The tour company gave each of the trek days a title.
Day 1: easy
We rose early to await pickup from our various hostels. 14 trekkers in total, which was a good size. We took a bus to Ollantaytambo and had breakfast there and bought any supplies such as ponchos or coca leaves (to help with the altitude).
The trek began at km 82, another bus ride away.
We had Wilfredo as our guide. He seemed more like a spiritual leader, but I guess that's what happens when you're a man of the mountains! Our assistant guide was Edy who was also important on the trek. Wilfredo said we would now be "family" over the next four days.
Lots of donkeys, horses, & stray cats and dogs along the way. The first day also involved passing several small villages where we could buy water and snacks. The villages have permission to remain within the national park as long as they help maintain the land.
The official start of the trail. Officials even stamp your passport.
The porters were one of the most astounding aspects of the experience. Our group of 14 plus 2 guides had 21 porters and 1 chef.
The porters carry our tents, food, kitchen supplies, chairs & anything else required for camping.
Trekkers had the option to hire a personal porter to carry up to 6kg which could include your backpack, slsleeping bag, and mat or some combo of the aforementioned. I chose to carry my own gear, about 8kg, and it was tougher but I'm glad I did as
I felt better in the end.
By law porters can carry 20kg, though in the past they used to carry 45-50kg which is insane when you see the trail and think of the weather conditions they encounter.
The porters are remarkable not only because they can walk the trail with such a heavy bulky load, but also because they often run parts of the trail. I had to take way more breaks than them too!
For most of them, this is a second extra job when they are away from their farm.
The trail on the first day is mostly flat with a few uphill sections. I still found it tiring though because it was quite hot out.
Along the way, our guides stopped to teach us about some of the ruins and local flora & those of which had medicinal uses.
The term 'chef' is more than appropriate for Benedicto. Each meal left us trekkers in disbelief that we were actually camping. We had appetizers with a garnish, soup, a main course, and dessert most dinners. Everything was delicious and there was plenty of variety.
Our first camp was at Wayllabamba.
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