At 7am a minibus came and collected us from our hostel for a rocky one and a half hour ride up windy little roads into the mountains to begin our trek. We were hiking the Lares trek as it was the wet season and parts of the Inca trail would be closed, but I didn’t mind as I hope to come back and do the Inca trail some other time. The Lares trek is a more rural route and takes you off the beaten path (I didn’t actually realise how much so until I did it!) hiking between alpine peaks, passing cobalt-blue glacial lakes and seeing alpacas and llamas grazing in the open mountain meadows, often without meeting another person for hours.
After finding it hard to adjust to the altitude at the beginning of the trip I knew my tour guide thought I might have difficulties with the altitude on the Lares trek, so I was determined to make sure I kept up with the group and not lag behind. We unloaded the minibus and strapped on our daypacks just as the donkeys, mules and ponies arrived with the porters and kitchen staff to deal with our overnight luggage and anything else being taken. I was delighted to see the ponies come strolling along without being led, it was like they were little people in their own right!
Off we went – the way was going to be all uphill for the first few hours and we climbed slowly, with the Lares trek guide Manuel stopping to let us catch our breath every now and then before telling us information about the various indigenous villages we were passing through. One half-built house was composed of just walls, with straw stacked on top held in place with rocks and Manuel explained this was because families only built their houses on a Sunday, and the straw and rocks were to keep the stones dry in between.
We met a little boy, Yohan, who was three years old and followed us for a while along the way until he got to his house about a mile and a half along the road. The guide spoke to him in Quechwa and told us that Yohan was out playing because his parents were both inside cooking. He was dressed in the colourful native clothing I had become familiar with and I was initially quite surprised that at three years old he was out so far away from his home, but the guide explained that the local people had very small communities and often never even left the valley, except to possibly further their education, if they didn’t leave school and marry young. Women in traditional dress and spinning yarn as they walked also passed us, sometimes stopping to ask for coca leaves.
The initial hour was tough and I felt quite out of breath but soon got into my stride and started to really enjoy the trek and the beautiful mountain scenery. Soon the rain started and very quickly we had wet legs and feet and cold hands despite our ponchos and gloves. The porters and ponies were extremely quick and it wasn’t long before they had caught up with us, and overtaken us laden with all the supplies and luggage, disappearing along the mountain path.
Myself, and two others in my group along with our tour guide were quicker than the others, so went ahead agreeing to meet the rest of the group at the lunch tent in about three or four hours. I didn’t mind moving quickly as the rain was coming down hard and it was warmer to keep up a brisk pace. Soon the paths disappeared and we were trekking up and across open mountainous fields which were steadily becoming more and more waterlogged in the increasing rain. I had to watch my footing constantly as the ground was very uneven and in certain places that looked safe to tread I quickly found myself submerged ankle deep in muddy sludge!
After a few hours a tent appeared on the horizon at the bottom of the valley. We were all very hungry by now so hastily pressed on to reach it and get warm and dry whilst waiting for the others. Stepping inside, the cooks were busy cooking at the other end of the tent so it was lovely and warm and I felt a sense of relief that we had made it and could now relax in comfort. However, this was very short-lived as we quickly found out that the cooks were cooking for a different group that was coming along the mountain from the opposite direction! Disgruntled we left the warm haven and the enticing food smells and set off again in the rain along the mountain, hoping to find our tent soon around the next bend.
After another 20 minutes of travelling around the mountain our tour guide pointed at something behind us down the valley. We looked and could see a tiny tent in the distance that we had somehow missed and figured it must be ours, so we turned around and made our way down the mountain towards it. When we arrived and had confirmed it was the right tent the porters were just setting up. There was no heating in the lunch tent as there was a separate tent for cooking in next to it, so we removed our ponchos and sat shivering whilst sipping on some coca tea with water that had been brought from the lake and boiled.
About half an hour later the rest of the group arrived and we had a delicious lunch of soup and trout for main whilst the rain beat down on the tent roof above us and the wind whipped up underneath the sides sending shivers down my spine. I was keen to get moving again as I was soaked through and bitterly cold and knew we had another good few hours walking ahead of us.
In the lunch tent…a welcome rest even though soaked through from the rain
After lunch we set off again with me keeping to the front with the same small group as before. I quickly warmed up again in my wet gear and on we went through the cold rain and foggy cloud, steadily climbing higher and higher. I had tons of energy after eating and was finding the hike challenging but enjoyable, so much so that I was the first person to reach the top of the Ipsayqocha Pass at 4,450m! It was quite funny as the guys then had to admit that I was fitter than they’d given me credit for and certainly fitter than them on that day and each gave me a high five. I hadn’t been out to prove anything as such, I just wanted to push myself and I was really enjoying travelling through the rural countryside with not a person in sight.
Once we’d reached the pass it was downhill for the rest of the way, although this wasn’t necessarily easier as the surfaces were slippery and uneven and you could easily slip, which I did a couple of times on rocks onto my back. Luckily my well-padded daypack took most of the fall and I was able to get up straight away and carry on with no injury.
The vegetation and surfaces we encountered along the way varied, sometimes rocks, sometimes mud that sucked your feet in and sometimes a type of plant called Azorella that only grew over 4,000m. Most of the way was completely off-path, and I would say for anyone interested in a similar venture to never underestimate the power of good hiking boots and a walking stick; both helped me immensely.
After another three hours we started to look out for a small group of red tents somewhere down in the valley in the distance where we would be camping for the night. However, the tents weren’t where our guide had thought they would be so he asked us to wait whilst he ran across some fields high up on the mountain in between grazing alpacas and had a look down the valley. Vision was seriously impaired as the cloud was very thick all around us, and he quickly disappeared into it leaving myself and two others sitting on rocks in a field in the pouring rain which was quickly finding its way inside my poncho. Now I was no longer moving I started to get cold very quickly, with numb fingers and toes.
After about 20 minutes of waiting the guide appeared again and beckoned for us to follow him again along the mountain. By now the rest of the group had caught up and so we all travelled together, making our way down the steep sides of the mountain, over rocky walls and through ditches. Being so cold now and shivering, this was the point where I was slightly careless and lost my footing a couple of times, falling down the hill as it was extremely slippery.
The ponchos are back again! Happy after spotting camp in the distance
When we reached camp we were told to get warm and dry as quickly as possible and get into our sleeping bags if necessary until dinner. One thing I hadn’t done which I later regretted was to bring enough dry clothes, such as socks! I’d naively thought I would be fine with two pairs, whilst one was being worn the other could dry out, that sort of thinking, however it was so cold I realised that my wet clothes probably wouldn’t dry properly in time for the next day. Still, I hung them out in my tent anyway and put on my one dry pair with my one pair of dry sandals and some dry clothes to go and play some cards and have dinner in the dinner tent.
The ponies had been relieved of their goods and were by now peacefully grazing around the tents down by the stream, in between various llamas. Dinner was well received but it was so cold in the valley and my feet were permanently numb throughout, that I was grateful when everyone decided to go to bed at about 8pm! We had to get up at 5.30am the next day to continue on the hike and by now I was desperate to get warm and sleep. The sleeping bag I’d rented was quite warm, although it was still cold enough that if I lay on my back my shoulders would be cold and if I lay on my side I would feel a cold draft down my back, no matter how much I tried to tuck myself in – plus I was wearing every single dry item of clothing that I had with me, along with jacket, socks and woolly hat! Eventually I got to sleep by zipping up the sleeping bag right over my head. I couldn’t really breathe, but at least I was warm!
Saturday 26th February
Morning hit me with a strange face peering into my tent offering me tea. I groggily sat up and accepted the cup and used the bowl of luke warm water that had been placed next to it to wash my face. There were no shower facilities so I just changed and freshened up as best I could. There was a toilet tent set up, it was either that or what some of the group called ‘inca peeing’, meaning behind a rock or bush – but the toilet tent got very smelly and horrible quite quickly so I really preferred the second option, this is of course only where there were suitable rocks or bushes, sometimes the environment was extremely sparse for some miles!
As I’d feared my clothes hadn’t dried, and some were still wet from pressing on the side of the tent in the night. I was a little grumpy and annoyed at myself being dirty, tired and cold as well as having to change into still wet and freezing clothes because I hadn’t properly prepared, and the clothes I would have to wear for the whole day! Next time I am going to stock up on socks and extra clothing for sure.
After a breakfast of pancakes with caramel smiley faces on (it’s the small things that lift your mood), we set off at about 7am for our second day’s hike. I decided to relax and take it at a slightly slower pace in order to take some photos and enjoy the scenery as today it wasn’t raining – the day before I’d been going so fast there was barely time to get the camera out or take in the scenery, although in the rain it had seemed to have mattered less. This seemed fine until my camera batteries both started flashing low battery, despite me keeping them in my sleeping bag in the night to stop them running down! I’d also forgotten to bring my camera chargers and had no way to charge them until after Machu Picchu!
Today we were climbing for the first few hours higher to the top of a mountain at 4,600 feet. After a couple of hours, the ponies passed the small group of people near the back that I was walking with, and one of the porters asked us if we’d like to make use of a pony who had no load to carry; we could strap our day packs on and the pony would carry it up for us a little way to the summit. We were already halfway up and the going was extremely steep – it seemed like a good idea, so keeping my smaller backpack with my camera and other electrical equipment I handed over my day pack and pressed on. The pony, now strapped up with our rucksacks, soon caught up with us and as I was keen to get to the summit I decided to follow the pony up and wait for the others at the top.
I hadn’t planned however, on the pony, despite being so small – being so quick! After about 20 minutes the pony had disappeared up the zig-zag paths into the clouds and I could no longer see the way to go, as the path had disappeared and I was now walking up loose slates and gravel. I started looking for people, or pony tracks, or pony poo, but couldn’t see any, and it wasn’t long before I’d reached what I thought was the summit but was completely lost!
The summit was huge with great boulders and rocks and limited vision with the foggy cloud all around. In the distance I thought I saw someone sitting on a rock and thought they might be from our group checking everyone was going the right way, and I called out to them and hurried over. Sadly for me – it was a rock. Worse still, it had just started to rain and all my waterproofs were in my day pack…on the disappearing pony.
The rock I thought was a person from afar
I decided to head to the right as I thought the path may be that way and clambered over huge rocks and boulders, sometimes almost slipping on the wet moss that coated them. “Hello?!” I shouted and my voice echoed all around. I felt very alone as I made my way across the top of the mountain, but despite the rain now steadily falling on me and the cloud thickening all around me I refused to let myself panic yet. After about 15 minutes I heard an echo-y voice in the distance – it was one of the group! Once reunited we had one more hill to climb up to what was the actual summit where our pony waited, looking very annoyed in the rain which had turned into snow and then hail! Quickly we put our waterproof gear on and covered our day packs and then as fast as we could we descended down the other side, the hail coming down heavily by this point. It was all loose gravel and at times again I lost my footing and found myself sliding down on a mini gravel avalanche. My hands and feet were completely numb and really aching by this point.
After about half an hour we could see the path stretching out clearly into the distance again, the hail had stopped replaced with rain again and had eased slightly and so we stopped to have a quick bite to eat of whatever snacks we had in our day packs. As I preferred to go faster than the people at the back I now set off on my own again (just as other members of the group had before me), confident that the path was clearly visible as it wound around a couple of lakes, through a valley and on to where we would be having lunch. I figured if I could move quickly too I might escape the rain cloud that currently lingered over us.
Off I went on my own, jumping over rocks and through streams and taking in the beautiful scenery around me, the huge majestic lakes stretching out into the distance flanked by hills and trees. Soon the rain did indeed stop and as I pressed on the feeling returned in my fingers and I started to dry out. I caught up with the ponies carrying the supplies and followed them down through the valleys around the lakes for a while, stopping every now and then to take pictures. At one point I felt I had got a bit lost as I came down a hill and found a loud rushing waterfall blocking my way, I then had great fun trying to cross it by jumping on slippery rocks without getting too wet or swept away! (Some of the group who had gone before me told me later they had also got lost, and upon coming across the waterfall had debated whether or not they were even meant to try and cross it – it was very loud and powerful).
Coming to the second lake I stopped to take a picture of a cow drinking down at the water and one of the guides caught up with me. We then walked together having conversations about life, spirituality and nature. He was half Inca, half Catholic and being much older had many interesting stories and views to share, so much so that before I realised it we had come across an old mining house where a tent was set up and some of my group were waiting for us – we had made it to lunch!
After a relaxing hour or so sat by a river we set off on the downhill journey to the next campsite. Considering a couple of hours before it had been freezing cold up a dark mountain, now the sun had come out and it was blazing hot! We all took off a few layers and the sunglasses came out.
At lunch on the second day
Nearing the end of our hike
The last few hours were spent leisurely strolling through streams, over rocks and wandering off the beaten track through forests and vegetation, really getting to explore the countryside and take in the beauty of the rivers, flowers and trees which now glistened wet in the afternoon sun. Right around 3.30pm I strolled into the campsite, set in the Sacred Valley, where I kicked off my shoes, switched my iPod on and sunbathed with the others whilst sipping on cold beers. It was the perfect end to the day, and sadly to the trek as ours was only over two days.
The evening was spent playing cards and chilling round a camp fire. I made friends with a puppy who went to sleep on my lap and this time I woke in the night in my little tent actually too hot and had to take off about three layers, not that I was complaining!
In the morning a minibus came to collect us as soft rain beat down in the camp site, we were off to Aguas Calientes, or Machu Picchu town.