Inca Trail Day 2 - a HUGE challenge
Trip Start
Sep 11, 2008
1
53
70
Trip End
Jan 03, 2009
Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Peru
Friday, November 28, 2008
We hiked another 10 or 11 km which doesnīt sound like much, but it was almost all uphill! We started out at 3100m above sea level, and hiked up to Dead Womanīs Pass at 4215m! Thatīs over 1100m up in one day! From the pass, we then hiked downhill to our camp at 3500m.
The first 5 hours of the hike was uphill, some of it gradual slope, but most of it steep, uneven stone steps. The higher I climbed, the harder it was to breathe, and my legs felt like lead, so that each step was an effort. My walking stick was a godsend. It feels so strange to be affected by altitude, where things you can do easily at sea level become ridiculously hard. I stopped to catch my breath a lot of times, and walked very slowly, but still I felt awful for the last couple of hundred metres up to the pass, and at some points, felt quite nauseated. The lack of photos of the steep climb to the pass is testimony to the fact that I was far too concerned with just staying upright, and putting one foot in front of the other, to be bothered with taking photos. The few times I did look thought my lens, the trail never looked anywhere near as steep and tough as it felt, so I was too annoyed to shoot it!
I was literally taking one step every couple of seconds, but eventually I made it, and as soon as I got to the summit, I felt 100% better. It was freezing cold up there, but the views were spectacular.
Coming down was much more enjoyable - easier to breathe, but much harder on the legs. Again my trusty walking stick provided some much needed support. By the time I staggered into camp, my legs were shaking like crazy!
