Most Inspirational Moment
Where do I start! The Sacred Valley, surrounded by mountains, glaciers and filled by awe inspiring citadels like Pisac and Ollantaytambo, take your breath away. Making it to the top of 'Dead Woman's Pass' was really quite emotional for all our party, a personal challenge for all of us to some degree, but one that everyone in our diverse group accomplished! The remote, peaceful and beautiful Inca ruins of Wiñay Wayna captivated me personally in a way that even Maccu Picchu failed to do, giving me a peaceful almost spiritual feeling that I just can't describe. Finally, arriving at the 'Sun Gate' at the entrance to Maccu Picchu itself to be greeted by a stunning view of . . . cloud! This magically parted after a few minutes and revealed the 'classic view' of the citadel bathed in a shaft of golden sunlight!
Thoughts on Group Leader
A good guide could make or break an expedition and Artoru was a fantastic guide. Knowledgeable, calm and funny, with a quite confidence born out of years of training and experience. He kept his 'family' together in all senses of the word from beginning to end and was capable of conversing comfortably on all levels about a wide variety of subjects with the whole group. Equally, he had the knack of knowing when just to lead and let others follow at their own pace and admire the scenery. Marcia, was his able assistant and was quickly taken to heart by the whole group. Her quiet, happy, unassuming nature and knowledge of the history and culture of her 'ancestors' made her a perfect accompaniment to Artoru. She was equally capable of either leading the stronger ones in the group or providing a stoic support to those that struggled a little more at the back. Both guides, coming from the indiginous Quechua people of the Sacred Valley region, were uniquely able to give you some insight into both the history and modern daily lives and outlooks of these wonderful people.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You don't have to be 'super fit', but the fitter you are, the more likely you are to enjoy the trek. My wife and I are what I would call 'reasonably active' but by no means joggers or athletes and found the trek if anything less difficult than we might have feared. We swim 30 lengths non-stop once a week, go for long walks with our dog at weekends and that's about it! We reckon that if you're reasonably active, have some camping experience then you'll be fine if you pace yourself. If you're a couch potato, then this is NOT the trip for you! Mountain Sickness is a weird thing! All of our group experience some symptoms to varying degrees at some point, except one seasoned, experienced guy. Most just suffered slight breathlessness and a pounding heart occasionally for the first day or so and occasionally intermittently after that, whereas others REALLY suffered! Migraines, vomiting and severe shortness of breath were the worst that was suffered three of the group going up/down 'Dead Woman's Pass', though nobody required the oxygen that Artoru was carrying and all of them made it to the top, with a little help and encouragement from their friends! Take your own loo roll and keep it in a waterproof bag. Paper is provided in each toilet tent, but it can get a bit 'soggy' in the damp conditions you may experience! US Dollars are widely accepted in the cities like Cusco or can be changed easily enough, but Peruvian Neuvo Sols are the preferred and easiest currency to use once there. There are plenty of ATMs around and we didn't have any difficulty using UK cards in them. If you're flying via Sao Paulo in Brazil, beware that they do not take US Dollars or PNS in the airport, you'll need to use your card!