I’m no athlete, but I consider myself in decent
shape… and seriously I’ve never been so psychically challenged in my life. It’s
not only challenging to walk uphill, but the thin air makes it harder to
breathe. I had to stop every five steps to catch my breath and eventually just
accept the fact that I felt like an 80-year-old with asthma.
Here are some basic hiking tips I picked up
along the way:
Walk in zig zag when going up the steps. Head
for the small stones!
Take small steps. Deep breaths.
In rain, take it easy down the steps.
They’re steep, and you can hurt yourself badly.
Stay positive.
Drink coca tea or chew coca leaves. They help you
adjust to the altitude.
Rent hiking poles. End of discussion.
Bring snacks for heaven’s sake.
The porters expect to get tipped 75 soles in
addition to the price you already paid.
(to be continued)