Preparing for the Machu Picchu Hike

Preparations

With more than a year of planning for this trip, there were many ways that we tried to get prepared. Firstly, I will admit that this was my first overnight backpacking trip. I had no clue what I was doing. I was not nervous for the physicality, yes, I was overly confident in this area. I was worried about pooping in the woods. I was nervous about not showering.

I made many mistakes, starting with the world class, very expensive 80L backpack that I borrowed from my cousin. My cousin, who has been around the world with this backpack, is a man, and is probably a foot taller than me. I took him up on this very generous offer not realizing that these fancy backpacks should be custom ordered to fit the person carrying it. I also think that carrying a backpack with this much space in it caused me to fill the space with things I didn’t need. I outright rejected any suggestion of ultralight trekking. I was young, strong, and carrying 30lbs of stuff was not “heavy” – but I was wrong.

We started doing some more ambitious hikes. These included The Holy Jim Trail, Angels Landing in Zion, and the Champion Lodgepole via Castle Rock Trail in Big Bear. I was in Half Marathon shape, as I usually am, but I focused more on weekend warrior hiking in the 3 months following the 2017 Zion Half Marathon.

We bought rain gear on Amazon, a Head Lamp, Camping Lights, Plastic Flasks, Proper Hiking Boots, Wool Under Layers, and a Full on First Aid Kit including pills, creams, tools, Mole Skin, Rock Tape, Water Purifiers, Camping Toilet Paper, Camping Waste Bags, Bed Bath Wipes, Campsite Shoes and more changes of clothes than we actually needed.

I got a prescription from my doctor for Diamox, which is a diuretic that can help with altitude sickness. This prescription medication ended up being available without a prescription in the drug stores in Peru. I also remember consulting my favorite Infectious Disease doctor at work, who was also a passionate backpacker. I already had all the recommended vaccines, but you can check out a list here. I was nervous!!

The Elevation

My brief (just kidding Dr. Street,) My extensive memories of physiology is that erythropoietin gets released when there is an increased oxygen demand, but then it takes 14 days to make new red blood cells. This was my rationale for strenuously hiking 4 weeks (at 5,000 to 7,500 ft) and 2 weeks (uphill at 7,500 ft) before our take off to Cusco, but still the elevation is unreal.

I don’t know what the physiological benefit is to arrive 4 days before you start your hike, but elevation sickness is real, and denial doesn’t save you from it. Walking down the flat streets in Cusco back from dinner was giving everyone anxiety from oxygen demand. Our hotel did have oxygen and it was utilized on the first night. I read something that explained how the actual site of Machu Picchu is at a much lower elevation that Cusco, so if you aren’t going to hike, you should visit Machu Picchu earlier, without spending days acclimating in Cusco, but if you are planning on walking around at all there might be a benefit to waiting a few days.