5 Things to Expect on the Inca Trail

Get what you pay for - Inca Trail - Rachel Kristensen

From choosing what company to book with and what gear to pack, preparing for the Inca Trail can be daunting.  The 4-day hike to Machu Picchu, one of the newly named Seven Wonders of the World, appears on so many bucket lists, from expert hikers to first-time explorers. If it is your first time, or you haven’t been in ages, here are some quick tips to help you prepare for the journey of a lifetime.

1. You get what you pay for.

Unfortunately, the days where you could hike the Inca Trail independently are long over. You must go with a tour company, so do your research beforehand on the company’s reputation and sustainability policies.

This site is updated with sustainable companies that aim to improve Peru’s economy, treat porters fairly, and have adequate equipment. You might notice the list doesn’t include the cheapest tours offered; often the lowest price companies cut corners on food and equipment, and even exploit porters. I doubt anyone wants rice for four days solid, a tent with a hole in it, and a porter who is being mistreated.

Always check your contract to see what you’ve been promised. Bear in mind that you may also need to book months in advance, depending on what time of year you go. High season is June to August.

inca trail preparation

2. You will have to carry your gear for the entire trek.

Some of us love to pack more than others. But before you pack multiple outfits for each day, remember that you will be carrying those items up the trail or paying extra fees for the porters to assist you. Normally the tour company arranges to have a porter carry your tent; however for an additional $75 a porter will take another 20lbs from you.

Now before you go up the trail with nothing but a water bottle, remember to pack enough to survive on the trail. These are the essentials:

• snacks for energy
• sunscreen and a hat to protect you from strong sunshine
• rain gear for that unavoidable rainstorm (see below)
• a warm sleeping bag and clothing layers for the cold nights
• shorts for the hot days
• sensible hiking boots that are already broken in for the long hiking days.

Before you depart on your trip, it’s wise to consult the tour company for a more thorough packing list.

Trip of a Lifetime - Peru - Inca Trail - Rachel Kristensen

3. It’s not a walk in the park.

Being a classic bucket list destination, many people seem to overlook the physical requirements of the trail. It’s not a technically difficult trail, however it is located in high altitude, which makes everything more challenging.

Get acclimatized for the trail before you start. Arrive in Cusco, the main city near the start of the trek, at least two days before you’re scheduled to begin the trail. At 3,500 meters (11,480 feet) above sea level, the elevation in Cusco will help get your body used to the 420-meter (13,780-foot) pass you’ll be hiking on day two.

In the city, most restaurants and hotels offer coca tea, a herbal tea that acts as a mild stimulant which helps with the headaches of high altitude. Prior to the trek, your guide will likely make a stop to purchase coca leaves. Locals believe that rolling the raw leaves into a ball and chewing on the plant is key in surviving the high altitude trek, however, there is no evidence to support it as normally only half of a tour group will indulge.

Once on the trail, the granite path climbs over high-altitude peaks and descends over ancient staircases, all wreaking havoc on your knees. In addition, most trekkers carry an extra 20-30 pounds of gear.

Get in shape pre-trek by hiking up a steep hill (or up and down multiple staircases) with a 10lb bag on your bag for at least an hour a day. Do this for a month solid and you’ll be physically prepared for the trek.

There will be Rain - Inca Trail - Rachel Kristensen

4. There will be rain.

The third day of the trail takes hikers into a cloud forest, a subtropical ecosystem where clouds, mist, and rain constantly roll over the Andes Mountains throughout the day. As you walk into the lush and tropical Amazon, remember: you are in a rainforest.

It will rain at some point, so bring a rain jacket and weatherproof your bag.

DCIM100GOPRO

5. It really will be the trip of a lifetime.

There is a reason the Inca Trail is on so many bucket lists. Every single turn of the trail takes hikers to a place of extraordinary beauty, from alpine meadows to the lush Amazon rainforest. Every step changes the setting. By the time you finally find yourself at Machu Picchu, it’s likely you’ll have found the trek turned into something life altering.

Enjoy, and make sure to bring a camera!

5 Important Viking Sites Outside Scandinavia

Although the Vikings are most associated with Scandinavia, they raided, traded, and settled across Europe and Asia Minor, and even made it as far away as Canada. Given that the Norsemen journeyed so far, you don’t even have to go to their homeland to travel in their wake. Here are five important Viking sites outside of Scandinavia.

(above) Discovered in a large burial mount at a farm in Norway, the Oseberg ship is one of the main attractions at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. Wikimedia Commons.

viking-museum-historical-sites-2

Runic inscription in Maeshowe. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Maeshowe, Orkney, Scotland

When the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland were conquered by the Vikings in the 8th or 9th century, the area had been a center of culture for millennia. The newcomers were impressed by the large number of prehistoric sites there, such as the imposing stones circles and extensive tombs.

One tomb, Maeshowe, is filled with Norse graffiti. The Orkneyinga Saga tells us a band of Christian Vikings either heading to or returning from the Crusades broke into the tomb to hide from a storm on Christmas of the year 1153. An inscription on the wall says, "Crusaders broke into Maeshowe. Lif the earl's cook carved these runes. To the north-west is a great treasure hidden. It was long ago that a great treasure was hidden here. Happy is he that might find that great treasure. Hakon alone bore treasure from this mound (signed) Simon Sirith".

Sadly there’s no record of what the treasure was. Other inscriptions boast of sexual conquests or the carver’s ability to write well. The complete set of inscriptions can be found here.

viking-museum-historical-sites-3

This coprolite (fossilized human feces) is an unseemly yet informative find from Viking York. Archaeologists examined it and found pollen grains, cereal bran, and two types of parasitical worm. It’s now a popular display at the Jorvik Centre in York. Photo courtesy Linda Spashett.

York, England

By the 9th century, the Vikings had moved from their earlier raids on monasteries to a full-fledged invasion of the British Isles. Led by Halfdan and Ivar the Boneless, a Viking army took the city of York in northern England in 866. They hadn’t come to plunder, but to settle, and in the following years York grew to be an important center for trade and crafts. From 1976 to 1981, archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust excavated a portion of the old Viking city and uncovered the foundations of houses and shops, as well as a wealth of artifacts.

The excavated area is now the centerpiece of the Jorvik Viking Centre. Standing on a glass floor, you can walk just above the streets and buildings of the old city. Interactive displays, costumed employees, and cheesy animatronic Vikings explain what life was like back in those days. A ten-minute walk away is the Yorkshire Museum, which has an excellent Viking collection presented in a more traditional manner.

viking-museum-historical-sites-4

 A Viking craftsman at work at Haithabu (Hedeby) Museum. Photo courtesy Frank Vincentz.

Hedeby, Germany

This one is a bit of a cheat since the region was part of Denmark until Prussia took it in 1864, but Hedeby in northern Germany is one of the most important Viking settlements ever excavated. A center of trade from the 8th to the 11th centuries, Hedeby was the largest city in Scandinavia and sent trading ships as far as Greece.

A Slavic army burned the town in 1066 and it lay abandoned until it was excavated in modern times. The cold, waterlogged ground preserved the foundations of the houses, everyday items, and even a ship, all now preserved in the Haithabu Museum. Visitors can explore reconstructed houses that are exact replicas of the originals and watch re-enactors perform traditional Norse crafts. At the dock you can board a reconstructed Viking ship and go sailing.

viking-museum-historical-sites-5

Viking graffiti on a railing on the second floor of the Hagia Sofia, Istanbul. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey

The Vikings’ reputation as warriors meant they were in demand as mercenaries all over Europe. Even the emperors of Byzantium in the eastern Mediterranean used them as their personal bodyguards. Called Varangians, the Norse axemen were considered more trustworthy than the Byzantines themselves, who had a bad habit of assassinating their emperors. At the capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul), Varangians left traces of their presence in the form of graffiti at the main church, the Hagia Sofia. Several faint runes can still be seen scratched into the walls and bannisters. This one is the most visible, and occasionally new ones are discovered, so keep your eyes peeled.

viking-museum-historical-sites-6

 A far cry from raiding monasteries on a dragon-prowed longship, the lives of the Viking colonists in Newfoundland centered around turf-covered longhouses like this reconstructed one at L’Anse aux Meadows. Photo courtesy D. Gordon E. Robertson.

L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada

Perhaps the most significant Viking remains are those found the furthest from Scandinavia. At the windswept northern tip of Newfoundland, Canada, stands the remains of a small settlement of Vikings who settled there around the year 1000 AD, building sod houses, a smithy, and a carpenter’s workshop. Today the site is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Re-enactors practice traditional Viking crafts in reconstructed buildings, and a modern visitor’s center describes the epic voyages that got the Vikings all the way across the Atlantic.

A few scattered Viking artifacts such as a coin in Maine and a some remains in northern Canada suggest L’Anse aux Meadows may have been a base for further trade, or that perhaps there are more Viking settlements in the New World waiting to be uncovered.

Let's Get Hitched // Vintage Trailers Available for Rent

Little inspires me more than the thought of a cross-country road trip, especially in one of these vintage beauties. But owning a trailer isn't always practical, especially if you need to put a lot of elbow grease into fixing it up only to use it once or twice. Which is why I'm happy to see more companies renting vintage campers, trailers, and buses. Seriously, why hasn't anyone thought of this sooner?

(above) Let's get hitched. Rent the classic "Blue Boler" from Los Angeles-based Happier Camper starting at $115/night.

vintage canned ham camper rental

Sweet wheels. "Honey," a canned-ham style camper is ready to hit the road and sleeps up to four. Rent it from Goodness Travels out of the New York metro area (starting at $104/night).

vintage volkswagon camper rental

Get in the van. Go on a West Coast surf vacation in one of these Volkswagen campers from the 1970s and 80s. Rent them from Vintage Surfari Wagons in Los Angeles, California (starting at $115 /night).

retro trailer for rent

Traveling with the band. Four or five people can squeeze into "The Motown Motel," a teardrop-shaped trailer from the 1950s that can be rented out of Grand Rapids, Michigan from Retro Rentals (starting at $125/night).

airstream dreams

Reflect on this. It's easy to see yourself in "Norma Jean," a bona-fide Bambi II, an exceptionally rare Airstream model from the 1960s. Australia's Airstream Dreams rents this beauty.

Belle Starr Camper

A sure shot. The "Annie Oakley" from Oregon-based Cowgirl Bunkhouse sleeps 1-3 and is quite the charmer (starting at $75/night).

VAIC-vintage-trailer

Bed-in-a-box. And last but not least, "Chili Pepper " is a simple but beautiful teardrop camper from Vacations in a Can that sleeps two and can be rented out of Penngrove, California.