16th April 2022.

I look at the picture below, taken at the start of the Day 2 trek –  the grin on my face, the wide-eyed enthusiasm and excitement I felt that morning, and the buzz that I remember was running through the rest of the group behind the scene…and I feel sorry for this innocent, naive Chino, who knew not what lay ahead of her, and how every fibre of her being would be tested over the next few hours.

It was an early start to the day, after an astonishingly pleasant and restful sleep in the tent. So far, not bad, for my second time camping (the first having occurred just over a decade earlier, on a memorable TrekAmerica tour of East Coast, USA).  We were woken up with calls of ‘coca tea’, at 5am, as one of the porters went around the tents offering cups of coca tea to the group. We were also brought small bowls of hot water to perform our ablutions. I think one or two members of the group took advantage of the clean bathroom facilities and had showers, but having swotted up on blogs about the Inca Trail, I had come very well prepared to have baby wipe showers. Surprisingly, I felt pretty clean afterwards. I got dressed quickly, as we were expected at breakfast at 6am, with a plan to set off at half past. 

There was pretty much only one route to the next camp  – the ascent to ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ (4200m, 13700ft) and then descent, with the expectation to have lunch at camp roughly 7hours later. Therefore our guides advised everyone to set off at their pace. I happily took my place at the bottom third of the pack, and we set off on a fairly brisk walk.  The first hour was quite pleasant, as the trail zig-zagged between mountains, and although it was an overcast morning, the views were enchanting. We had our first break at Ayapata (3070m, 10000ft), and I met half of the group chilling there. This is now quite funny to me, but I remember saying to the group, ‘This isn’t so bad, I’ve quite enjoyed this morning’. 

Half an hour later, the terrain changed and a somewhat steep ascent was broken up by steps, as we walked through the forest. There was the sound of rushing waters which heralded a waterfall, and a flowing stream, to our right. The atmosphere was pregnant with moisture and there was a rich, earthy smell in the forest. I had left Franzi behind, a while back, while Louise, Roberto and I played tag – they’d go ahead and then I’d catch up or overtake. This section, between Ayapata and our next break at Llullucha felt like a grind as I didn’t have brilliant views to take my mind off the effort. We met or were passed-by porters carrying their huge mounds of items, practically racing up the steps (both on this stretch and later, on the climb to Dead Woman’s Pass).  

By the time I arrived at Llullucha (3763m, 12300ft), I was firmly last but one. However I had a welcome party of one (Odi), who clapped and high-fived me, so that was nice. I was really tired and didn’t want to move for at least half a day but Odi suggested resting for ten minutes and then moving on. I remember eating my snacks, and feeling a rush of energy after a particularly sugary pack of biscuits – the very first time I have ever experienced a sugar rush. Franzi arrived shortly after, and we commiserated on the trek so far. Neither of us was looking forward to the next section.

I set off for Dead Woman’s Pass (Warmiwañuska in Quechua), so called because when seen from the valley, the profile of the crest resembles the outline of a woman’s supine form. 

The next couple of hours are probably the worst  hours I have ever lived. 

It was a total crushing, crippling, relentless uphill slog. 

Climbing steps…more steps…and even more steps, as far as the eyes could see. And beyond my view, I knew there were yet more steps waiting for me.

This, coupled with an increasingly thinner atmosphere as I ascended, meant my altitude sickness was worsening –  I was extremely short of breath and having palpitations. 

And therefore more fatigued, which led to me reducing my pace…which only extended the torture, as it meant I would be on the trail for even longer. 

It felt like the nine circles of hell… and there was no escape.

So many other trekkers went past me…the very young, the very old…I stopped comparing my pace to others’, finally accepting that my body was doing the best it could. 

I chewed A LOT of coca leaves.

Like my experience with the biscuits, it was the first day I properly felt the effect of the coca leaves. There was a definite burst of energy, a feeling of mental strength and well -being, ‘hell yeah, I can do this’. This usually led to a rush of activity but unfortunately the effect was fairly short-lived.

I also made use of Odi’s traditional remedy – a floral oil that you rub on your palms and then sniff deeply (I think it was called aguaflores). It’s supposed to cause vasodilation (blood vessels dilate) in your brain and help with altitude sickness. It worked very quickly on the headache.   

Pre the trek, I remember Odi advising us not to have too many stops or breaks on the way up, as it only got harder. ‘Walk 10 minutes, stop for less than a couple of minutes and then keep moving’, he said. I don’t think I walked continuously for longer than a couple of minutes, climbing up to Dead Woman’s Pass, and I definitely stopped for longer than I walked. 

‘Nunca Mas’ – never again, became a joke among Odi, Elias and I, as every time they caught up with me, I would say it was terrible, and I was never going to do anything like it again. 

The physical challenge as outlined above was bad enough, but the mental challenge was probably tougher. How do you keep going when every fibre of your being just wants to give up? 

I am someone who very rarely gives up on anything – I thrive on challenging myself, in so many big and small ways – but I was fully, 100% willing and ready to give up.

I fantasised about a helicopter swooping in from who-knows-where, to rescue me. 

If there had been another way to get off that mountain, that didn’t involve me climbing up those steps, I would have taken it. Without question.

I remember actively choosing not to take pictures during this portion of the trek, as I wanted to have NO memories of this nightmare. 

Honestly, I didn’t think I would make it to the top. 

So how did I keep going?

Firstly, mindfulness. My mindful exercise was staying in the moment, focusing on just my next footstep, and trying not to think about anything else beyond that. 

Secondly, the thought of being the one person who gave up or didn’t finish the trail meant I just had to keep going. I knew I couldn’t be that person. 

Thirdly, I remember at one point thinking, ‘Omg, if I do this, I can do anything. I am fearless. There is literally nothing that I cannot do’.  

So I did. One step after the other. And after almost three hours of climbing the endless, excruciating stairway, I made it to the top! 

I was exhausted, but felt a terrific sense of achievement. 

For days, and weeks, after this experience, when I spoke about this day, I used the word ‘traumatised’. It sounds melodramatic, but I really do feel like it was a somewhat traumatic experience. For quite some time after the Trek, the sight of steps or stairs filled me with dread; the thought of going uphill, with trepidation; the act of going uphill and the resultant breathlessness, took me right back to these difficult feelings. 

All the blogs and tour websites say that this is a challenging trek but until you do it, I don’t think you can fully appreciate just how arduous it is. And there are some things that you cannot predict, such as how badly or how well you acclimatise to the altitude and therefore what additional physical challenges you may or may not have. 

My piece of advice? First ask yourself, do I really have to do a trek? There are much easier ways to get to Machu Picchu…there’s a train, for pete’s sake! 

However, if you want to be ground down, physically and mentally, to the point that you challenge core beliefs about who you are, then give this a try.

…and you just might discover that you too, are FEARLESS. 

Total trek time: 6 hours 20minutes (7hrs is typically quoted)

Distance covered: 7.5miles (12km)

Elevation gain: 1200m

*In case you are interested, the fastest trekkers made it to camp in just over 4hrs. Well done AJ & Meg!