Most Inspirational Moment
Nothing could have prepared me for that moment when when we arrived at the Sun Gate and had the first glimpse of Machu Picchu. A truly memorable and unforgettable experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Packet of dynamite - could not have asked for a more competent, inspirational and knowledgeable person - Flam was brilliant and her co-leader too was just incredible. Always ready to assist and to deal with the most challenging of situations, such as the night that we were due to leave for our return to Cuzco and the trains got delayed. Flam made sure that we all arrived back safely and amidst the chaos of the 100's of travellers at the station she stayed cool, in control and was ready with a contingency plan. I cannot praise her enough for her leadership and guidance throughout our trip. Always friendly and approachable she lead with great confidence and knowledge about the places and its people that exceeded my expectations.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take your time - nobody is doing this trip to compete. If you make your own travel arrangements and join the group in Cuzco, try and arrive a few days in advance as this may help you to adjust to the climate and altitude. Opinion on the use of walking poles varies, but I for one found them incredibly useful (because of old knee problems) and would not have been able to complete the trip without them. I chose to walk with high quality hiking sandals (and was the only person in the group to do so) and was really pleased that I did just that - dried quickly and kept my feet cool whilst some of my fellow group members complained of wet boots and feet that were on fire. Take a good insect repellant, you will need it at some point. A good supply of wet wipes will come in handy too. As for clothing, I wished I had taken an extra set of thermals and a fleece - was slightly underprepared for how cold it got on the mountain at night. An inflatable pillow too would have been rather nice. Make sure that your gear is genuinely waterproof!! It rain quite a bit on this trip, but that did not dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of the group.