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What you need to know:
About the trail
The Trail itself involves approximately three days of walking.
It is led by a guide and assistant guide(s) – one of whom
will stay at the front and another at the back with the last
person (you may have several assistant guides if your group
is large). Therefore faster people do not have to wait and slower
people do not feel they are holding anyone up. Groups tend to
spread out naturally along the track and there are no prizes
for being first and no shamein being the last.
Unlike climbing to the summit of a mountain, this trek is undulating
and there are even (a few) flat sections. What this does mean
is that on some days (particularly on day 2 up to the highest
pass – ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’ at ,200m)
it can be a hard going (seemingly never ending!) uphill slog.
Naturally the uphills are countered by some prolonged downhill
sections and this can be even tougher on the legs.
It is important to remember that the trail is not three solid
days of challenging trekking, rather it is varied and the difficulty
level can change two or three times within the same day. The
most imperative factor in tackling the trail is to take it slowly
(try to take small, shuffling steps), walk at your own pace
(this is vital) and remember that it is not a race! Drink plenty
of water and take breathers often (buy a cheap walking stick
in Ollantaytambo and lean on it rather than sitting down). Those
who charge into every uphill section and want to be the first
at every pass will find the trail the toughest. .
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