Finding Machu Picchu – Day 2                                                                      9^th April 2019

Day 2 – ‘affectionately’ known as “HELL DAY”!!! It certainly didn’t disappoint.

Our sleep after Day 1 was very limited; and it seemed only a few hours long when we could hear the porters waking the trekkers in each 2man tent with the wakeup cup of tea and “buenos dias” .. “Good Morning”. We now knew we had just 10mins to repack, get dressed and be ready for the sit-down breakfast in the big tent. Toilet was first; if you were fast.

With our 30 seconds of stretching and saying hello to our fellow trekkers and our muscles again after yesterday’s 12klms and 4.5hrs of climbing we strolled to the big tent for breakfast ‘almost ready’ for Day 2 (Hell Day). Breakfast was quite filling and surprising. The Chef was a miracle worker. Obviously, we need the strength to keep the momentum going. I personally found later that eating a big breakfast didn’t work particularly well for me. Other trekkers soon agreed as we proceeded towards lunch with heavy stomachs and extra ‘weight’ to climb with.

“Hell Day”, as Ronny said with a cheekish smile was to complete the 16klms now required and to make camp before dark. We need to be careful and take every precaution so we can achieve the result. Take your time but don’t lag too much. At about half way we will reach the highest peak of the trek at Warmiwanuscca 4200mts 13,776ft so we still have a lot of climbing to do; followed by the remainder as downhill towards our next camp. Firstly, we will come across the first Control Point at about 7.30am so make sure you have your passports ready for processing by the officials. Ronny has our tickets ready but these need to be paired with individual passports. A point to note is to make sure you have your passport as there is a fine ($100USD) plus you will be; or could be sent back to reschedule the trek or retrieve this vital document. No exceptions. Your tickets MUST also match your passport exactly. This Control Point also scrutinises the guides and porters for their carrying weights.

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In discussion with Ronny after dinner last night, Dave & Sue decided to head off after breakfast at least 30minutes before the group will due to their concerns of potentially lagging behind. Personally, I never gave that any thought as that would have been a good idea for me too. Leaving camp, we followed the ongoing stairs and path alongside the enormous ravine where the snow and ice glaciers on top of the surrounding mountains provided the rapidly and very cold torrents of water. The force of water was truly amazing.

For the expected 16klms journey on Day 2 it is expected 60% of this will be steep inclines. Again, I struggled on this section. High Altitude seems to be playing on my muscle leg strength with the possibility of low oxygen levels in my blood. There is an article I read where you could adjust this by taking a Chlorophyll supplement usually in liquid form. I tried to buy it in gel lolly form however, could not find this anywhere in Peru for some reason. This supplement enables you to increase your red blood cell levels that would allow more oxygen intake into the blood. I think I need a couple of bottles now.

Some of the incline hardship was waived away at the start as Scott stayed with me plus the continuing sound and vision of rapid water crashing over rocks and in between trees and banks. Once we crossed the little bridge (photo respite) we were left in silence from the rushing water as we steer away to the never-ending rocky pathway of incline; much like to the “stairway to heaven”. The path is constant, the mountainous landscape is massive … much to look at in my now frequent respites … but the need for moving on is a real priority. The sheer sight of the Andes mountains is beyond amazing but our porters have already over taken me and the others, such is their amazing ability to keep their momentum.

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Trekkers from other groups are also struggling .. some of them are overweight and showing stress pain on their red faces and breathing heavy. I’m not sure of where their support people are so after asking if they are OK, I still keep an eye out for them. I showed one woman how to undertake her respites better. She was so grateful and couldn’t believe the difference it made. I have William (Guide) staying close by following behind and offers me a small clump of Coca leaves that assists in high- altitude hiking. You take about 4-5 leaves and chew them into a wad. Yes, they taste exactly like leaves. Once you get over the leaf taste you place the wad to the side of your mouth and keep it moist. Do not swallow and about every 5mins you will need to spit out the buildup. After about minimum 15mins you can remove the wad. As time goes by you get the feeling something is working.

Surprisingly, I have made it to the lunch site and David & Sue were first there welcoming everyone. They did extremely well and everyone thought they would have met up much earlier than lunchtime. Scott gave me a big welcome knowing the inclines were quite rigorous. I retorted by asking him did he at least sweat or get puffed doing the inclines? He replied with that cheeky grin he has. Lunch was very well presented and well-earned and in no time, we were off again. Pressure is now on to make the campsite before late afternoon and definitely before dark. More inclines, more heavy breathing, more heart pounding, more respite stops for the next hour or two; much like the previous hours.

My mind was now streaming to the point of how much further. My commitment was being tested and wondering how far behind I am and when do I meet up with the group again. From that point, William says, “only 5 minutes more to the top”. I was immediately sceptical but William stood firm. He really meant 10mins but he omitted the remainder was even more steep than the last hour. I could now hear voices coming from above .. the sound of nearing the top. I can do this!!

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With the group all keeping together they welcomed the last person arriving … me!!! We are now at Warmiwanuscca (4200mts) our highest peak where the clouds drifted in quickly and started the wettest mist with sleet drops hitting our faces with the new force of wind. Most of us quickly put on our plastic ponchos to keep as much of us and our bags dry. Scott didn’t bother .. liked the coldness and being ‘alive’. Yeh .. sure!!! After 10mins and about to start our descent the clouds disappeared, the sleet stopped, so off came the ponchos for most of us so we could descend safely down the now wet stone ‘staircases’. Yes .. I only got 10minutes respite. Every downhill step should be carefully planted onto the back of the stone to limit the slippage. Most stones on descents are angled back to assist this. Good engineered planning to the ‘stairs’ by the Incas. Ronny advises the group of our commitment ahead and to tackle the pathway safely. He describes the pathway as a lot of “Inca Flats”. We soon know this to include some sharp inclines at times so it is not all downhill from here. This saying brought all kinds of responses from the group, mostly sarcasm humour from me.

We are now generally in descent mode until the campsite some hours away. Scott is already in front and I’m behind trekkers, Eliza and Bryce. Within the first 2 minutes of decline Eliza slips backwards completely before me. It was far too quick for me to react. She was obviously frightened however OK; but expects bruising. So lucky. I made sure to tell her and the others to step onto the back of the stair stones. Eliza used the front of the stones. With Bryce staying back with Eliza I headed off to catch the others. Even though I am stepping safely on the wet rocks I feel like I’m a greyhound in race mode such is the progress I’m making. Declines are definitely my thing and effortless too. Unbeknown to myself and others Sue then takes a tumble to the right of the pathway ahead of Eliza and rolls into the long grass quite some metres away. Apparently, she does it so gracefully and then laughter takes over; along with photos. It was also a topic of discussion at the campsite along with confirmation on Eliza’s large now purple bruising.

The decline stairs are called ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ where the declines are as intense as the inclines and extreme caution is required to navigate to each level. This section is arduous and tricky and requires high concentration levels. Some of us help others down such is the depth of stairs. Our walking poles were set for inclines at hip height but now in the declines we lengthen them some 150mm to assist the downhill reach required. Thighs and calf muscles are copping a real workout today.

After so many hours (about 9hrs) and 16klms of everything since dawn; we finally can see our campsite below us called Pacaymayu (3,600mts, 11,808ft). It’s amazing it is so close; yet so far. We have done well to get to the campsite a little ahead of time and we can ‘enjoy’ the relief of this intense day a little longer and to have more time in setting our tent in readiness for the night’s sleep. The porters even have our cup of tea ready for us. They are amazing! We are nestled in a valley type situation into the side of the mountain where we can look up to the high peaks in close proximity of where we started the declines. The distance seems beyond comprehension.

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The group is so relieved of today’s events and a true sense of achievement is on everyone’s faces. We all battled the banos (toilets) again and taking all that it presents in our stride. The porters look after us each afternoon and morning with hot water in bowls with disinfectant lotion for hand washing. We all have our own bowls too. With teeth brushing over we all resign to our tents. I’d bet we were all asleep within 15mins. It was a case to remember to recharge our devices prior to sleep in readiness for tomorrow’s opportunities. I have a battery bank charger plus a solar powered bank charger as there is no electricity along the entire trek. Others kept turning off their phones to extend their battery life and only power up for photos. Again, we had water rushing down the slopes that helped us transform into sleep.

Post comment on this blog: These blogs remind me of the complete devastation in ‘losing’ my GoPro on Day 4 so a lot of videos and photos are unavailable for my records and to share with everyone. More details on my Go Pro in my upcoming Day 4 Blog.

Blog – Day 3 coming soon. Stay tuned.