Inca Trail: Do's and Don'ts
On March 30, I started the "classic" 4 day, 3 night Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu. It spans 26 miles, with 20-24 hours total of hiking and reaching a peak altitude of 13,828 ft. Even though I hiked with Alpaca Expeditions who provided porters that carried our duffel bags, food, and set up camp, it was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done. Below are my suggestions if you are considering trekking to Machu Picchu: Generally, I Don't recommend the Inca Trail unless : you have done an ultra-marathon or Olympic distance triathlon OR you really know what you're getting into. Just a snapshot of what I suffered on the trail: The trail was a lot harder than I expected, and 20-30 minutes of cardio 2-3 times a week was definitely not enough preparation. I had altitude sickness the first night I was in Cusco, and 2 days was not really enough time to adjust- I was constantly out of breath on the trail even though I had Diamox. I got ...