Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

February 11, 2013

I’ve been informed by Libby that a guest blog is required – thanks for putting up with me - I’m Sarah.

Very relieved at 4200M- day one

So, as Team Medic, I read about altitude sickness the night before our trek and it said we should sleep at elevations no more than 500m apart. So when our guide Rosa told us that we would be ascending from our current elevation of 2700m to 4100m the first night and 4200m the next, while going up to 4600m during the day, I felt a little concerned. So we all popped some altitude sickness tablets for good measure. As I went to bed that night, I had a some tummy rumbles (technical term) so also popped a few Imodium. Imagine my delight when I was up the majority of the night with travellers diarrhoea, the timing was spot on the night before a 2 day camping expedition with no toilets. By 4am I had popped another 2 imodium and 2 antibiotics.

So us intrepid explorers set out in the rain heading off into the middle of the deepest darkest Andes. The views were breathtaking, the mountains were vast and the cutest kids from little huts along the way came out to see us.

These kids even gave us a song!

We gave them fruit (they never see a dentist so sweets were off the menu). All 3 of us had our ailments – Libby with her Nemo wing and 1 strapped-up leg; Lindsey having breathing issues from the altitude and touch of asthma, and me having a mixture of altitude sickness along with tummy cramps (thankfully 4 Imodium had bunged me up sufficiently – although as Libby helpfully pointed out, as I was wearing brown trousers it really didn’t matter). We were a motely crew and I’m sure we slowed the rest of the group down, but Bryan, Harry and Andrew didn’t seem to mind.

As well as Rosa the guide, there were 5 cooks/helpers who were awesome, oh and about 5 donkeys. They would run up ahead and set up an awning and cook us food for lunch while we dried off (well steamed off would be more accurate, weird to see your own clothes steam in front of you because we were so wet). Then they would pass us again in the afternoon after dismantling the food tent to set up our evening camp. That first night we were knackered and it rained most of the arvo so we collapsed into our little tents in the middle of nowhere. Then a hand would appear at the entrance of the tent with hot chocolate and popcorn and a bowl of warm water to wash our faces.

3 course meal for 7 using just this

The next morning we woke with ice on the tents and saw that it had snowed in the night. The views were incredible. We hiked for 3 hours up to the highest ridge of our trek and I think we all felt the sense of achievement and elation when we got there. The altitude sickness seemed less, not least because Rosa kept making me sniff this rose oil stuff which really cleared my head. It was like a really bad hangover suddenly clearing. Will have to get some….

No seizures, vomiting or bowel movements 4600M wohoo!

We marched on and made the collective decision to walk an extra 3 hours that afternoon so we could sleep at a lower elevation and be warmer. Libby stumbled a couple of times because of her knee, I was glad I was there as Team Medic to give her a magic rub on the leg better (you learn it at medical school). She was able to get right back up again. I honestly have never met anyone so ‘nails’ and with such a ‘get on with it’ attitude. Our group were well impressed too. Good on you Libby.

Gay Bry, Dad Harry Mountain goat Andrew and the three amigos

The next day we finished the trek and made our way to Machu Picchu. We were glad to get up at 6am to see it as the sun was rising and there were not yet hoards of tourists. It was awesome, can’t really describe it so will just post the photos and you get the idea….