The Adventure Company: Reaching Everest Base Camp!

On our Facebook recently, we've have lots of enquiries from fans and past customers who are curious as to what its like to reach Everest Base Camp and what they should expect.

We've never been one to leave our customers in the dark, and with the help of Jo Murphy, her extensive travel diary is our blog of the week.

Here's hoping this clears up any queries with you all, but as always ask us by leaving a comment or sending an email if you wish to know anything more!

"Everest Base camp Trek 27th March 2009

Prep
After 6 months of waiting, my dream was about to begin… but first I had to squeeze 19 days worth of clothes into one teeny weeny rucksack…. Ok maybe not teeny weeny, but 15kg is not a lot for a girl!, I find it quite an achievement that I mamnaged to pack just one pair of shoes, - and even those were slippers…. Amazing!





Day 1
After a long day of travelling, scoffing haribo, and getting to know my fellow adventurures, we finally arrive in Kathmandu. Straight away we are hit by the hustle and bustle, a complete culture shock to anybody who has never experienced a completely different way of life. The sheer amount of people in the streets, the smells, the colours. One thing I can clearly remember from out first introduction to Kathmandu, is the local police shutting off a whole street because a cow decided it fancied a nap in the road!

After a “scenic” journey through Kathmandu, we arrived at out hotel, the Tibet hotel, really nice place. We had a bit of an exploration, ventured down to Thamel, saw all the rickshaws, hundreds of shops selling everything you need for the trek, - wished I had listened to previous travellers now! Would have saved a lot of money!

Early evening went back to the hotel, met all the rest of out group, had a meeting, short introduction into what we would be doing, then off for tea! – or as Paul would call it “dinner” , differences between the north/south divide amongst the English crowd quickly became apparent!

After a lovely dinner, myself, Nicky, Hayley and Laura, decided to use our short time in Kathmandu wisely, and explore the place, unfortunately, we stumbled into a Nepalese “dance” bar, were we were treated to an hour of erm… “exotic” and slightly weird dance show! But we wouldn’t have had it any other way, was a fantastic night trying out the famous Everest beer, and getting to know each other!

Day 2: Exploring Kathmandu
So Raj, our guide, had informed us to be up and ready to go at 9am, in order to get around all the places we needed to see. Myself and Hayley, didn’t get off to the best start, as we only woke up at 9.20am, to banging on the door!! Oops!
Nevertheless, we got on our way to our first stop, Swayambunath Stupa, aka – monkey temple. We spent about an hour looking around, visiting prayer wheels, watching the locals praying, and generally just taking in the sights, and you guessed it, watching the Columbus monkeys, roaming freely around the temple.



Second stop was Durbur Square, which immediately you feel like you have walked into China, the buildings and statues stand apart from the surrounding areas. All you can see are brightly dressed local holy men, dressed in orange robes, tip – don’t take their photo without asking, as they tend to chase you for money!



Also look out for the rather “interesting” wood sculptures carved around the rafters of the buildings – lets just say the Nepalese are a bit on the kinky side!



After stopping for lunch, we went to our third and final destination, which to be honest was a bit of a shocker. We went to Pashupatinath, an ancient temple complex resting on the edge of the Baghmati river. The stretch of river is devoted to hindu cremations, and when we arrived, there were several taking place.

We were literlly sitting 50 feet on the other side of the river watching these rituals taking place. I found it a very surreal expericne, several bodies were buring, and one was led on the floor wrapped in orange cloth waiting for the ceremony. I felt slightly strange for witnessing something that I felt should be a private ceremony. Yet this was a hindu ceremony, and it was so interesting to witness it first hand.



Day 3: “Scenic flight to Lukla”
Scenic is word word to describe it alright!, I can also think of several others – nerve racking, gut wrentching, vom inducing, to name but a few, though not to put you off, this is one experience you will take with you for life, flying in an 18 seater toy plane 14,000 feet up over the himilayas is just amazing. Apparently our flight was considered “very successful” why was that Raj? – because we didn’t crash?





After 40 minutes, and a slight scary moment, we finally landed at Lukla airport, I use airport in the loosest term!.



We started our trek…3 hours trekking. Lukla (2840m) - Phakding (2610m)

Immediately, you feel at one with nature, you’ve been dumped in the middle of the mountains, and its just the most amazing feeling of freedom, now you really feel like your trekking to Everest Base Camp.



We arrived at Phakding shortly before 3pm, and settled into our first night experiencing teahouses. It was surprisingly nice. Much better than I was expecting, basically just a shed, - complete with flushing loo! – felt like I'd won the lottery!



First night sampling the local food which we were to be accustomed with for the next 12 nights, first of many many garlic soups for Paul, Fried egg and chips for Laura, Pizza for james, Mo Mo’s for Tanja, and most other people, Veggie fried noodles, veggie friend rice, or veggie noodle soup!

Day 4: 7 hours trekking Phakding (2610m) - Namche Bazar (3430m)

So after a relatively comfy night in Phakding, and my first sampling of lemon and honey tea, (yum yum!!) we set off for the famous namche Bazaar. Over the course of several hours, we were to steadily climb 800 metres. The majority of the trek today was at a slight gradient, or what Raj would refer to as “nepali flat”, that term, we would later discover, was just Raj’s way of getting our lazy backsides up a hill!

After crossing the last of 5 highly suspended bridges over the famous “Milk River”, we started out steep ascent up to Namche. This part of the trek was strenuous. But so scenic, we were walking through beautiful forests and amongst snowcapped mountains, which more than made up for the hard work.



Finally arriving at Namche Bazaar, the clouds had come down and everybody was feeling a little tired. Some had a small kip before tea, others went exploring.



That night a few of our team, Myself. Laura, Louise, Dale, Anne, and Prakash stayed up playing cards games, we had such a laugh, brought it home how little you actually need to keep you happy, just a few cards, and a hot chocolate. Was a great night.


Day 5: Acclimatising Namche (3430m) - Syangboche (3720m) – Namche (3430m)

So after a surprisnlgly good nights sleep, managed to sneak into the hot shower at 6am!, then me and gary went for a walk around namche, One thing that’s great about waking up so early, are the views, after arriving the previous day in cloud, we had no idea of the scene that met us when we woke up. Namche being nestled in a horseshoe, seems protected 360 degrees by the most stunning scenery. Waking up this early you get to see the sunrise which just gives the best start to the day!

Today was our first acclimatiasation day and we were to climb 350 metres up namche Hill, we got to visit the namche museum, and also had our first view of everest. Was an amazing feeling to be stood so far away looking at where we were aiming. This would be the first and last time we would see everest until kala patthar. The mountain looked so beautiful and peaceful, a total contrast to the book several of the team were reading simultaneously – Jon Krakauer’s "Into Thin Air!”. It made me realize just how dangerous something so beautiful can actually be.



From here we continued up to our acclimatization point, after a climb of roughly 90 minutes, we stayed at the top for an hour or so, relaxing, taking in the views and slowly getting panda eyes!






Day 6: 6 hours trekking. Namche Bazar (3430m) - Tengboche (3860m)

Today the trek started off with a small climb, during the course of the day we were to drop 600 metres into the forest, then climb up 1030 metres to Tengboche, again following the milk river. After lunch we had a 3 hour steep climb, this was tough, especially now as the lack of oxygen had started to become apparent. But we were given plenty of rest stops, however those were quickly followed with lots of “jam jams”





For the best part of the day the weather was amazing, though the higher we went and the later in the day, the temparture semmed to drop dramatically. We eventually arrived at tengboche and immediately saw Tengboche monastry. A beautiful colourful building standing onto of the mountain. We had a venure round before tea, which was well deserved after the strenuous climb today, - although sneakily, Gary, Paul, James and David had already filled their tummies at the tengboche bakery!, - without telling any of the girlies! Very naughty!



Day 7: 5 hours trekking. Tengboche (3860m) - Dingboche (4410m)

The day started with an easy descent of 75 metres, - but as we had come to learn, for every down, theres an up, just around the corner, and usually 10 times as big! Today I had started to suffer with the headaches, I felt particualry sick and dizzy, Raj our guide was brilliant, he monitered several of us, as we came down with slight signs of altitude sickness. He gave us advice and kept checking on us. I found it particvualry frustrating, as I had trained for a few months beforehand, and I felt my body was failing me. Today was a struggle.

After lunch, I found the day got quite difficult, I felt really bad, and was unfortunately reduced to tears because of the headaches. After a bit of comfort talk from my fantastic team, I got the strength to carry on. Prakash, another of our guides kept me chatting for the last leg of the trek, which worked wonders in keeping my mind off the pain.

We eventually arrived at Dingboche, nestled in a valley, the accommodation was really comfortable. After a bit of a rest, id begun to feel better and Laura and I went for a wonder.



Day 8: Acclimatizing Dingboche (4410m) - Nangkar Tshang (4840m) - Dingboche (4410m)
So today we had another acclimatization day, It was pretty tough, about 2 hours of steep climbing. The lack of oxygen was certainly taking hold now, and I was struggling to catch my breath. I think most people in the group found it difficult, but nevertheless we made it. We stopped at the top for about 45 minutes and the most amzing time, we were sitting ontop of the clouds,, every so often they would clear briefly for about 20 seconds to reveal the most amazing view, then dissapear again.



Day 9: 5 hours trekking. Route: Dingboche (4410m) - Lobuche (4910m)
Today we set off from Dingboche and walked a “nepali” flat for about 2 hours, the scenery was amazing, the weather blazing hot, everybody seemed in high spirits.





Raj had told us the night before that if the altitude was going to affect us, it would happen after lunch, After a 90 minute trek up a very very steep mountain. When we reached the top, we came to a memorial site for all the mountaineers who have lost their lives on everest. It was such a peaceful place. We stayed here, reading the placques and taking in the views for around half an hour. Raj was right, this was the point when I got the most horrendous headache ive ever experienced. This is the day I finally had to take my diamox.



From here we had a 2 hour flat trek to Lobouche. A few of us were suffering by now with headaches and dizziness, but we still made it. That night, most of us were too tired to stay up and most were in bed by 8pm. We had a big day in the morning, - base camp!.



Day 10 : 8.5 hours trekking. Route: Lobuche (4910) - Base Camp (5365m) - Gorak Shep (5140m)
Today I woke up in a strange mood, very nervous, scared, and very emotional. I couldn’t touch breakfast, similar to a good few others in the group, - except of course Paul and Dave!

We set off at 5am, and had a 3 hour trek to Gorak Shep. The first part of the day was tough, Nicola was really suffering due to the altitude, and several of the group had pulled right back and were taking it slow today. The temperature was freezing. Although spirits were down, after an hour or so when we saw the sun rise over the mountains, we started to come round.



8 am and we had finally reached gorak Shep, Most people byt this point were totally exhausted, but with base camp less than 3 hours away, we all seemed to find a little bit of spare energy to spur on. We forced down a bit of breakfast and carried on.



The trek to base camp was really nice and peaceful, difficult with lots of ups and downs. The group seemed to go quiet, and we all got our heads down, taking in the beautiful scenery and looking out towards the khumba ice fell. The sun was shining and base camp was approaching.



It was approcimately 1.45pm when we reached base camp.





Tired, exhausted, emotional, but successful, a few of us had a cry, we had finally reached our destination, several of us endured a lot of pain and exhaustion, but we got here. I didn’t quite know what to expect, before I came to Nepal, people had told me basecamp was a “dump” and full of litter. But it wasn’t at all. We stayed here for around an hour, taking photos, just spending time alone, taking in the views, watching Dale with his hedgehogs he had carried all the way up, celebrating with a tube of Pringles at 17,600 feet, ( pic 31) and toasting with champagne… ok forget the champagne…more like mineral water, but hey!





We finally left basecamp and headed back to Gorak shep, good timing, as half an hour in, the clouds came down and the snow started falling….

Day 11: 9.5 hours trekking. Gorak Shep (5140m) - Kala Pathar (5550) - Orsho (4130m) (or as I like to call it – hell!)

So today, we had two options, we could attempt kala patthar at 18,192 feet, or we could start our descent down to Orsho. Over night however, the skies above everest had decided to dump a few feet of snow on our doorstep. We were told from the beginning that not all of us would have the strength to attampet kala patthar, as it was a tough 2 hour climb at freezing temperatures, made even worse by the snow. Nevertheless 11 out of our 14 set off at 5am to attempt the mountain. I managed to climb for an hour and a half before finally giving up, I got to see the sunrise over everest, manage one quick photograph looking distionctively in pain, be hand fed a snickers bar by one of our guides. Then, I quickly get off the mountain. In a flood of tears due to pain and dissapointment, I sat having my fingers and toes thawed out in Gorak Shep by 4 sherpas. Ive never felt pain like that in my life!.



It was another hour or so until we discovered who had made Kala Pathar. Paul, David, Gary, James, Dale, Anne, Louise. They came back with a couple of war wounds. Dale had received a massive gash on his leg after falling on a rock, Gary had dislocated his shoulder, and been made to walk half an hour before having it popped back in! but all in all the heroes all made it back in one piece, - their photos looked amazing.



We eventually all caught up with each other in a massive snow storm, followed by blazing sunshine, most of us owe our attractive panda eyes to this day!

Day 12: 6 hours trekking. Orsho (4130m) - Namche Bazar (3430m)
Back down to namche, and all the girls could think about was a hot shower, and the boys a cold beer! Typical! We celebrated later on in the night by visiting the local nightclub with our guides. Was a brilliant night!



Day 13: 3.25 hours trekking. Namche Bazar (3430m) - Phakding (2610m)
In the words of James, this was the day that the “pathetic testosterone driven kids” – aka – boys!!! decided to literally run 700 metres downhill to phakding and try to beat Prakash.

The girls were in stitches watching the boys try and race each other, we held back taking in the scenery for what will probably be the last time for many of us.

When we arrived at Phakding we were greeted by the next group heading up to base camp, it brought back memories from the first night of our trek, we were swapping stories and giving advice.

Meanwhile Nicola and myself were scaring the sherpas by unplaiting my braids id worn for ease for the last 3 weeks. The look on their faces was hilarious as they were watching all my hair end up in a pile on the table. It was soooo nice to finally be able to scratch my head! And feel like a girl! Haha





Day 14: 3 hours trekking. Phakding (2610m) - Lukla (2840m)

The last day of our trek, I think most of our group, except the boys, decided to take this one slowly, it was the last time we would see the mountains so close, the weather was amazing, the views simply stunning and the walk so relaxing. I think all of us at some point got a little emotional that our trek was finally coming to an end.

That night we stayed in Lukla, - what a memorable night!, - we had a meal altogether with our guides and sherpas, then partied sherpa style. Then wondered down to the local bar for cocktail happy hour! I think a few of our group forgot what awaited us the following morning…..yeti airlines! and probably drank a wee too much than they should have…. Brilliant!



Day 15: Lukla (2840m) – Kathmandu

Today was our final day in mountains, it was emotional, we had to say goodbye to our guides, Iswur, Chhewang, Nara and prakash, and our sherpas. Then hopped on yeti airline for our “scenic flight to kathmandu” – I think you already know what comes next so I wont go into detail!

Few hours later and we are back in the smog, a whole day ahead of us to explore the hustle and bustle of Kathamdu. That night Raj took us out to a well known restaurant in Thamel, - Rum Doodles, we had a brilliant meal, and at the end we got given a foot to sign…. this is when team jam jam was born…. Out foot now hangs proudly from the ceiling displaying “team jam jam – the toast of everest base camp” on one side, and something else which I wont tell you on the other! So if you see it in the future take a pic for us so we know its still there!



Day 16 : Kathmandu

Another free day to shop and explore… and sunbath and swim… yep, a few of our group had found a little haven across from our hotel, 7 stories up we were pampering ourselves in the sauna and stemroom of the Radison hotel. Just what the doctor ordered!

Day 17: Homeward Bound
Today was another emotional day, most of the group were traveling back to heathrow together, but we had to say goodbye to Tanya and Gary beforehand which was sad.



My experience…..
Everest Base Camp was something id wanted to do for a long time, but I kept putting it off, until one day about a year ago I just went for it. For 4 months beforehand I'd trained and researched about my trip. The time flew by and before I knew it I was sat on a plane with my fellow adventurers. For me this trip was the start of a new chapter in my life. It truly was a voyage of self discovery, I went through hard times and painful times, days when I was so happy I didn’t want them to end and days when I felt so sick I didn’t want to carry on, above all absoutley fantastic times.

I was so lucky to be with the most amazing group who truly made it for me, as a solo traveller I was worried about the people I would be with, in case I didn’t get on with them, but thankfully, through the wonders of The Adventure Company Facebook several of us had had contact for a good few months, - something which I strongly advise any grioup doing this trek. We already had a bond before we even arrived at Heathrow.

14 people from totally different backgrounds, different ages and different countires, all brought together by one mountain, we all had something in common, this was something that we all felt passionate for. I wil have memories from this trek for the rest of my life, and hopefully friends too. This is just the start of my adventures, and already, myself and Nicky are booked onto another trip with the Adventure Company. If our next trip is only half as good as Everest base camp, then it will be fantastic.

So thankyou to the adventure company, to Raj our guide, all our other guides and sherpas, and our team jam jam, Marjorie Davey, Anne and Dale Foden, Tanja Heijnemans, Paul Hopkins, Laura James, Gary Jordan, Louise Marsden, Clare Morton, Nicola Moss, James Richardson, Hayley Rose and David Vu, for truly the best experience of my life."

We're sure you agree- an absolutely fantastic account of a great trip. Find out more about Everest Base Camp by visiting The Adventure Company website.

Thanks kindly to Jo for taking the time and effort spent in sending us her experience, and thank YOU for reading!

The Adventure Company

The Adventure Company: Pair in Peru!

Ever wondered what it is like to take on an adventure with your dearly beloved? Kirsty and her partner Allen recently went to Peru and completed The Inca Trail. She's kindly submitted her travel diary for us to browse through:



"Friday 24th August
Check in with Iberia airlines at 5.00am and pop into Wetherspoons for a fry up, something we probably won’t get on the Inca trail. The flight from Heathrow left at 9.00am and we are now on our way to Madrid. Arrive in Madrid at 12.00noon, and then run ‘Home Alone’ style to catch our 12.40 flight to Lima. This flight is for 10 3/4 hours but with thoughts of the Inca Trail in our mind we just doze off for the majority of the flight – I love it when that happens.

Arrive in Lima, collect our luggage and meet our guide Nela – she is lovely, along with a guy who is also booked on this trip with us. Nela drove the 1 hour trip to Miraflores in Lima – I instantly felt excited for the trip ahead as the roads were manic and there were people and cars everywhere – such a buzz, she said 8 million people live in Lima – wow. Arrive at our hotel ‘Leon de Oro’ at 7.30pm. It is a lovely hotel, and our room is massive – it has 2 double beds! We then meet the other guy on our trip and go for a wander round Lima and get some food from a lovely little place called ‘Chefs Café’. The streets are so lively and the atmosphere is great! Go to bed at 10.00pm – absolutely shattered!

Saturday 25th August
Wake up at 6.30am and have a lovely hot shower. Wander down for breakfast and meet the other two people also on the same trip, a father and daughter – already feels like we are making new friends. Nela then came to collect us to take us to Lima airport for our domestic flight to Cusco. The flight left at 10.40, and is 1hr long. The mountain views from the plane are fantastic. Arrive at Cusco airport, some Peruvians are playing music in the entrance – this gave us a great welcome. As soon as you step outside you are surrounded by Mountains, its so refreshing. We are at about 11,000ft, so far I feel great.

We then meet our guide Leo, he’s a lovely guy and makes us all feel at ease. He then drove us the 15min drive to Cusco. The streets of Cusco are even busier than Lima, and the whole place is colourful, and there is such fantastic lively atmosphere. Arrive at our hotel ‘Hotel Suenos del Inka’ It is on a small cobbled street, up some small steps. It is wonderful. The hotel is lovely with wooden carved stairs and stone floors. Check in and have some Cocoa tea – not crazy about that, but give it ago, its meant to be good for altitude. Leo welcomes us to Cusco and gave us a small brief of what will happen today and tomorrow. We have the most amazing view from our room, the window is the full length of the room and you feel like you can see the whole of Cusco lay out before you.



Meet up with everyone and Leo at 2pm, and drive to Sacsayhuaman – believed to be an Inca temple. The site was incredible and the large rocks fit together so perfectly.



The temperature is rising – it is so hot now. Next we visited Qengo, a temple of the Incas, where they made offerings to mother earth, and Tambomachay. This is a natural spring, which the Inca’s built around using magnificent stones.



Next we went to Puka Pukara, believed to be a military base, again wonderful remains of Inca craftsmanship. Leo is so knowledgeable about Cusco and the Inca’s, and so passionate about it.



We then travelled back to Cusco, and visited the Cathedral. It was amazing and huge! The detail and craftsmanship is outstanding and the amount of gold and silver used I have never known before. We then visited a monastery.



Leo showed us some great examples of Inca’s precise geometry used when carving rocks at exact angles. He also showed us some original Inca walls, which were only found after an earthquake, they were perfect, as they had been covered with Lime, hidden by the Spanish. Had such a great day here, Cusco Square is very lively and has a fountain in the middle, with everything situated perfectly around it.



Back at the hotel Leo talked to us about the Inca Trail and gave us our duffel bags, which the porters will carry for us on the trail. In the evening we all met up to go out for something to eat, at a small restaurant called ‘Mythology’.

Sunday 26th August
Wake up with a headache, but slept great, go down for some breakfast – the food was lovely. Meet up with the others – they all look a bit grey, but it doesn’t cloud our excitement. This morning Leo came to brief us some more on the Inca trail, then we organised our duffel bags. We all met up at 9.45 and took a walk to the main square, it is really busy and they are having a parade.



There are processions of Military, schools and bands. They are all playing and marching and singing – it was great, they have such a great spirit and the atmosphere was brilliant.

We all went to shelter from the heat and had a lovely cool drink in a café sitting on a balcony overlooking the square. This morning we all changed some currency and found a little chemist to buy some altitude tablets and re-hydration salts – better to be safe than sorry. We all then went to an Italian ‘Tratoria Adriano’, where we had lunch and had a toast to the Inca Trail – fingers crossed we can all make it. Go back to the hotel, where we check our GPS we are now at 11,300 ft – wow.



At 2pm Leo take us to Cusco market, it was thriving with locals, selling everything and anything – fruit, vegetables, flowers, clothes, spices, bread – you really felt like you’d pinched a bit of local life. Everyone was bustling around it really was lovely.

Leo then took us for a walk of some local sites. We all got into 2 taxis and set off, travelling back past Sacsayhuaman, we visited a shop selling Alpaca clothes and rugs. A lady explained how they are made and the difference between the types of clothes produced. We saw a 100% Alpaca rug that would cost around $1900!! We then walked back to Cusco with great views of the town, and saw some houses built into the mountainside and children running around – what a way of life.



We walked back to the main square, where we paid Leo the local payment and arranged to meet tomorrow morning at the hotel for 6.30am. We all went back to the hotel and weighed our duffel bags. Mine was only 4.6kg, which is great as you are only allowed to take 7kg on the trail.



We all met up in the evening and went to a great place called ‘Macondo’ – a really funky place, all lit up with paintings everywhere and great music. Have such a great laugh, and the food was gorgeous! We went back to the hotel at 9.00pm.

Monday 27th August
Wake up at 5.00am – Yuk! Have a lovely shower then go down for breakfast at 6.00am, can hardly eat as feel quite nervous this morning. Leo came to collect us at 6.30am. Travel to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. There are beautiful terraces and buildings here, what a view. It is a traditional Inca village, and Leo said from afar the village landscape is in the shape of a Llama. There is also a giant Inca head sculpted into the mountainside.





As a group we all walk around, doing some up hill walking makes me feel out of breath, which quite surprised me. Pacing myself on the trail is going to be vital. Leave there and travel for 30mins to Chilca – the start of the Inca trail. Allen gets some supplies…..



Start the trail at 10.30am. The first part of the trek was a very comfortable walk; we walked past forests and through a lot of vegetation. The sun was shining, though there was some cloud cover. We followed the Umbamba River. The paths were quite narrow so we were a bit follow my leader, but it gave us plenty of time to take in our surroundings.



We arrive at the first checkpoint KM 82 Piscacucho at 12.15. We are officially on the trail! The walk had been gentle and the views fantastic, so we were all in high spirits. Leo also points out all kinds of plants and trees. We all eat our lunch at this checkpoint and have our passports stamped, we are at about 9,000ft. We left the checkpoint via a swing bridge, some parts of the trail now were quite tough, but the views made up for it.



We reached the Inca ruins of Qanabamba, a small site of houses and terraces; it is so amazing to see them in the middle of nowhere! We carry on following the Umbamba River.



We see a few houses on the trail where locals are living today and some little goats - they are very inquisitive, standing on top of the rocks sussing us all out. The Umbamba River has cut a mouth in the mountainside and we follow it up and down, some parts are fairly steep.





Leo took us past some amazing Inca ruins Patallaqta, they were built in the side of the mountain in a perfect position for the sun.



Finally we arrived at our first campsite in the Sacred Valley at 3.10pm, everything is set up for us, and the porters bring us each a bowl of hot water at our tents. The campsite is in the middle of the mountains and has a stream running through it.



We all meet in the food tent at 4.30pm for ‘Happy Hour’ as Leo calls it, here we discuss the day, and talk about tomorrow, we all eat bread and jam, crisps and crackers round hot drinks – this is wonderful. We then went for a walk round the site – and found the ‘Poop tent’ – hooray! The camp site was next to a little ‘village’ there were a few houses, a small farm and some children playing with a ball, lots of animals were roaming around, we had a chat to the local children and walked back to the camp site.



Tea was at 6.30pm and we were amazed at what they made. We had spinach soup, followed by chicken and mashed potatoes, with a crème caramel dessert – all very good. After we sat and talked to Leo about tomorrow, Leo said the walk will be a bit tougher and the altitude will start to rise more rapidly. We all went to bed at 8.00pm, it has been a great day and we all feel really positive. The sky is so clear and you can see every star, all you can hear is the running water in the background.

Tuesday 28th August
Wake up at 5.30am, we slept ok, but were a bit cold in the night. It is great to wake up in the Sacred Valley surrounded by mountains. This morning there are ducks, chickens, a dog and a cow in the campsite!! Breakfast is at 6.30am – bacon and vegetables – very nice. Leo introduced all the porters to us this morning, the youngest is 25yrs and the eldest is 58yrs, they are remarkable. One porter is called the ‘rabbit’, and he runs ahead to get a good camp spot for tonight. We start the walk at 7.15am, a moderate 1.5 hr walk to the second checkpoint. The vegetation is really green and colourful and there are little bridges along the trail, small houses and donkeys wandering around carrying loads for their owners.



I got in the way of a running donkey, and went flying! – didn’t get hurt and the group found it very funny, apart from Leo – I was fine though.

Once we reached the second checkpoint we took a break and waited for the porters to pass us, it’s amazing how they carry all our stuff on their backs and head! Leave Wayllabamba checkpoint and walk until 10.45am where we stop for lunch. The walk is getting a steeper climb and we feel a little breathless. The porters were brilliant; they walk faster, carry heavy bags and managed to prepare a lovely lunch just sitting waiting for us to arrive.



Our lunch was pasta, chicken, carrots, broccoli, and beans – all very yummy. We had a cup of tea then left the campsite at 12.20pm.

The walk then started to get quite tough, my legs felt quit heavy and breathing was more difficult. We are now above 11,000ft. Allen my partner is really good at keeping me moving as I keep stopping to catch my breath. The views are amazing; we are climbing through tress up large steps, with a running stream down one side of us. There are lovely trees and flowers everywhere, Leo knew the names of everything, I just wished I’d written them down.



We arrive at camp at 1.40pm; we are now according to our GPS at 12,300ft. The porters are busily setting up camp, so we relax in our tents. Wayllabamba is the last human habitation on the trail. Allen and I decide to take our first altitude tablets, as our heads feel a bit squiffy. At 3.30pm Leo took us for a walk around, we are surrounded by mountains, and some are snow capped.



At 4.30pm we sit down and Leo talk to us about tomorrow, it sounds tough we will be starting at 5.30 and doing about 8 hrs of walking depending on pace. A lady and her son wandered up to camp selling water, this will be the last time we can buy some water until we finish the trail.



We all sat around chatting until tea at 6.00pm. Again the food was lovely and we were astonished at how they can cook this, we had Asparagus Soup, followed by rice, beef and vegetables, then for dessert it was apple with blackcurrant sauce. After tea Leo pointed out some of the star constellations. Go to bed at 7.15pm, it is pitch black and very cold, we got into our sleeping bags with our thermals on, and our hats! – Definitely make sure you buy a 3-season sleeping bag!

Wednesday 29th August
Wake up at 4.30am – it is freezing. Pack up our bags, and have a cup of tea and some bread and jam. The porters brought us some hot water to wash our faces, I’ve never been so happy to see someone at 4.30am! Leave the site at 5.45am, and with our head torches switched on we set off, I feel nervous about today as it will be the toughest day and we reach the highest altitude. We have been lucky so far, apart from a minor headache and some slight dizziness we have all felt really good. We start our ascent up the path to reach Dead Woman’s Pass (Abra Warmiwanuska). The path is made up of large stone steps, but they are relentless, the cloud is quite low, so you can’t see very much, but you can see the top of the pass and realise you are walking up through a valley. You feel an incredibly small dot in comparison to the landscape. The porters practically run past us!



We finally reach Dead Woman’s Pass and according to the GPS we are at 13,886ft, it is 7.00am! This was tough, but feel great and no headaches! Feel a bit of a relief as if this is the highest altitude and I feel pretty well I can stop worrying about the rest of the trail. After a group photos where we all look like white ghosts, we start to descend down a very steep path, the cloud is still low, but you can see bushes and flowers all around us, at 8.15am we stop for breakfast.



We have cereal, eggy bread and porridge – lovely. This place is mossy city and it is raining now, but it doesn’t dampen our spirits and we leave at 9.00am for the second pass - Runkuracay Pass, which is about 13,200ft. This was also a tough, steep descent, the paths are all stones, but you need to tread carefully.



We have seen some lovely Inca ruins this morning. We saw Runkuraqay, a religious Inca building, which Leo said was important because of its shape; it was round stone building, built like the sun.

We also visited Sayaqmarka, an inaccessible Inca town/military base discovered by Hiram Bingham whilst on his trek where he discovered Machu Picchu. The views would have been amazing but the cloud was still very low. After lunch we walked the rest of our walk through Cloud Forest, Peru’s rainforest. The forest was very dense and bursting with flowers, lots of orchids and exotic plants and trees – Leo knew all of their names.



We stopped for dinner at 1.00pm; it is very cloudy and has been raining on/off all morning. For dinner we have chicken curry, rice, and potatoes. We finally reached our camp at 3.00pm at Phuyupatamarka – ‘Town above the clouds’. We got quite wet on this section of the walk as it was raining and the humidity was high.



Have a good chat and laugh about the day then go to bed at 7.45pm. We are so excited about reaching Machu Picchu tomorrow.

Thursday 30th August
Wake up at 5.30am to a cup of tea – and its freezing!!! The cloud is still quite low but we can see the snow-capped mountains. I am feeling so excited. Have pancakes for breakfast, then we all tip the porters, we also gave some of the extra socks and t-shirts we had brought, we said a big thank you and hoped they realised how wonderful they had been, and how they really made the trip a lot easier and comfortable for us. We started walking at 7.00am, still in Cloud Forest, still in the rain, but now we start to go down 2000 Inca steps! Now this does test your walking boots!



Go past the ruins of Phuyupatmarka – amazing stone buildings.



Arrive at Intipata just before lunch, take loads of photos here, the terraces here are amazing, and because the cloud is low – they are quite eerie, and look like they are floating.



At 9.15 we arrive at Winaywayna. The terraces here were the best we have seen, brilliant rows of terraces, stone baths and houses, with lovely water springs, 19 in total. The sun finally came out and the site was amazing.



It is split into an upper and lower part, you felt like this was an Inca resting place before they reached the grandeur of Machu Picchu. Spend some time here and have lunch in the camp building. Again the food was lovely, tomato soup, then pasta, potatoes and tuna.



Leave Winaywayna at 11.15am and start our walk to the Sun gate (Intipunku) it is really hot now, and the cloud is clearing up. The trail is at its loveliest, all the trees and bushes are green, and the flowers are gorgeous, and there are so many different types of Orchids. There are also butterflies everywhere.





Finally reach the Sun gate at 1.00pm, climb the steps on my hands. We are all nervous and excited, it is very emotional. Leo who is already at the top is cheering us on, then…. We see it! I start to cry, I’m so happy that we are here, and every second of it was worth it for one glimpse at Machu Picchu. It is fantastic and everything I thought it would be, it really does look magical perched in between all the mountains like a jewel.





After we have taken the first site of Machu Picchu in we start our descent to the lost city, the view gets more amazing the closer you get.



We went past a sacred rock and burial ground, Leo said that Hiram Bingham found 128bodies here on his first visit. Finally our feet touch down – we are here!



There are a lot of day visitors, but I feel we are more deserving of it as we have spent 4 days getting there, and after seeing all the Inca ruins on the way feel a more personal connection to Machu Picchu. We spend a hour or so walking round some of the main pathways and sites, but Leo plans to bring us back here tomorrow morning very early to appreciate Machu Picchu without the crowds.



We have our passports stamped at the gate, we have officially arrived – I love it! We take the bus down the mountain to the village where we are staying tonight – Aguas Calientes. Arrive at our hotel at 2.30pm and have a lovely shower, and finally relax. Meet Leo at 4.30pm and he take us for a walk around the village. We went to a small information centre, all about Machu Picchu, he is so passionate about it – bless him. We then went to a large market, it was lovely, and we bought lots of little souvenirs and had a good look around.



We then went to an Italian place on the main street, the food was lovely and they had big ovens for cooking. This place is brilliant and the atmosphere is fantastic. After we’d eaten Leo left us to go to bed so we stayed out to explore a bit further. We found a lovely bar called ‘Big Brother’ where there were 2 Peruvian bands playing – we had such a great time in here, we had our first drinks here to celebrate the trail! At 10.00pm the heavens opened as we ran back to the hotel, what a great day, one I will never forget.

Friday 31st August
Wake up at 5.15am, get an early breakfast and catch the 6.00am bus up to Machu Picchu, arrive at 6.45am – it is so quiet as there is hardly anyone up here. Leo gave us a tour around the Lost City, and explained the importance of the sun, moon and constellations to the Inca’s. He is fascinated by Machu Picchu and it rubs off on everyone. It is amazing; no photo I take will ever match how magical it is here.





Leo left us at 9.45am to explore on our own. Here the group split up as some wanted to explore and others wanted to sit quietly and contemplate Machu Picchu. We went to explore, I wanted to see everything! We saw the temple or the Sun and Moon, the temple of the Condor, and the Royal tomb, we walked up and down the terraces and visited the storage houses. The Inca’s also made use of water all over the site by creating springs around it and channelling it all over Machu Picchu.



We found large cut rocks used as compasses and sundials, and large rocks used as looking glasses, which were believed to hold water and show the constellations up above. We found various different fountains across the whole site, and marvelled at the Quarry and the huge rocks that the Incas used to cut/ move, I have no idea how. The work and craftsmanship is tremendous and leaves you just in awe of the whole place.



The temperature is rising, it is so hot here, after 3 hours we decide to go outside and see if we can find anyone else from the group. We meet up with the others, and then catch the bus back down. A small boy chased us down the zigzag path by cutting across the road and then waving at us! At the bottom we then took the 25minute walk back down to the village, visiting the Inca/ Machu Picchu Museum and botanical gardens – very interesting.



We met up with Leo, and then all went for dinner in the square. The food was lovely, Guinea Pig was on the menu, but none of us were brave enough. We all then had another wander round and visited another market, and also had an ice cream. At 4.30pm we met Leo and walked to the train station to catch the 5.00pm Peru Rail backpackers train, for the 3hr 15mins journey back to Cusco.





The train was very slow, but the views were really nice and we saw parts of the trail and KM 82 our first checkpoint. We got off the train one stop before Cusco, as Leo said the journey was 15minutes by Taxi, but another 1hr 15mins by train. We arrived back at the same hotel as before, quickly got changed and then walked to the ‘Fallen Angel’ restaurant, which we had previously booked. We had a table booked for 9.30pm, it was a really trendy place, and the food and atmosphere was great. We had asked Leo, and his wife and daughter to come with us, to show our appreciation for everything he had done for us, we tipped Leo and took lots of group photos, he really made the whole holiday brilliant. We all feel really proud of ourselves, and have some fantastic memories. Have a lovely night out, a great ending to the perfect holiday! We left the ‘Fallen Angel’ at 12.00am, aargh! We are up at 4.30am! Back to the hotel for a good night sleep.



Saturday 1st September
Wake up at 4.30am, have a quick shower, and breakfast. Leo arrived at 5.30am to take us to Cusco airport for our flight back to Lima. One of the guys in our group was staying for the Puno extension, but he came with us to the airport to say goodbye. Arrive at the airport and check in our bags, our flight is at 7.15am. Give everyone a hug, Leo said he is no longer our guide but our friend, that was lovely and nearly bought a tear to my eye. The hour flight from Cusco to Lima was quite sad. Nela came to collect us from the airport and took us back to the same hotel in Lima as before. We left our bags in the hotel and went to get some lunch and have a wander round Lima. Do a bit more shopping and walk down to the sea front. It is quite developed here with lots of shops and cafes. We found a star bucks and went for a hot chocolate. We found some more markets and had a look round. We then went back to the hotel at 4.30pm, and Nela came to collect us at 4.45pm. Give everyone a big hug, and promise to keep in touch. Our 10hr flight to Madrid was good – we are so tired we slept through most of it. Arrive back in the UK and go to Victoria station to catch our bus back home. I feel really sad the holiday is over, but feel I am bringing something special back with me. We have had such a wonderful time, I will never ever forget it"

Kirsty and her partner Allen went on The Inca Trail. If you are considering a trip or tour of Peru, the Adventure Company has many tours which cater for families, groups and couples no matter what your age. Visit their website for more information

Thanks for reading,
The Adventure Company