I think that's what it's called. I have an uncle who's looking to take his (young adult) son hiking in Peru and he is looking to me for info on this trail?
Anybody done it or know of it ... and have any words of wisdom for an old farmboy from Canada looking to go for a hike.
I know that some of the trails in Peru (eg the Inca trail to Macchu Pichu) are gated and you are required to have a local guide and go with a group. But I personally only visited sites with a tour, so I don't know any details, or about this particular trail. So this could be comletely irrelevant... but I'd definitely recommend doing some thorough research.
Thanks Mike .
They looked at the Inca trail but apparently it was too long of a wait list and/or too expensive. This is supposed to be a parallel or similar trail and they will be guided. I think the main concern is the level of difficulty of the trail and the elevation. In my experience you won't know how the elevation effects you until you try it. But in terms of the trails and trail maintenance it could be anything from easy walking trails to scrambling loose slopes and swinging across drainages on ropes? How did you find the ' tourist trail infrasturcture'?
I've made a minor spelling change on the trail name. I think It's right now.
The only trail I hiked was the one from Aguas Calientes village up to Macchu Pichu, which was steep, but in good condition. That had around 1000 feet of climb, and was comparable to trail hiking I've done in the American and Canadian Rockies, except for the much thicker vegetation and high humidity.
Our group spent 3 days of light activity in Cuzco at 11,000 feet, before going to the Macchu Pichu area, which is about 8500. I think it was definitely an advantage to acclimate a little at a higher elevation.