Trip Tips

A few things I'd like to pass on:

• Bring your own toilet paper (at least two rolls)
• Bring diarreah pills (almost everyone suffers, you'll be no exception)
• The water while on the trail is boiled and then cooled for you to drink. I found it fine, however it does have a bit of a 'taste'. A great idea is bringing those travel Crystal Light packets...not only does it mask the taste of the water, but also gives you that sweet kick you might be looking for.
• In September, above 3500m, it gets pretty cool at night. Bring one warm sweater or jacket.
• The trek is four days. Bring four t-shirts. I thought I could get away with three, but trust me, you'll be happy to have a clean shirt on the final day.
• Bring a pair of sandals or other shoes. I didn't due to weight restrictions (each person's bag must be under 6kg) but I quickly realized how nice it would've been to be able to change out of my hiking boots...especially on days where you've hiked almost 10 hours.
• Our group, overall, was fairly active. But you can feel totally free to take your time. Our guides were totally understanding of varieties in speed and endurance (over 8 people in the group and you'll have two guides, one always in the front and one always in the back). However, it's easy to get caught up in the energy of it all. I suggest, especially on the third day, stopping often to take in the sights and sounds (or lack of sounds, actually). This is one thing I would go back and do: ensure that I broke away from the group for certain periods in order to truly take in all the beauty surrounding you.
• People might say not to take taxi's in Lima, but we didn't have a problem. You can flag them down anywhere, just make sure that they actually have real taxi signs on the car, and that when you get in you can see some form of driver/taxi or company identification. And always make sure you negotiate the price before you leave with them. We went all around Lima for no more than 15 soles (about $5) in any direciton.