weren’t impressed with what we were served. Each meal was hearty and very creative considering they either had to lug all the supplies up or buy them along the way.
Lastly, camp was set up and broken down with lightning speed. Once we left for our hike in the morning, our porters would pack things up and by lunch, they were already at the camp site with the dining/cooking tent set up. They then had to pack that up to head to our night’s campsite where they put up the most comfortable tents I’ve ever used with their double sleeping mats, pillow, and plush sleeping bag.
The service was also impeccable. Every night as we settled into our tents, we’d get bowls of hot water with soap for us to wash up. In the morning, we’d wake up to piping hot cups of coca tea. The biggest surprise of course was our “Inca Shower” that we had access to on day 3 which allowed us to have a full shower by scooping out hot water from a large water cooler.
Totally Worth It
There’s something to be said about battling through adversity and coming out of it with our heads held high to the tune of one epic view. Being able to do it with your best friends made it that much more special as well. We pulled for each other every step of the way. It’s another one of those things you’ll put in the books as a “Oh damn, we actually did that.”
A lot of people have asked me if I’d do it again and the simple answer is “no” because why the heck would I want to put myself through it again. That being said, if you’ve never done it before and are up for a challenge, I highly recommend it. The Inca Trail itself in my mind is the only way to go because of the fact you come in through the Sun Gate and the numerous Inca sites that you get to see and walk through along the way. In fact, I was probably more impressed with some of the ruins we saw along the way than Machu Picchu. Might’ve been because we weren’t bumping shoulders with all the other tourists and had the sites all to ourselves.
As Switchfoot says best, “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine”.
Book with Alpaca Expeditions
I highly recommend that you book with Alpaca Expeditions. They’re best in class and would recommend them to anyone. If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Alpaca Expeditions Discount
If you’re looking to book with Alpaca Expeditions, mention that you were referred by “Going Awesome Places” and you’ll be able to get free walking sticks and sleeping pads. Also make sure to email me as well so I can resolve any issues that you may have.
How? When you fill out their booking form, their second step has a drop down for “How did you hear about Alpaca Expeditions”. Select “Going Awesome Places Blog” in the drop down.
This is the best Alpaca Expeditions promotion and discount you’ll find on the market.
Planning your trip to Peru and looking for more about the Inca Trail?
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Where to Stay in Cusco
Acclimatization is something you kind of want to take seriously so when planning your trip around Cusco before and after your trip, make sure to book one of these accommodations in Cusco.
Below are a few of the recommended places that I personally stayed in (yes all 3) during our trip so I can vouch for all of them.
BEST
Thanks to SPG points, we were able to stay here the night before our trek. We met Juan Carlos in the lobby for our pre-hike meeting and were treated with upscale rooms as you’d expect as this is part of SPG’s luxury collection.
MID-RANGE
We stayed here after we returned from the Inca Trail and we were so glad to have this place because we really needed a place to rest with all of us recovering from some sort of ailment. This loft-style hotel was perfect for us as two couple with each of us with our own floor.
BUDGET
We stayed here our first two nights and for a guest house/hostel I was really impressed. Extremely clean, spacious, and really should be classified as a hotel. Came with breakfast and they were also nice enough to hold our bags while we were in the Sacred Valley.
What To Pack For Cusco
This trip is a little difficult to plan what to pack for as you’re limited on what/how much you can carry in your backpack on the hike. That being said, we have made a comprehensive list of everything you’ll need in our Peru packing list. Below are our most recommended items for the Inca Trail:
- Good hiking shoes. I use the Columbia Hiking Shoes.
- A lightweight poncho, you’ll be using this often as it rains quite a bit on and off.
- Warm layers for sleeping in at night, it gets really cold! Long johns, a fleece top and wool socks are recommended.
- A water reservoir to attach to your hiking backpack.
- Necessary toiletries – sunscreen, insect repellent, toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
- I always have my buff, it comes in handy for so much!
- Of course a good pair of sunglasses for when it’s not raining.
- Snacks to give you energy, you’ll need it!
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We just got back from hiking the Inca Trail with G adventures and let me tell you…yes it was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done! It took me 7 hours to reach dead woman’s pass, everyone else made it in 4-5. Luckily one of our assistant guides took a few of us out 2 hours early to get a head start! Day 3 and 4 were not easy either. I fell twice and snapped a trekking pole…but I made it!
Congrats Sarah! How was the G Adventures experience? And OMG, I know what you mean about Dead Woman’s Pass. You hear about how hard it is but until you do it, you don’t really know. And don’t worry, I’m sure we also took 7 hours. So many groups passed us along the way up. A huge achievement!!
The G Adventures Experience was phenomenal. We had 3 guides, 2 chefs, and many porters. We had 2 birthday cakes baked along the trail for birthdays, it was amazing. We had all meals, “tea” before dinner each night, and the warm water every evening to wash. We also had flushing toilets and real showers (cold water and some you had to had to pay extra $$) at some of our camps. I did not partake in cold showers, but my husband did and he really appreciated them. I used wilderness wipes the entire time.
I had a rough time the entire time and I really felt the personalized experience to get me through. I pretty much had a personal guide just for me the entire time.
We are actually about to hike the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks with G Adventures next month…so be sure to keep an eye out on our blog to see how that goes.
Thanks for sharing your G Adventures experience with us! It sounds like you had an amazing time. Real flushing toilets and real showers is a treat! We only had the cold shower at the very last night and that was it. How was your experience with the altitude?
William, congrats on completing this trek. I will second your vote for Alpaca Expeditions. We did the class trek with them in September 2021 and loved it. I will say that I think the experience impacts everyone differently. I’m in my late 40’s and have systemic arthritis (feet, hands, knees, ankles) and I found this hike completely obtainable and enjoyable. I love to hike up and was probably a mountain goat in my past life. My challenges were all the steps down…..so many more down than up and the rain. It rained non-stop on our longest day and that was tough. I would also suggest readers consider arriving in Cusco early and giving themselves a few days to acclimate. I think this approach is much better than Diamox and have found it has been helpful for me on other high-altitude adventures. This hike is doable and enjoyable, so I hope people aren’t scared away. It is worth it!
Thank you so much for your thoughts Jenny! How was it doing the trek during the pandemic BTW? I was really curious to know how it was but didn’t know anyone that was going. Huge kudos to you for conquering it!! Yes, going to Cusco early is definitely a great idea although even for us, it didn’t matter. That + Diamox + Coca Tea wasn’t enough to help with the altitude sickness. I’m sure it helped but I think we’re just very much sea-level creatures :P. Totally do-able still and regardless we loved this trip!
Will
I was so happy to unexpectedly come across your blog! I have not booked yet but had already decided on Alpaca so finding that’s who you went with helps confirm that choice! The reason I have not booked yet is because I am on the fence as to whether to do the classic 4 day trek or the 5 day. Maybe you could give me your opinion here. I am planning on doing this may 2020 with my daughter to celebrate my 65th birthday. Am I nuts? I am very, very active but I’ll be 65…every day something hurts. Lol!
Really don’t want to kill myself and would like to enjoy. My daughter is concerned we might get bored on the 5 day as too slow? Maybe we would have less problem with altitude if we did 5 day? She is good with whatever I decide and is not pressuring me….I just can’t decide….
My other concern is the sleeping on the ground and my back. Were their mats good or should I bring my own? I have no problem hiring an extra porter if needed and plan to carry very little on my back…only what is absolutely necessary and that I may just put in my daughter’s pack…she’s young!
I am so excited about doing this, Any advise you can give me would be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Patti
Hey Patti! Glad you found this article and found it relevant for your potential upcoming trip. First of all, amazing that you’re thinking about doing this for your 65th! That is truly incredible and to even think about it means that you are still pretty active.
So really it’s hard for me to answer because you know your body the best. I’d say the hiking itself isn’t that hard other than perhaps that climb up to Dead Woman’s pass. The funny thing is that we were probably some of the slowest groups going up and that meant we saw folks that were much older than us flying past us so I’m not convinced that age is the biggest factor in terms of performance. The biggest influence in how you do is really with how your body reacts to altitude and something that was a huge unknown for us. We all got beat up in different ways because of altitude and that’s what made it so much harder.
In terms of sleeping on the ground, I found their mats to be pretty comfortable. If you take altitude out of the equation, sleeping in their tents with their gear was rather comfortable. I wish I took photos of it but if you did feel like you have a very specific need for a sleeping mat that works really well for you, you could bring it, if it’s easy to pack and small.
I hope this helps!! I know not definitive answers but if you have experience in altitude, I think that helps because you’ll know how your body reacts and for your back, you would be fine not to bring it but if you do and can fit it, you totally could bring it.
Will,
Thanks for the honest blog. I’m doing the Inca trail this November and your review convinced me to go with Alpaca Expeditions. Looking forward to it. Your review certainly tells me I have to prepare more physically and mentally.
Angel
You’re very welcome! That was the intention as I felt like I learned a lot from my own experience that I knew would help others to prepare. Best of luck and hopefully you signed up using the Going Awesome Places referral!
Hey Will,
I really appreciate all of your info and suggestions while taking on the Inca Trail! I’m in contact with Alpaca Expeditions to book this for November and I’m really excited to take on the challenge! I am wondering if you would suggest spending the night by Machu Picchu, to experience the area for a longer time and to potentially hike Huaynapicchu or if there is enough time on day 4 before the last train leaves…
The Amazon itinerary is also helping me structure my limited time in Peru, it seems there is almost too many things to experience in such a short time frame!
Hi Eli, super excited for your trip coming up! Okay so great question here – I’d say the majority of people don’t end up staying in Aguas Calientes but if you want to spend more time exploring the town and perhaps going back to Machu Picchu the second day to do say Huaynapicchu, that’s certainly an option. It’ll all depend on how many days you have to work with and what kind of operators/guides you can find to work with you. I know that’s not a definitive answer but hopefully that helps.
YES I totally can relate – always too much to see and not enough time!
Thanks so much for the honest blog! I’m doing the Inca Trail in five weeks as a 45th birthday present to myself, and although the I’ve been training hard on tough mudder, 25 mile kilt walks and ran a 10k plus climbing our beautiful Scottish Munros I have been worried about my fitness and the altitude ! I’ll stock up on the drugs and toilet paper and bring my ever present poncho 😀
First off, congrats on your 45th coming up and secondly you’re most welcome. So happy that this was useful for you. Sounds like you’ve been doing some really good training and you’ll be in good shape heading into it. Just remember that the altitude hits everyone differently so just go in with that expectation. It’ll either not affect you much at all or it could affect you like it did for us. Preparedness is definitely key! Best of luck and most importantly, have FUN!
My husband & I have booked with Peru Treks to do the Classic Inca Trail in early August. I am super nervous & reading your account makes me even more afraid! lol. Did you take Diamox for altitude sickness prior to beginning your trek?
I’m really enjoying reading all the information you have presented regarding your Peru travels. We will be there for 16 full days, so will definitely try to hit up some of your suggested spots.
Hey Hannah, that’s really exciting to hear that you have the Classic Inca Trail! Definitely didn’t mean to make you nervous. It’s a personal account of my experience and like I mentioned it definitely depends on how your body reacts to it but of course there’s no way to know because there’s not exactly a place to practice it right? I’ve also heard from people/witnessed along the trail that some people just don’t get hit with much altitude issues at all.
Regarding Diamox, I started taking it 2 days prior when we were in Cusco. I’m glad we had all those acclimatization days there because it was a place where if you weren’t feeling well, you could just go back to the hotel and rest. My mistake hiking was that I really over-exerted myself on the first day and honestly I think that’s why I got sick. If I took a good consistent and easy pace, I think I would’ve been okay.
Best of luck out there and have fun. Totally jealous :)
Thank You so much for sharing your experience. Even though I would not be able to do this hike, your article and fabulous photos has helped with learning what to expect. I am 70 and my husband is 76. At home, I can barely make it walking from parking up to our 3rd floor condo. The end of March we are taking a cruise from Buenos Aires, down around the tip and sailing all the way back to Vancouver, B.C. The ship offers an excursion – 3 days, 2 nights to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We both want to see and I have already booked. A few years ago my husband and I took the cog railway up to Pike’s Peak (15,000 feet). We were both fine – walking around slowly, enjoying the view, that is until I had to stand in line for the bathroom. Then started getting a little dizzy. I hadn’t known about the mosquitos, so now can be prepared. Where can one purchase those light weight ponchos? I do have a rain coat I could take, but might be a little heavy and too warm. Wishing you the very best on all of your upcoming trips and adventures.
Hi Joan, thanks for taking the time to read this post! Excited for the upcoming trip that you have. In terms of the light weight ponchos, you can grab those at your nearest dollar store. That’s where we got ours. One version is the super light ones which are practically plastic bag material and the other is a thicker and more durable plastic. Hope that helps!
Wonderful to read your review of the Inca Trail and Alpaca Expeditions. My girlfriend and I did the trail with Alpaca Expeditions last September (2015) as part of a 3 week Peruvian adventure. The kicker is that we were both 55 years old! As you said, “Hardest thing I’ve ever done!!” And Alpaca Expeditions was the best company ever to do it with… I struggled with the heat the first day and was unable to eat supper for the nausea, but after that, I managed without further difficulties. During the hard parts going up to Dead Woman’s Pass, I was counting 11 steps, stopping to catch breath, then counting 11 more. And the forever upwards, more steps up at the top of every rise, I remember it so well. And the amazing feeling of accomplishment to get to the Sun Gate and see the panorama, then the wonderful sense of having hiked in, not taken a bus… You have captured so many of the experiences and the feelings that went with them. Thanks for the memories!
Incredible Martha! I am so proud of you two. I think I realized pretty early on that fitness and age only played a very tiny part in how the Inca Trail would be. Glad to have been able to share my experience with you and also rekindle some great (and also exhausting) memories from your trip!
What a great and thorough review of your experience on the Inca Trail – thank you! A friend and I are going next month with Alpaca Expeditions and are super excited. Knowledge is power and I appreciate your honest account of what we may encounter on the trail. I really enjoyed your photos as well!
Thanks for stopping by Lynda! You’re going to have a blast with Alpaca Expeditions. I wonder if you’ll get our guide! Yes I tried to be as true and authentic as possible in regards to my experience so let that be a guide for your own journey :)
Just wondering how many days in Cusco you spent acclimating prior to your trek
Hey! We spent roughly 4 days acclimatizing prior to the trek which is considered quite a lot. For full details about our itinerary check out https://goingawesomeplaces.com/2-week-itinerary-peru-inca-trail-machu-picchu-amazon-jungle/
I totally agree, Will! The Inca Trail was bloody hard, I never expected it to be as difficult as it was. The altitude is an absolute killer and I ended up having a panic attack on the way up to dead woman’s pass because I was struggling to breathe. I was hiking with 2 people who had done Kilimanjaro, and both of them said that the Inca Trail was harder.
If you’re interested in seeing my experience, I posted a video here :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXoUBnw1NbQ
Hey Ashlea, LOVED the video and thanks for sharing. Wow I didn’t know that this was actually harder than Mt. Kili. Did they say why it was harder? I’ve been re-evaluating doing Mt. Kili ever since completing the Inca Trail because I just don’t know if I can tackle something even more difficult than what we did in Peru.
So glad you enjoyed the video! I can totally understand your reevaluation – the Inca Trail has certainly turned me off doing any more extended hikes! From memory, they said that Kili was much more flat so the altitude didn’t affect them as much.
Hi Will,
Intense stuff dude. I hear you on stomach issues. Not sure if it was altitude sickness or food poisoning but I puked my guts out in Cusco. I felt that altitude like mad after climbing 4 flights of stairs. I was winded. Weird feeling for an in shape dude. Thanks for sharing.
Ryan
Thank you so much for your honest review on the hardships of hiking the Inca Trail! I’ve been thinking about making this hike for a while but I was a little nervous I would be in over my head. It’s apparent that the hike will be no easy thing, but I definitely think it’ll be worth it! I’m sure I’ll be making the trek eventually, but now at least I’ll be much better prepared on what to expect! :)
You’re welcome Kate! That was really the intention of this post. The Inca Trail is still glorious and I recommend it to anyone up for a little bit of a challenge :D.
Hey Will, shit that sounds like a character building trip for sure. Something good always comes from being put outside our comfort zones. Sometimes it is better to be mentally prepared, sometime it’s just not the way it goes, but that’s the beauty of life, we always end up experiencing what we most need to grow and develop.
Absolutely Aaron. You definitely learn just how much will and determination can get you through almost anything. Love your comments!
Thank you for this, Will! I had the exact same experience as you, and the trail left me with mixed emotions. I was in no way prepared for how genuinely challenging the Inca trail was, and I really wish someone had enlightened me. Everyone I spoke to beforehand told me that I could easily do it, but it turned out to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I’m in fairly good shape. When you travel out of season (I went in January), you also have to account for heavy rains, which we had 2,5 out of 4 days.
I’m glad to see this post and I wish that someone had been this honest with me before I went – not because I wouldn’t have gone, but because I would have been prepared mentally and physically.
Hey Miriam! Oh my gosh you don’t know how much of a relief it is for you to say. I felt that I was putting myself out there and was unsure how it would be received when I wrote it. I didn’t know if it was TOO real. Good to know that I’m not alone.
Like you said, it was really a matter of, I wish we were better mentally prepared. Hope this helps others that are planning to head down to Peru!
Thanks for your honest review!