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top of hill, Huaraz Peru with stray dogs

Hiking in Peru is pretty specialPeru has got to be one of the most scenic countries I’ve visited, with pretty much every terrain possible. The landscapes will vary from jungle to beach, to desert and mountains. The small trekking town of Huaraz, sitting at just over 3000 metres is surrounded by the Cordillera Mountain range making it an excellent place for trekking.

There are many treks you can do here, from day hikes to full on mountaineering. I have bad knees so opted to do 3 easy-ish day hikes.

Acclimatisation Hike, Huaraz

trekking in Huaraz Peru

This was supposed to be an easy hike to get me used to trekking at altitude but I found it utterly exhausting! Still without practising who knows how I would have fared on the harder treks! I hired a guide just for myself and we hiked up to Laguna Wilcacocha.

hiking in Huaraz, Peru
Needing to stop after about 15 mins!

It’s around 15 minutes out from Huaraz and easily reachable by public transport. You will start at just over 3000 metres and walk up to the lake at 3720 metres. The path is not too clear at times but it’s pretty much straight up. It will take around 2 hours on the way up and about half that going back down.

acclimatisation hike, Huaraz Peru
Steep!

On the way to Laguna Wilcacocha you will pass through local houses and farms– just try to resist taking a picture of their sheep! They believe it will bring bad luck. A farmer shouted at me for trying to take a picture of the animals and my guide explained they still believe that it will take a piece of their soul.

Closer to the top you will see snow capped peaks in the background. The lake itself is a little underwhelming but to make up for it you do get pretty stunning views over the valley with the mountains in the background.

lake in Huaraz, Peru trekking
Laguna Wilcacocha.

I did find this walk a bit of a challenge but then I do have weak knees. For most reasonably fit people I think it’s a fairly easy and cheap way to acclimatise and to see how your body copes walking at altitude.

Laguna 69 Trek

Ice blue water, Laguna 69 hike, Peru
Just look at that colour!

This is a popular day hike in Peru, all you need to do is see a picture of the lake to decide it’s worth it. This is a challenging hike so to have that mental image of the end goal is motivating. It was one of my favourite treks in terms of scenery but also one of the hardest.

Laguna 69 is beautiful icy blue/green lake sits at 4600 metres above sea level. This is pretty high as people start to feel the effects of altitude sickness at 4000 metres. Bring lots of water and snacks and take it slow.

cows on grassland, Huaraz Peru hiking
Hiking through grassland lower down

Walking up will take around 3 and a half hours and 2 hours on the way back. The first part of the trek is pretty steady and you will walk through grassland, past grazing cows, over streams and denser green vegetation.

About half way it starts to get harder, the path gets steeper and the air gets thinner. You may only walk a few yards and be out of breath. But just as you feel like giving up you will see a tiny glimpse of that blue lake.

Mountains on Laguna 69 trek, Huaraz Peru

Mountains on Laguna 69 trek, Huaraz Peru
Can just about see Laguna 69

The final 15 minutes are surprisingly flat and seeing the lake in full view is breathtaking. Some crazy people went for a swim in the icy blue water, I was so tired I slept for almost an hour! (managed to take in the scenery, eat my egg sandwich and take pictures but then I was out for the count).

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ice blue glacier, Laguna 69 trek, Peru
Madness!

Coming back down was a lot easier, the more you come back down, the more energy you feel! Returning the same way you see things from a different perspective and anything you may have missed trekking up.

The Laguna 69 trek is extremely difficult at times but it’s definitely do-able and totally worth the effort. I have bad knees and still managed it even though in some pain, so for any reasonably fit person I’d say its manageable but will be challenging. There are some amazing photo opportunities and scenery to keep you going on this trek and that end result is most certainly worth the hard climb.

snow mountain, Laguna 69 trek, Peru
Taking a break from trekking

Pastoruri Glacier Hike

glacier, Huaraz Peru

This is the highest of all the hikes at around 5000mt but the one I found most easy, although I was well acclimatised by this point. Acclimatisation is KEY, I would not have been able to do this at the start of my trip and probably would have felt very ill with the altitude.

I was booked on a massive coach with around 50 or so people from the town of Huaraz and they take you pretty high up before you start hiking. The trek is only 1 hour but pretty steep. You could also hire a mule to take you up halfway but most people walk it.

snow capped mountains, Huaraz, Peru trek
Hiking up to Pastoruri glacier

The half way point is pretty scenic with the horses and mules standing in front of a snowy mountainous background and the path is well paved. The last part towards the glacier is over rocky terrain but I would say running shoes are still ok to wear.

horses with snow capped mountains, Huaraz, Peru trek
Peru does have a wonderful backdrop 🙂

Once at the glacier you can pose for photos and are able to touch the ice. Pastoruri Glacier is slowly melting so it’s smaller then it once was but still an impressive sight, especially with the backdrop of the blue water and towering mountains.4 day free guide confidence solo travel

standing in front of glacier Peru

glacier, Huaraz Peru
The melting glacier

This is only an hour hike BUT be sure to be well acclimatised before as altitude sickness is common. The tour will also take you into a valley where the Puya de Raimondi plant grows. It looks like a giant cacti but (fun fact) it’s actually relative of the pineapple family.

An impressive day tour to round off a weeks trekking in Huaraz. If you know someone who loves hiking then share this post 🙂

 

Try Reading: Things To Do In And Around Cusco, Peru


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inca trail blog post

Four amazing days, tired feet, injured knees, ups, downs, gringo killers, great food, funny guides, watching stars by night, early mornings, late night rum, all came down to this.

Machu Picchu panorama
Not bad…

Standing above the grey clouds, cold and wet and wearing a brightly coloured yellow poncho bought from a cheap Cusco market, I look around at this magical and mysterious place, wondering how I ever made it here. This remarkable place could almost seem entirely secret, if it wasn’t for the daily herds of never-ending tourists of course. Trying to suppress my minor disappointment at the weather I look around at this wonderful place named Machu Picchu. I’ve actually made it.

Artists in the square, Cusco, Peru
Cusco, the starting base.

Lets journey back a few days…

Arriving at Cusco, which sits at 3400m, I feel an altitude headache arise. A handful of loose coaca leaves in hot water prove to be a great cure and my headache soon vanishes. Must remember to leave the coaca leaves behind before flying home though! The cobbled streets of Cusco pack a big punch with quirky local markets and many adventure activities like rafting, mountain biking and horseback riding, all within easy reach. It’s easy to spend several days here. Inca ruins are found in the surrounding hills, with the Sacred Valley being nearby. Luckily, the town is the starting point for the majority of tourists headed on the Inca trail, so there are many hiking shops around.

trek sign Inca Trail

Walking poles are a must as frustratingly I have patellar tendonitis on both knees. Determined not to let it stop me. I’m also buying a lot (and I mean a lot) of snacks. More is more in this case! I would hate to run out of my snickers and cereal bars half way up the mountain. Machu Picchu is set amongst the Andes mountain ranges and sits at 2430m. That’s a fair amount of fuel needed, so I pack my bag with the essentials to make sure it fits to the required weight limit. I try to pack light and for changeable weather. Just about manage it, feeling ready and eager to take on this challenge.

Mountain views Inca Trail
Views from day 1

So the first day of the trail begins and I’m picked up at the ungodly hour of 4:30am and driven to Ollantaytambo, a local village. Surrounded by green rolling hills, I sit in a small hut with chickens, children and guinea pigs running around my feet whilst having a simple breakfast, prepared by a local Inca family. This is my first chance to meet the other trekkers I will be with for the next four days. I was pleased with my group of mid to late twenty something’s, as well as two guys from another group in their late fifties and much fitter than the rest. They would soon be ahead of us for the whole trek.

Inca Trail
And…back up again

We are driven in a minivan to the start of the Inca Trail, nerves and excitement at the forefront, walking poles and knee bandages prepared. Once through there’s a tad sense of false security as a gentle path gradually leads us up. I’m sure it will get harder! The rain starts almost immediately and the colourful ponchos are straight on, rain not beating us just yet. I can’t believe how great the scenery is, stopping what seems like every five minutes to take a photo.

steep steps , inca trail
steep steps

We walk past small Inca sites, endless green hills and mountains hiding behind one another, only giving us a glimpse of the challenge ahead. Day two, I know is the hardest and on everyone’s minds as we plough along, wondering what we’ve got ourselves in for. We arrive at camp to find it’s already set up by the porters.

These admirable men, some the age of most grandparents, carry 20kg whizzing past everyone to have camp set up and food cooked before we arrive. In the past they would carry up to 60kg until it was legally put a stop to. With little pay and no complaints I am in awe of these men. The food is delicious, with a combination of soup, meat, rice, pasta and a sweet pancake for dessert. After dinner everyone goes to bed but I stay up to watch the stars, so bright and so many.

I wrap up warm and sit in amazement at the dancing stars, hoping this peaceful and magical moment is one I won’t forget.

The porters , inca trail
The porters
At camp, inca trail
At camp

The Second Day…

Day two, wake at 6:30am smelling fresh mountain air, for a breakfast omelette to fuel the toughest day of the trek. This is the day considered most challenging and climbing a 1000ft in a day, I can see why. It’s pretty much uphill for 8 hours to reach Dead Woman’s Pass at 13,828ft (the highest point of the trek). Supposedly the rocks from below look like a woman lying on her back, the name doesn’t mean that you will be dead once at the top! (or at least I hope not).

Dead Womans Pass
Dead Womans Pass
Trail down from Dead womans pass
Trail down from Dead womans pass

At altitude everyday things such as breathing suddenly become increasingly difficult but I push on to be near the front, as mentally cannot be at the back. The air gets thinner. I’m frustrated as my mind and body want to push on but my knees hold me back. I power through this mental mind game and arrive as one of the first to Dead Woman’s Pass, much to my surprise.

Walking down from Dead Womans Pass
Walking down from Dead Womans Pass

Soaking in the views and accomplishment just achieved, we wait for the others, cheering them on as they reach the top. Through laughter and tears we have made it, now just need to head back down the other side. So yes I was at the back from this point onwards, as apparently knee injuries and steep down-hills do not mix. The views keep me going. The thought of food also keep me going. Finally I make it in time for dinner and relax with the group, playing card games and chatting about the day.

That night the porters give me a little warm rum before bed and I sleep like a baby.

 

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Day 3 on the Inca Trail

So after covering my ever-increasingly greasy hair with a hat, I’m ready for one of the most scenic days. I certainly see why Machu Picchu is one of the ‘new’ seventh wonders of the world. Day three takes you through jungle and mountainous backdrops, the sun streaming through the trees and birds flying overhead.

Feeling tired on day 3, Inca Trail
Feeling tired on day 3
Rainforest section, Inca trail
Rainforest section on day 3

We stop for lunch opposite a group of Inca ruins. The Americans have already eaten and are now off to face the gringo killers. That would be downhill steep steps for forty five minutes and which go on far too long for my comfort. I shuffle down them using my hands, like a baby learning to walk down the stairs. After surviving this, I find a birthday treat for me at camp. The porters have baked an entire cake half way up the mountain, making me feel extra special indeed.

small set of inca ruins on the inca trail
Inca ruins along the way
The dreaded gringo killers, Inca trail
The dreaded gringo killers

Ok so the final day has arrived and after heavy rain throughout the night, it’s still ongoing and everyone is miserable. I try to be positive hoping the rain makes way to pretty sunshine. After two hours of walking, mostly under the trees and then passing through the compulsory checkpoint, a member of the group shouts “Look!”.

I raise my eyes through the slowly drifting clouds to see the extraordinary Inca ruins that make up this ancient city. There, in front of me, is the image that has been driving me since day one. The one thing I have kept in my head, willing me to continue through tired legs and hurried breaths. I am finally looking down at Machu Picchu.

machu picchu, Inca trail
I made it!

The rain in no way hides the beauty of this place. These ruins are believed to have been built at the height of the Inca empire during the fifteenth century and were built entirely without mortar. They were later abandoned and I can only imagine how thriving this place once was. I’m particularly impressed with the intelligent system leading water from a spring and using gravity to feed it through to various parts of the city.

Hoards of day tourists, machu picchu
Hoards of day tourists

There are a lot of tourists here and I wish I were alone to take the setting in with all its wonderment. Clouds drift slowly through the mountains and surrounding the ruins, adding a prehistoric feel to this already mysterious place.

Machu Picchu in the rain
Machu Picchu in the rain

After a quick tour, exploring and taking photos we head through the huge number of day tourists, all smelling great as opposed to us and take a bus down to Aguas Calientes. This small town is busy with tourists strolling around, looking at gift shops and dining for lunch after their trip. Like most, I take this opportunity to visit the hot springs, a life saver after four days of walking and I feel the pain slowly fade away. Feeling much more relaxed we all fall asleep on the train back to Cusco.

Aguas Calientes town, peru
Aguas Calientes

A bath has never felt so good and I feel like a new woman. This journey has been tough, exhilarating and exhausting but one I will never forget. I’m glad I chose the classic trail, with it being great for diverse scenery yet still a nice four days, as opposed to some of the longer treks. Back at the hotel a surprising amount of energy has taken over my body and I decide to join the rest of the group at a small bar in the town square. The hours and hours of walking have apparently not quite defeated me just yet and I dance the night away, celebrating my small little victory.

More Reading: Impressive Day Hikes: Huaraz, Peru

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