On the second day of the actual Inca Trail hike, one climbs to nearly 14,000 feet of elevation to reach Warmiwanuska, or “Dead Woman Pass” (named for the outline of the mountain – not for any misfortune befalling an ill-prepared hiker). For folks who have not built in the appropriate acclimatization days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley (or other high-altitude destinations in Peru such as Titicaca, etc.), this climb can be a miserable struggle for oxygen.
Acclimatization only really occurs when one sleeps at altitude. So those nights in Cusco (11,100 feet) and in Ollantaytambo (9,100 feet) and the first trail night at Huayllabamba (9,700 feet) are crucial to success later on.
One’s explorations over the first few days in this region can also be built around a knowledge that everyone – no matter their fitness - will be suffering from a lack of oxygen. For this reason, that first afternoon is a walking tour on flat surfaces, with plenty of cafes nearby in which to drink a coca tea, plenty of pews from which to observe the inside of the cathedrals, and plenty of benches from which to watch the comings and goings in the square. The second full day in Cusco can be spent on the outskirts of town, at places like Sacsayhuaman, which are full of short grassy walks and areas to explore. Then the full day in the Sacred Valley has more short walks on rolling terrain as folks visit places such as Chinchero, Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo.
Luckily, even the first full day of the Inca Trail cooperates nicely as well, as the trail parallels the Urubamba River for the first several miles – gaining just a little bit of elevation at the end of the day to reach the first campsite.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.