Trek the Inka Trail

In the last issue I told you about one volunteer, Jon Best, and how he planned to trek the Inka Trail raising money for Parkinsons UK. He has now completed the trek and is here to tell the tale of his adventure.

I am a Team leader at the HMRC Contact Centre in St Austell and also an Office Rep for the St Austell and Bodmin Area CSSC. I have trekked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu to raise money for Parkinsons UK. I have Parkinsons myself and trained for almost a year to ensure I had the stamina to complete the trek. This has given me a great year helping me to feel fitter than I have in a while.

The day finally arrived, 14 May 2011, and I was off to Peru. I arrived at Heathrow at 11pm, arms tired from carrying a case that felt like it had everything including the kitchen sink. After a night without sleep, the other trekkers arrived and at 6.30am the next morning the plane took off for Amsterdam followed by a 12 hour flight to Lima where I felt too tired to get to sleep. Jetlagged and feeling shattered; I arrived in Lima that evening.

After a night's rest, we flew on to Cusco. I felt the first effects of the altitude when carrying my case to the coach and getting out of breath. Suddenly it was like being in a different world. Cusco is a fascinating place, many narrow Inca streets remaining and includes Inca, Spanish and more modern buildings. We were encouraged to go on a walking tour of Cusco that afternoon to acclimatise quicker by being active rather than resting. It was hot and I had to be careful to go at a steady pace so as not to get out of breath. I then started to get headaches that lasted continually for about 36 hours.

The following day was a free day but we were encouraged to go walking. The locals seemed to want us to visit the 'sexy woman and Jesus', which seemed a strange combination. . However after enquiries we found these were the remains of an Inca complex called 'Sacsayhuaman' and nearby an imposing white statue of Jesus (a gift from refugee Christian Palestinians in 1945) overlooking Cusco. After a long uphill walk there were some amazing views of the ruins and of the City of Cusco.

Our final day before the trek was spent on another Inca trail at a lower altitude in the Sacred Valley. This was a practise trek and although I was physically okay I was uncomfortable with the heights as the trail was very narrow next to some steep drops. The views were breathtaking. We saw more of the poverty there, seeing workers ploughing the fields with a horse and people working manually with none of the modern machinery we take for granted. Mud bricks are the most common building material due to their low cost but they are also very vulnerable in an area prone to earthquakes and floods. One village had no signs because the people there are illiterate so signs with words would be useless.

The next morning we were up at 5.30am and off by coach to the start of the trek. After a patient wait at the checkpoint we were finally across the bridge and on our way on the trek. The sun was hot but the trail was not too steep. The scenery was stunning in all directions. We walked around 12km in 4 or 5 hours to the first camp. The guides spoke excellent English and gave detailed information on wildlife and Inca ruins.

The next day the trail climbed steeply along the banks of the river Llullucha taking us up to 3850m before lunch. We often had porters overtaking us with huge packs on their backs. Then suffering headaches, I continued to Deadwoman's Pass, the highest point on the trail (4216m). It was a difficult ascent due to the air becoming increasingly thinner but we were surrounded by beautiful scenery. This was followed by a steep and tiring descent to the campsite, with the irregular nature of the steps making it harder. The temperature changed from hot to cold between 5pm and 6pm and it was dark by 6.30pm.

After our coldest night we again rose at 5.30am and walked to Runkuraquay - the site of an Inca checkpoint. The trails were built for royal messengers carrying instructions. Ordinary people were expected to stick to the area in which their farming land was allocated and not to travel freely. We passed several more Inca ruins including Sayaqmarka (inaccessible town) from where you could see the start of the Amazon.

On the final day we were awakened at 3.45am to trek to Intipunku (Gates of the Sun) where we saw the sun rise over Machu Picchu, a stunning sight in no way captured by my photographs. I felt stressed here by the heights, as usually I dealt with any problem by moving on from any area where I felt uncomfortable. I waited and watched the sun come over Machu Picchu but felt quite disconcerted by the time we resumed the journey. We walked down to Machu Picchu and the remains of the city are magnificent. There is an air of mystery about the place due to a lack of precise knowledge about its purpose and when it was built. The Incas didn't write and Spanish records confirm very little. I had completed the trek and was elated but also tired. I only absorbed a small amount of the information the guide gave us due to the hot sun. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.

I am now back and it already seems a long time ago. I have memories that will be with me always. I am still collecting sponsorship and am hopeful that the final amount will top £5,000. The support and encouragement of my colleagues at work has meant a lot to me. I have also had amazing support from other CSSC Reps from across the region. Anyone who still wishes to donate can do so at www.justgiving.co.uk/jon-best. Thank you.