Land of the Incas

Machu-Picchu

It is now less than a week until I travel to South America for the first time in my life and quite naturally I am absolutely stoked at the thought of going there.

For many years is has been one of my dreams to trek along The Inca Trail and see the magnificent ruins at Machu Picchu and finally that dream is being realised.

We fly to Bogota next week to catch an onward flight to Lima and then on to Cusco. After a couple of days acclimatising in Cusco and the Sacred Valley we’ll finally get to start our five day hike to the fabled city in the clouds.

I am guessing that by the remoteness of the trek in the high Andes there will be a period of radio silence in regards to updating this blog but rest assured when I get back I’ll be posting all the usual trip reports and photos etc plus an article detailing my own unique take on what it takes to walk one of the world’s most famous hikes.

So stay tuned and speak soon.

Jebel Toubkal Challenge – Day 1

I found myself sitting at a table overlooking the famous square of Djemaa El-Fna in Marrakech chatting to four people that I had just met a few seconds earlier while at the same time trying to wolf down a tasty chicken tagine that had promptly arrived in front of me! Continue reading “Jebel Toubkal Challenge – Day 1”

Jebel Toubkal Challenge – Day 2

The Route: Jebel Toubkal | Distance: 10.6km | Time: 7 Hours Height gain: 1866m | Max Altitude: 3207m | Start: Imlil Village | Finish: Neltner Refuge Map: Orientazion – Toubkal Hiking Map ISBN: 9788493560003 | Date: 07/06/2014

I arrived with my new best friends in the village of Imlil. Imlil is the gateway to the Atlas Mountains and the start point for our trek. From here on in there was only one way and it all led uphill! We all stocked up on water supplies from a small tea shop on the edge of the main street through the village while our newly acquired muleteer loaded up our mule for the journey. Our main holdalls would be carried by mule up to the Neltner Refuge, beyond that point the mule don’t go, so we would be carrying our daysacks from that point on. Continue reading “Jebel Toubkal Challenge – Day 2”

Jebel Toubkal Challenge – Day 3

The Route: Jebel Toubkal | Distance: 16.5km | Time: 12 Hours
Height gain: 967m | Max Altitude: 4167m | Start: Neltner Refuge | Finish: Imlil Village
Map: Orientazion – Toubkal Hiking Map ISBN: 9788493560003 | Date: 08/06/2014

There was no mistaking it there was definitely movement on a mass scale as people stumbled around in the dark gathering gear and buckling up! It was 4.00 a.m already and the last time I’d looked at my watch it read only 3.00 a.m. That hour or so earlier and in total darkness I’d crept up the stone stairwell in the refuge finally crawling into my sleeping bag having spent the previous precious hours cold and shivering downstairs on a hard bench. Continue reading “Jebel Toubkal Challenge – Day 3”