How to hike the inca trail to machu picchu
How I did it: Made plans through REI, and the actual trip was orchestrated with Mountain Lodges of Peru. Flew to Lima and then to Cuzco to meet up with the group. The trip consisted of 7 days trekking between lodges in the Andes along the Inca Trail. Trekking days were sometimes tough, but overall not too bad for someone in very good shape. The trek ended in Machu Picchu - what a thrill!
Lessons & tips: - Be ready to deal with high-altitude hiking. The trekking was between 8,000 and 15,000+ feet. It's important to spend a few extra days early in Cuzco to acclimitize. Drink lots of water to aid in acclimitization.
- Bring good equipment, and travel light. Good, lightweight hiking boots are imperative, as is a rugged daypack. Don't carry anything more than you need because at 15,000 feet every bit of extra weight can be tiring.
- Bring a good point-and-shoot camera. I saw a lot of people toting large 35mm SLRs, and they were cumbersome. We had a nice small Olympus point and shoot, and were very happy with the results.
- My trip had me staying in lodges along the way instead of tents. Roughing it is not a problem, but the idea of a shower, warm bed and a place to recharge camera and GPS batteries sold me on the lodge idea.
Resources: - REI Adventures (www.rei.com)
- Lightweight, rainproof tyvek jackets: www.sportshell.com
