Tag Archives: Trekking

Day 9 – Will the real Machu Picchu please stand up?

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DAY 9: Black Dog Institute Peru Challenge 2012

It was no trouble waking people up this morning. After all, we were headed to Machu Picchu – the culmination of this amazing adventure! It started with a death-defying bus ride up once again deep into the Andes. After all, Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incas and as such, it really had to be “found!”

Unlike the rest of our Inspired Adventure, this UNESCO World Heritage site was understandably teeming with people from every corner of the globe! Still, we managed to make our way slowly to the first spot where Machu Picchu can be seen. Our guide Jamie had us close our eyes and holds hands from just behind a tree, leading us slowly out to the platform then pronouncing “open your eyes and together, see the incredible Machu Picchu!”

It was, genuinely and truly, one of the most amazing sites any of this group had ever seen. Perched magnificently at the base of a mountain, the structures move outward in a circular fashion, seemingly propped up by terraced fields carved into the side of the hilltop that cascade deep into the valley below. To think the structures were constructed some 600 years ago is simply inspiring.

After ogling and dodging other tourists for an hour or so, we continued our exploration of the site before climbing to the summit of Huayna Picchu (that giant huge tall massive mountain behind the site itself). Steps, steps, and more steps led us 400 metres up to sweeping views across the entire region, a genuine birds-eye view of one of the seven new world wonders. Simply marvellous.

After that three-hour hike we were understandably exhausted and headed back to Aguas Calientes for lunch before boarding our train then bus back to Cusco, finally reaching our hotel a little after 9pm. My, what a day!

Now it’s time for a little shopping, a little eating, and a whole lot of celebrating before our big return to the land down under!

For the very last time, GO TEAM!

Kyle Taylor
Inspired Adventures Team Escort

One final thanks to LJ (pictured below) for her ridiculous poses throughout the trip. What would we have done without you?!?!

More from the Black Dog Institute Peru Challenge 2012

Read more trip stories from Peru or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you.

Day 7 – It’s About The People

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BLOG 6: Black Dog Institute Peru Challenge 2012 

We awoke today to brilliant sunshine that felt like it was warming you from the inside out! Just like the past few mornings, the local women and children had set up a mini market just outside our tents. Selling everything from gloves and hats to bottled water, they have been our first point of contact in getting to know the people of Peru’s ancient highlands.

It has been a fantastic experience sharing smiles (and sweets) with kids, a few passing words in the local Quechua language with the mums and dads, and a laugh here and there with our guides and incredible support team.

If anything, this human element has definitely made the intense trekking just that little bit easier. Today we trekked for eight and a half hours, starting with a major ascent to over 4,500 metres at the peak of the mountain pass. The higher we went, the brilliant sunshine and the heat that came with it slowly became biting winds before turning into, yet again, heavy rain.

For good reason, spirits were high today. We are just two days from Machu Picchu, the crowning achievement of our epic trekking effort. In addition, that “family” feel has started to emerge. As I write, the sounds of laughter a billowing from the mess tent as the team take each other on in a rousing game of UNO.

Today we offered stones to the Inca gods for safe passage to our next top, building a pebble tower at the top of the pass. We referenced what are now countless inside jokes, poking fun at each other in ways that only family and close friends can. Above all else, we gave each other nicknames, perhaps the greatest notion of “mateship” in Australian culture. We have:

Matt – GI Joe/Commando
Abel – Aarki
Nick – Doc, from Back to the Future
Rory – Roro
Nikki – Cafe con Leche
Lizzy – Sultana
L.J. – Barbie
Emma – Moving Forward
Naomi – No Money
Emma – Lovely
Shazza – Mamasita
Geraldine – G Money
Kyle – Kiki

It’s dinner time yet again, which means we are two sleeps away from Machu Picchu! Where are we sleeping tonight? Oh, just in the shadows of Incan Ruins. No big deal

Go team!

Kyle
Inspired Adventures Tour Escort

P.S. Stack of the day goes to Geraldine, who somehow managed to collapse her chair at lunch in slow motion, slowly sliding lower and lower until she was flat on the ground. It almost defied gravity. Well done G-Money!

 

More from the Black Dog Institute Peru Challenge 2012

Read more trip stories from Peru or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you.

Days 5 & 6 – The trek begins

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BLOG 5: Black Dog Institute Peru Challenge 2012

A decent amount of acclimatising days behind us, it was time to say goodbye to Cusco and hello to the great outdoors. We were up at 5am and in the van driving away by 6! Our van trundled slowly but surely up and out of the city en route to our starting point some three hours away by car. We chugged back and forth along dramatic switchbacks edging closer and closer to the cusp of the Andes ridge before cruising back down into the next valley. Our Maestro repeated this exercise several more times as our eyes remained glued on the spectacular scenery all around us.

Before long we were on foot, day packs full of supplies, shoe laces tied tight, and waterproof jackets zipped all the way up. It was misty, foggy, and all quite mysterious. Even though we were already at 3600 metres, the mountains all around us reached far further toward the sky. Nikki remarked at how incredibly small you feel when surrounded by such massive nature in every direction!

For the next four hours we walked up and down and along and around, dodging alpacas, hopping over streams, and doing our best to stay dry even as the cold rain and wind intensified. We reached the van absolutely puffed as the last hour was entirely uphill on bouncy, slippery, neon green moss.

From here it was a short drive to camp, where we devoured our lunch and grabbed our swimmers before reboarding the van, cranking up some serious tunes, and cruising deep into the valley once more to the Lares hot springs.

My goodness did we indulge, relaxing our muscles and repairing the day’s damage in piping hot natural pools of sulfur-tastic water. It was exhilarating and the perfect way to end our first day.

Sleep came easy, as the entire group was just so darn tired! We woke up feeling incredibly refreshed and after breakfast, had the wonderful opportunity of doing full introductions with our local team. They went first then invited us to share about ourselves. As this is a Latin American country, the bits of information our crew were most interested in included our age and our marital status. This went mostly well save for L.J., who said to them “yo soy sultana.” The crew burst into laughter as “yo soy sultana” means “I am a raisin.” What she meant to say was “yo soy soltera,” which means “I am single.”

Today’s trek was tough. We ascended to 4400 metres in a matter of hours, following an amazing trail through lamb farms and alpaca fields that opened to incredible vistas. The views were completely unobstructed, stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. We reached the top of the range just as a massive storm rolled in from the other side of the valley!

The lightning struck and within seconds the thunder roared just as the skies opened, hurtling hail stones down upon us! There was nowhere to hide, which meant we just kept walking back down into the valley. The wind picked up and the hail turned to rain, soaking us right through from head to toe. This massive weather event followed us for most of the afternoon and when it finally cleared to let the sunshine through, it went from cold to hot in a matter of minutes, instantly drying our clothes and thawing us out.

We reached our lunch spot after 5 and a half hours of walking and my goodness did it feel good to sit down! After what was another delectable meal full of witty banter courtesy of LJ, Emma, and Nick (definitely not Nikki, as she is not funny) some of us hopped in the van while a second group continued to trek onward and upward, heading over another range before descending into camp and truly rocking this Inspired Adventure.

It’s an early dinner and early to bed for us, as tomorrow is yet another MEGA day!

Go team!

More from the Black Dog Institute Peru Challenge 2012

Read more trip stories from Peru or visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar and find a Charity Challenge perfect for you.