HOW TO MAKE YOUR TWO DAY TRIP ON THE INCA TRAIL THE BEST IT POSSIBLY COULD BE:
Beware the selfie: If you want to take a nice picture, make sure you look back before you step. So many of the fatalities on the trail and on the ruins in general are caused by taking a picture and stepping back without looking and falling. Most places in Peru don’t have any types of railings to protect you from falling so you need to be careful and watch where you step.
Be traditional, accept the myth. Eat, drink, breath Coca:Coca is the legendary plant that generations of Peruvians have used to give power and energy, and help with altitude sickness. It may not actually work but it might trick you and make you feel like it is helping.
Hug the mountain: The Inca Trail has extremely high drops that are fatal. Make sure you stay close to the mountain, and if others want to pass you, make sure to let them go on the dangerous side. Also, going down is scarier then going up because you see how far you can drop and it is so slippery. Be very careful and make sure you stay close to the mountain.
Don't ask how many people have fallen off the mountain, you may not want to know: You don't. Trust me. It will make you way more nervous.
You throw trash, you are trash: You cannot leave any trash on the trail, and there are no trash cans along the way, so keep it with you the whole way! The guides that are with you on the trails give you a box lunch with a juicebox and little things like pushing the plastic straw cover into the box will help to keep the area nice and clean. Also, make sure to try to compress everything and keep it in one bag so it is easy to dispose once you find a trashcan near the end and you don’t hold up the group.
Look back at what you’ve accomplished—instant recognition:One of my favorite parts of the one day Inca Trail that we did was the fact that you could always see what part of the mountain you were walking to next, and when you got there, you looked back and saw all that you did and felt an instant feeling of accomplishment and it pushed you to keep going. It doesn’t feel as long as it actually is when you have a positive attitude and see all that you have done.
Sprint up the stairs:Slow and steady does not win the race when you are going up the terraces along the Inca Trail. Going up those thousands of huge steps slowly hurts so bad. Find a little burst of energy, make sure the stairs are slightly clear, and sprint up. Make sure your hands aren’t in your pockets because you might need to use them. Some parts have really steep stairs so it is way easier to use both hands in feet. As long as you keep your weight forward towards the stairs and go up fast, you will be saving yourself quite a bit of pain and soreness.
Be ready for a little rain: We came to Peru in December, the rainy season, so I can’t guarantee that this tip will help all. Peruvian weather is unpredictable. Every single day we came, the weather forecast didn’t match one bit. We came prepared for a lot colder than we expected, but it is always good to be prepared for anything. It starts to lightly sprinkle and rain every now and then and it isn’t that bothersome but it is always good to have a poncho or raincoat because it will accumulate after a bit and will be soaked for the rest of the hike.
Take mental pictures: This is the best advice I have ever heard, and it is funny because I actually learned it from watching The Office. When traveling to Peru, or anywhere really, everything goes by pretty fast. When you see something pretty, you take out all of your cameras, take a ton of pictures , and then leave. Some could argue that you have the picture and can always look back at it to remember, but the things I always remember most are when I stop, breathe, and take in the beauty of the place im at. These mental pictures I can assure you that you will remember forever, just tell yourself that you will.