So the day had finally arrived, I was about to start the famous inca trail and I was definitely nervous about lied ahead. The four day trek is reknowned for being physically demanding, not so much for the distance (40km), but more for the three demanding high passes you need to conquer, the highest being at 4,200m above sea level.

On the first morning we took a bus to the starting point at kilometre 82 where we handed over our belongings to the porters who would carry them along the trail for the next few days. As well as our belongings they also carry all the food, equipment, tents etc - its a really tough job and when you consider most of them do the trail twice a week, its pretty amazing. You soon get used to the shout of "porter" as you are making your way along the trail and learn very quickly to hurl yourself against the side of the mountain to let them all come through. They practically run along the track and when you see the size of the load they are carrying, and you are struggling jsut with your camera and a bottle of water, its incredible. Apparently the record for completing the 40km trail is 3 hours and 45 mins - and it was going to take us 3 days!

Our group was made up of 13 people so it took a while to get everyone through the checkpoint and onto the trail, but eventually we did it and after posing for a picture and getting the passport stamped with an inca trail stamp (!) we took our first steps... The start of the trail is really picturesque, alongside the Urubamba river, backed with snow-capped mountains. And we had the most perfect day, clear blue sky, plenty of sunshine with a small breeze so it wasnt too hot walking. We saw the trains heading for Machu Picchu with the lazy people who didnt dare to brave the trail. And all in all it was a fairly easy day of wealking...not too much uphill, just an undulating track, and we soon covered the 12km scheduled for day 1. We passed by some smaller inca ruins sites, including Salapunku and Llactapata before lunch...and were more than just a little surprised when we arrived at the lunch spot to find a dining tent erected for us, with a table set with proper cutlery and chairs etc - no hovering on a rock while gobbling down a sandwich...no each day we were served three square meals and at least two courses for each.

That night our camp was at Wayllabamba and when we arrived the porters had already put up our tents and there was a bowl of water waiting for each of us to have a wash in. The sun was still out for a while but as soon as it wentr behind the mountains the temperature plummeted and we got our first taste of how cold the nights were going to be. Thankfully we had hired good quality sleeping bags and had thermal rests to put on the floor of the tent, which worked a treat. The first night I slept pretty well considering, except when I had to make a late night toilet trip...but it was actually quite a pleasant encounter as the night was so clear, the moon so bright and the stars shining through, I stood out there for quite a while just taking it all in.

Day 2 arrived and it was the day everyone was dreading. Its known for being the worst day of the trek as you climb to the highest alititude and there is a lot of uphill to negociate. The first 5km of the day are all uphill and it was relentless. Not only was it hard on the legs, which were slightly weary from the day before, but breathing was so difficult. It actually helped me that one of the other girls was really struggling to keep going so I concentrated on getting her motivated to continue and didnt have much time to think about how much I was hurting. Eventually we reached Dead Womans Pass, the highest point on the trail, and aptly named. There was a heap of bodies at the top, all panting and gasping for air as the lack of oxygen really took its toll. I was hoping there would be a sign with the name of this famous pass on it that I could flop in front of for a kodak moment, but unfortunately I could only find one with the altitude level on it, so that had to do.

After that the next 5km were all downhill, which sounds easy, but with aching legs from the mornings exertions you had to be careful not to tumble down the rocky track and steps. But it really wasnt as arduous as the morning had been and we were rewarded at the end with lunch. On day 2 the guides make you walk the full 10km before stopping for food as with the risk of altitude sickness it is not a good idea to eat along the way, so food was very welcome by the time we got to camp at Paqaymayo about 2.30pm.

The afternoon was spent sleeping by everyone - the idea of just a quick nap in the tent turned into three hours of full on sleep! And then after some afternoon tea there was little else to do, so we played cards to pass the time and to try and ignore the coldness that was creeping in. Our camp was much higher on this night so that meant the temperature at night was much lower. All of the thermals went on, plus my clothes inside the sleeping bag and still it wasnt warm. But we did get to meet our team of porters officially. They were all introduced to us, their names, ages, families etc. The oldest porter was about 56 years old but he definitely looked more like 70! Then it was our turn to do the same and introduce ourselves, so I got to put my spanish into practice again...

When we got up in the morning there was frost on the ground and it was absolutely freezing. No-one was in a good mood, lots of tired grumpy faces after a fairly sleepless night and the propsect of the longest day of walking ahead. The worst part was we had been prepared for the uphill slog on the second day but what we hadnt realised was what we had to endure on day 3. From the campsite we could see the first part of the days walk and it was all uphill. The gruelling two hours climb was certainly the hardest part of the trek for me. We passed some more ruins at Runkuraqay but I just could not get motivated - my whole body was crying in pain from the pervious day and there just seemed no end to the hills. But finally weachieved our goal and got to the second highest point of the trail at Runkuraqay pass (3998m) and from there it was all downhill - literally...the rest of the day took us down as height of 1000m and over 3000 steps. We passed some other ruins at Phuypatamarca and Intipata before finishing the 17km and the whole trail. That night we had a "luxury" campsite at Winaywanu - well it had a kind of bar so we all went and enjoyed a well earned drink that wasnt some foul tasting water that had been boiled to make it suitable for drinking!

But no real chance for celebration as the next day we had the earliest start of any day - it was up at 3.30am for breakfast and a short stroll down to the checkpoint to get onto the final part of the trail to Machu Picchu. We were the first group there which meant we would be first on the trail and hopefully the first to reach the sun gate for our first view of Machu Picchu. The bad news was that the trail didnt actually open until 5.30am so we had to wait for an hour before we could get on our way. But the other groups soon started arriving so we could see why we had been made to get up so early. As soon as the gate opened we literally ran for the next hour to reach the sun gate first. It was pretty tricky at first as it was still dark so we only had torches for light. As you might expect I took a tumble over some loose rocks, but nothing more than a scratch and no time to dwell on it as other eager tourists rushed passed! And then there were the "oh my god" steps - 50 steps, almost vertical, that we all scrambled up on our hands and kness, too scared to look down as it was pretty much a sheer drop back down!

But I got some great photos from the sun gate and it was quite emotional seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. It made the trail worthwhile as I'd expected to see more spectacular ruins along the way, and possibly pass through some villages, meeting local people etc, but there was none of that. Most of the other ruins were quite small and the trail doesnt pass through any villages or communities - even the camps are just created purposely for those doing the trail.

After everyone had enough photos we walked further down towards Machu Picchu to watch the sun rise and then finally we got inside the site. We were given a tour around the main parts for a couple of hours, but suddenly the physical challenge of the last few days had caught up with us, and the sore legs and tired bodies started to give out. I took loads of photos but then I could walk no further. The day was beautiful and we literally just collapsed onto one of the grassy terraces and slept for a few hours. We had been up since 3.30am and by mid morning it felt like an eternity. I felt guilty that I should be seeing more of this sacred site, but my body just would not have it. Everyone was so exhausted that really it would have been better to have a good nights sleep in the nearest town (Aguas Calientes) and then get up the next day and have some proper quality time to explore...after the three day trek it is very difficult to appreciate the greatness of what you are seeing.

But I did it...I survived the trail, saw Machu Picchu and was very happy to get back to Cusco later that day for a warm shower and a proper bed!