Well I survived the 4 days Lares Valley trek!

Day one started at 5am!! (its becoming the norm now haha) and hopped on a bus to the start point of the trek! Where we meet our group and guide Alex around a bonfire where we a breakfast of pancakes and fruit before starting our assent through the Andes!!

That day was really enjoyable although the fluctuations in temperature got a bit much as clothes were constantly on and off haha, but views were spectacular as we made the 9km to the base camp! That night was FREEZING at minus 2 degrees! So we waited for dinner around another camp fire under the Milky Way! Never really got any sleep that night as was so cold!! So next morning we woke above the clouds and was glad to get moving again to get some feeling back in body haha.

Day 2 was by far the hardest day where we walked over 16km to a height of 4,800m over 10hours all on barely 3 hours sleep!! The climb up to one of the highest Andes passes was spectacular however!! We passed different lakes and wandered high above the clouds to reach the summit! At the summit we made an offering to Mamacocha (Mother Earth, an ancient Inca tradition) before starting our assent down topping for lunch halfway! With the descent altitude sickness started to kick in and by the time we had reached the Lares Valley was feeling seriously unwell!! Think was a mixture of lack of sleep, altitude and just doing to much in such a short space of time! We reached the base camp in Lares Valley after dark that night and I have never been so happy to see a tent in all my life haha. As we were in the valley the temperature was a lot warmer so didn't require quiet as many layers to sleep!!

Day 3 was a short day walking wise as we only had to walk the hour and a half to the hot springs! Where we enjoyed the hot waters and had our last lunch prepared by our porters! After lunch was time to get on the bus to 82KM before getting the train to Aguas Callinetes. It was on this journey that we had to say goodbye to our tour guide Alex as he had been called away to start another trek but upon arrival in Aguas we meet our new guide also called Alex! Was heaven to actually be staying in a hotel room as opposed to a tent and have hot running water!!

Day 4 was Machu Picchu!! Even managed a longish lie in that day too before meeting everyone at Machu Picchu where Alex spent 3 hours guiding us around the lost city. Machu Picchu was spectacular! The postcards just don't do it any justice!! And the 3 hours tour flew past in a blur of pictures and interesting Inca facts! Beofre we all got those postcard pictures Abi and Divi even got engaged!! So we then all made our way back fro a well deserved celebratory lunch before boarding the train back to Cusco where we all said our goodbyes!!

xxxx