Really? MP is about 900m lower than Cuzco tho, so that sounds a bit odd.
The hike goes a fair bit higher admittedly…
There are various duration hikes from 4 days to a mere 6 hours (I think). The train I was on stopped in the middle of the jungle (no platform, nothing) and about 10 hikers left for that shorter hike.
The terrain is seriously steep
Insane here and I wasn’t particularly fit. 4 days, well worth it, absolutely amazing experience. The stairs were the real killer, on the joints.
As mentioned its actually not that high at the end, and most treks take you up each day then camp for the night is at lower altitude.
Also helps even if you just spend regular time at higher altitude along the way, not just quickly in, up and back out again.
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We trained it to MP 20 years ago 'cos wifey copped a bout of Giardia from a rogue salad at Chiclayo airport. It mixed well with the effects of altitude in Cuzco.
Agree altitude sickness is about rate of ascent. My worst experience was taking a landrover direct from Quito (2,850m) to the refuge at Cotapaxi volcano (4,800m), then hopping out. It took an hour to walk 100m to the hut - take a step, recover for 2 mins…take a step, recover for 2 mins… We wondered why our driver wanted to stay in the car.
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Lol yeah, we took a bus trip somewhere and at one point they let us out at well over 5000. We were warned to take it easy.
Had to cross a single lane road to a viewpoint and tried to beat a car. Thought I was going to die when I got to the other side, my lungs were burning, everything was spinning, felt weak. Had to sit on a rock and recover for about 10 mins.
Moved about very slowly after that.
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Yep. And you never know who will be hit hardest. A colleague of mine spent years planning a dream hike to Gokyo Lakes in Nepal & had to turn back a day or two in. He was as fit & prepared as you could want but was faced with seriously deteriorating health at 4000m.
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I climbed Fuji-san 15 odd years ago with four super fit mates. We didn’t cheat like most (starting 1/2 way up the mountain at what the Japanese call the 5th station). We started at the train station we exited and took the Gotemba route to the summit. Around 3,000m, one of my mates starting feeling the effects of altitude sickness. Vomiting, etc. Another mate used an oxygen can to help him. I was super fit at the time, but really struggled to the summit (3,776m). High altitude sickness affects people in different ways and often regardless of fitness.
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It’s scary how quick things can change.
We had a Canadian lady on our trip who was well prepared and a seasoned traveller. She had been/stayed at higher points during the trip/elsewhere but took ill in Cusco, medical emergency and had to be evacuated out to sea level immediately. Had to go home and missed the highlight of the trip.
Legal cocaine leaves help/rock though.
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You might be interested, JR, my friend just co-wrote a book about hiking the Japan Alps.
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Fantastic! Thanks kindly, Jez-san. I’ll buy it to support your mate.
I am collating my climbing notes and will publish something in the future - whether it be the ‘hyakumeizan’ when I actually finish it, or something else like the Shikoku pilgrimage, etc. Cheers, dude.
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Coca leaf tea is great👍
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Yeah, I plan to get a copy too. I’m actually off to the Kiso Valley next weekend on the 18-kippu. Nothing strenuous, just part of the Nakasendo.
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Awesome!
It has started, hey? 
You mean escaping the kids? 
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Ah, I see the motive now. Ha.
Actually, I am at the point where I have to start including the little fella in my adventures. And if I don’t lose this fat gut I am carrying, he will soon lose interest. I have enjoyed the ‘kid free’ mountain adventures in recent years, but they are almost over. I still think I have a small window to attack Aconcagua, though. I am even thinking of starting a thread on Blitz re: this project/adventure dream of mine.
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After three days in the vast undulating archeological wonderland of Petra my calves are tighter than Cale Hooker’s but the bucket list item is ticked off. Deliberately organised the hol so we’d reach Petra late and it paid off.
The magnificent Treasury is really the gateway to Petra, which will come as news to the many tour groups who get 15 minutes to pee and pic there and then get herded back.
My better half splits the big sticks (or in this case obelisks)
Tomb raider
Like the Grampians riddled with ancient ruins, tombs and temples. And touts of course.
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I don’t get it. Are the flags our new clash jumper?
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Is it the backwards clock?
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