Inca Trail Guide

Macchu Pichu. Described as ‘the jewel of Inca land.’ Its one of those once in a lifetime experiences, that leaves you breathless and forever stays clear in your memory. My 91 year old great aunt, who is the most intrepid traveller I know, told me I needed to go do it while my legs were still young and my stamina good, so I felt now was the time, and if I was going, I was going to do it like the Incas did and hike my way up there! Its not the easiest place to get to though and there is for sure some preparation you should do, and things you should know before setting off on the Inca trail!

1. A little training is good!

The Inca trail is challenging, but is not the most difficult hike in the world. Lots of people of all ages and ability levels manage it. That being said, I did a little prep work in the gym by doing some incline training on the treadmill, a few times with a backpack because if you do the one day trek, you’ll be hiking for approximately 8-9 hours, if you do the four day, that bag is gonna be on for a long time! Just make sure you are ready. There are even places that can offer altitude training! You get a special mask that reduces the amount of oxygen you get and you work out with it on. I don’t think its entirely necessary for this trek but I think its really cool to try! I’m active and in good shape and managed pretty well, but for sure I got winded and tired!

2. Altitude sickness is no joke!

I got hit with it as soon as I landed in Cusco. It didn’t last too long and fortunately I didn’t have much trouble on the trek, but the feeling is no fun and hard to work through. Altitude sickness doesn’t discriminate either. One of the girls on my trek was incredibly active, fit and healthy and she was the first person to get ill with it. Whats tricky about the trail is you are ascending and descending pretty rapidly so your body won’t get a ton of time to acclimatize. Symptoms range any where from headaches, nausea, dizziness, stomach problems, fatigue and even fainting. Porters will have oxygen with them, and even did a cool technique with wiping alcohol on the skin to allow oxygen in. You can get pills from your doctor that help with this, plus anything from ibuprofen to Pepto Bismol to help with symptoms. I’d also have some coca leaves or gum on you!

3. Ahh the coca leaf

The infamous coca leaf. Its been used as a part of traditional medicine in Peru for centuries! Its really sacred to the Quechua people and boy, does it ever help! Yes, the coca leaf is what cocaine is made of, and NO you will not get high if you use coca, lets dispel that myth right there. In its natural form coca leaves are a very mild and harmless stimulant. It helps with suppressing hunger, pain and fatigue, and of course, altitude sickness. You can drink tea, dilute it in water, have gum, or the most direct way. On the trail most people chew it! As for how to, you’re supposed to keep a big ball of saliva soaked leaves in your cheek, kinda like a hamster. Fun fact! When you get to the end of the trail you’re supposed to leave a few leaves under a rock as an offering to Pacha Mama for getting you there safely!

4. What should be in your backpack

This is where I really failed on this trek. I knew I was going to have to carry whatever I brought with me, so I wanted to go as light as possible. Because the weather changes so rapidly I was wearing layers, so needed room for my jacked and shirts. I had a big bottle of water and a smaller one, a packed lunch our porters gave us, my camera and anything valuable that you need to keep on your person (passport, wallet etc). What I failed to bring were snacks! Thank god I was with lovely people who were happy to share their trail mix and bits of fruit because you are working out hard and burning calories! Its also a good idea to have a little first aid kit with you; polysporin, bandaids, alcohol pads, anything you think you might need. The porters are well equipped, but you’re literally in the mountains with nothing around, always think whats the worst case scenario and be prepared. Its also a good idea to have a pack of Kleenex with you in case you need to go to the bathroom. I also had a few hydra-lite packets in my bag in case I was feeling really low I could mix them in my water bottle! You should absolutely have a camera with you, or your smartphone. The views and scenery are so otherworldly and unreal, and for the majority of people, you will only do this hike once, so take photos, remember it! And for the love of god HYDRATE!

5. There are so many cool ruins

Of course you know whats waiting for you at the end of the trail, but Machu Picchu is just one of many many ancient Inca settlements! You’ll see a bunch of others on your way to the top. My favourite was Wiñaywayna (which means forever young). It had giant stairs that nearly killed me, and an amazing view over the Urubamba river. I particularly liked the red orchids that grew out from the ruins. There are other sites like Chachabamba to Phuyupatamarca so there will be lots to see and explore on the way!

6. Yes there will be toilets. Yes they will be gross.

I was actually surprised that there were toilets at all! I half expected that I’d have to hold it or go in the forrest off the path. They are very few and far between, but the few campsites on the trail will have restrooms. I use that term loosely because they are squat toilets, and even that is being generous. So heres the thing, you’re up high in the Andes, there aren’t janitors coming to clean them so they are gonna smell and there is no electricity. There isn’t always toilet paper and its pitch black in there. Hold your breath, use a little flashlight or your phone and get in and out as quick as possible. And make sure you pack hand sanitizer!

7. What to wear

I know everyone wants a photo in a cool outfit looking out over Machu Picchu, but thats really not practical. As I said the weather changed a lot, so I decided to layer up. I was in a thicker legging with mesh panel to allow air flow, a sports bra, tank top, t-shirt and water proof windbreaker. All things that were really light and could be rolled up into my back pack. At the beginning I was wearing it all, by the end I was just in my sports bra so I’m really glad I did it that way. On my feet I had Wigwam wool hiking socks and Forsake waterproof hiking boots that had been broken in (important!) I always have a scarf on me, which I used around my head when I started to sweat or around my neck, if you have long hair for sure you need elastics! I was comfortable the whole time no matter the temperature. If you stay longer in Aguas Calientes, you can go back up to Machu Picchu and take your cute clothes photos the next day!

8. Watch out for the Gringo Killers!

You often hear about Dead Woman’s Pass when talking about the Inca Trail, but as soon as our porters told us about the monkey stairs, jokingly called ‘the gringo killers’ I was panicking about it all day. They’re pretty far into the trip, just about 20 minutes out from getting to Intipunku, the sun gate, which will be your first view of Machu Picchu. Its a set of stairs so steep that you have to climb up with your hands. I had literally never heard about this until we were halfway into the hike! Remember stairs on the Inca trail aren’t like stairs in your home, they are jagged, uneven, just rocks jutting out of the earth. They don’t look that bad, but really this is one of the last hurdles before you reach your destination. We were hot, sweaty, and exhausted. I was the first one of my group to reach the stairs (although one of the boys flew past me on them) and at that point I was so desperate to be done I just bolted up them! I felt like an absolute champ at the top, but they were not easy!

9. Be Smart, Be Careful

I feel like this should go without saying, but you are hiking up a mountain so its best to keep your wits about you. The paths can be pretty narrow and, surprise, there are no guard rails anywhere. You fall off the path, you are falling down the mountain. Thats not to scare you, thousands and thousands of people do the trail every year and there are very few accidents. But this is not the place to be taking aimless selfies or videos or getting distracted. If you want to take a photo, stop and make sure you are somewhere safe and secure and take it. The worn pathways of the Andes can be vulnerable to landslides and weather like rain and fog can make the pathways more dangerous. Stay alert and use common sense and you’ll be fine.

10. Enjoy it and be present

I remember I kept thinking how wild it was that people used to do this trail with huge bags, babies on their back, llamas, not in hiking boots and with water bottles, it really blew my mind. Although you will be tired, and maybe grumpy at times, keep checking and reminding yourself that you are walking in the footprints of the people who forged this ancient path. Its so epic! I saw so many amazing flowers and little birds and frogs. I crossed over bridges that looked like they were from Indiana Jones, cooled myself off with water from a water fall, took moments to stretch out over lookout points, laughed, sang and bonded with my friends and took great photos. I was constantly aware that what I was doing was going to be something I remembered for the rest of my life, and it was also going to be an extremely rewarding experience. Just enjoy it. Have fun. Be epic.