Planes, trains, vans, buses, taxis, boats, bikes, horses, and of course, our feet.
I enjoy maps. And I like looking back and seeing what’s been accomplished. I tried two methods of capturing the trek using my iPhone. One was to use a mapping software, the other was to use the Health app. By putting my phone both in Airplane and Low Power mode, I could spend the day taking photos and not drain the battery. I’ve found that the Health app did a really good job of counting steps and miles, but did a poor job on elevation (floors) and was wildly low. But the mapping software was wildly high. I think the GPS struggled with accuracy in the steep terrain and not enough satellites were visible. So for elevation I simply reviewed the topographic maps after the fact and tallied the ups and downs. And I feel this is pretty close.
The table ONLY includes data for foot travel. And it does not include the 10 mile bike ride in Miraflores. So it’s kinda fun to see that indeed there was a lot of trekking, some of it unexpected. For example, we thought Amantani and Tequile Islands would be pretty easy. But a nearly 1,000 foot climb to the top of Pachatata on Day 14, starting at 12,400 feet, was actually a pretty good haul!
Interestingly, also on Day 14, I couldn’t understand why there were so many steps for me and not Patricia. And then it hit me. Aha! Dance night! There was a lot of stepping going on and Patricia didn’t have her phone on her!
Anyway, 302,346 steps, 110 miles, and over 12,000 feet of climbing feels like a pretty good accomplishment for us old people. It was the hardest thing Patricia has ever done and the hardest thing we’ve ever done together.
But what I really want to say up front, is…
I’ll probably wander through the experience over the next few days and weeks. It’s nice to be able to roll through the thoughts and feelings and relive them.
But I feel it’s important to state early on that there was a LOT of effort by Hobnail Trekking and Alpaca Expeditions to stitch this odyssey together! And there were a LOT of logistics to getting us from here to there. Coordinating transfers, having tickets ready, being on time, adapting to changing situations, and on and on. And for two people who can’t speak Spanish, Quechua, or Aymara.
And it was flawless!
We’ve never done a multi-day guided trek or tour. We usually like to figure it out for ourselves. But here are some reasons that this 17-day odyssey was an amazing experience:
- THE GUIDES! – All of the guides were local to the areas we explored. Their knowledge was first-rate and they were excited to share their cultural history. It was information overload and so much fun! They were all true servant leaders too. They were constantly engaged and watching their little ‘family’ of trekkers. When something didn’t go as planned, as when Patricia needed assistance on Salkantay or caught a stomach bug on the Inca Trail the guides were over and above making sure she was taken care of and even adapted itineraries to keep it all going. Kudos!
- Having all the trip stuff paid up front as part of the package – There were several times in the adventure where there were possible ‘options’ for additional things that we found were already covered. I was excited to learn that I could do Huayna Picchu because I already had a (limited availability) ticket! Or a side trip to Red Valley at Rainbow Mountain. Or that all of the tour stops on the bus were covered. Or that lunch was covered on Tequile Island.
- Having a robust contact system – WhatsApp is used extensively in Peru and it was easy to reach someone or be contacted. It helped tremendously.
- The small group size – Hobnail Trekking supports as few as two on a trek. We had three initially, but one canceled before the start. So we had a private tour for three days with guide Ruben. Then we were combined with three others for Salkantay, a total of five trekkers plus the guide Sergio, the chef, two porters and a horseman. For Lake Titicaca, there were seven people under the care of Ricardo. And just us two on the Miraflores bike ride with Amadeo. The small group size felt really comfortable and allowed us to get to know the other trekkers as well as the guides and their team.
We felt like royalty due to the personal attention we were given. And I can’t say enough about how all of this removed the stress of traveling. I am soooooo glad I did not have to drive in Peru.
It really allowed us to focus on the important aspects of the trip. You know, like BREATHING.
So kudos, kudos, kudos to Hobnail Trekking and Alpaca Expeditions! We lift our muña tea cups in salute!
Onward! Haku! Haku! Haku!
