mountain climbing – Two Wild Tides

The Trek of My Life: Day 5

September 2, 2019 | Leave a Comment

The morning of Day 5 I woke up crying as a result of the physical pain I was in. After 13 years of competitive figure skating, not even that could compare to the knee and foot pain I experienced on this trek. Sliding my hiking boots on felt like an insurmountable task, but I did it. Besides we were going to Machu Picchu today – how cool is that?!

As we walked down to hop on the bus to Machu Picchu each step was filled with so much pain, I honestly did not know how I would get through the day. The entire bus ride I was psyching myself up to do it. I literally kept repeating in my head “You cannot feel any pain, You cannot feel any pain”. We had purchased the additional hike of Machu Picchu mountain with our tickets and we were not going to let that go to waste. It was completely foggy, you couldn’t see, but we were on the edge of the cliff on the way up. We didn’t care because we were there. We climbed over 2,000 steps that morning and we were both feeling the burn but we made it. You couldn’t see anything from the top at all but we got a picture with the sign (haha!). Going back down killed the knees, and was a little sketchy on some of the stairs but we felt so accomplished.

After that we had a little tour of Machu Picchu and time to explore. We both wished we had more time but we were happy to be there at all. Unfortunately, there was some confusion with our tour and we almost missed the major views and photo ops however, after a little sweet talking we managed to see Machu Picchu from above. It’s as breath taking as the photos, it does not disappoint. It truly is a hidden treasure that we need to preserve. We learned of a young boy who back in the early 1900s used to play there. What a playground? You could have the most epic game of hide and seek amidst those walls.

My childhood dream of seeing Machu Picchu in all of its glory came true. It’s a humbling, spiritual, and immaculate place in this world. Machu Picchu was a wonderful experience but the journey to get there was equally as wonderful. It truly is all about the journey, and the work, and the struggle and the camaraderie. I was grateful to have my boyfriend at my side. We were each other’s biggest cheerleaders and he had the opportunity to see just how stubbornly determined I am. We learned a lot about each other, how well we work as a team and in moments of crisis. When you’re hiking 20-30km a day your perspective changes. I found myself excited and looking forward to smaller things like a hot shower, a light in my room, the ability to call my parents. I was grateful for the everyday things in our life at home. It was humbling. Getting off the grid in the middle of the Andes allowed me the opportunity align my priorities and be so damn grateful for a hot shower, fresh band aids and a hot meal.

This trek has taught me so much about my own personal resilience and determination. I was in physical pain/sick almost the entire time but I did it. Every day I chose to put one foot in front of the other even when it wasn’t easy. I know that if I could do that, I can do anything. And so can you!

The funny thing is even with all the pain and sickness I was ready to do it all again. Call me crazy but by the time we finished I was dreaming of the next mountain. Patagonia? Kilimanjaro? Everest Basecamp? Climbing mountains is all about learning – it teaches you about yourself, others, different cultures and the world around us. It’s humbling and fulfilling but most of all it gives you perspective.

xoxo,

linds

The Trek of My Life: Day 4

August 26, 2019 | Leave a Comment

Day 4 started early as always. I devoured a protein bar and we headed off in the early hours of the morning. We were all a little excited because today was supposed to be a little easier (whatever that means). We came to realize that 2 more hours often meant 4 and easier was not necessarily a great descriptor. But we loved it!

We hiked for hours and hours today, chatting along the way. We reached our first Machu Picchu check point where we had to leave our names and passport information. Records of who was on the trail were etched in giant books on the worker’s desk. Then after a quick coffee tasting we were off. Our morning was quite challenging all uphill terrain which was very steep. We saw some beautiful ruins and had great views of the mountains. We were drenched in sweat by the time we reached our lunch stop and the meal was delicious. There was cold juice with our lunch, a rare treat on our last few days of trekking. We devoured it.

The afternoon was all downhill and quite steep. I was grateful for my poles which took some of the impact off of my knees. It was always faster going down because although it was hard on the joints we didn’t need to take rest stops. This made the time pass quickly and allowed us the opportunity to have conversation; something that wasn’t always possible on the way up. By mid afternoon we reached the train station where you could hop on or choose to continue hiking to Aguas Caliente. Stubborn we all were – no one took the train. We were a group of very determined individuals who were not going to quit. Let me tell you walking into Aguas Caliente was a sigh of relief, a real feeling of accomplishment.

That night we all had dinner and then went to our hostel to fight over the hot water for a shower. Then we all headed to explore the quaint little town, take in one of their festivals and get some grub.

It wasn’t long before we were sound asleep dreaming of Machu Picchu.

Hi from the morning protein bar pit stop!

Keep reading: Day 5.

The Trek of My Life: Day 3

August 8, 2019 | 1 Comment

We started hiking this morning before sunrise as usual. The cold Peruvian winter air in the mountains is a very real thing. Those early mornings before the sun rose consisted of coca tea and many layers of clothing.

Today marked our entrance into the jungle which provided us with hot temperatures, a lot of sunshine and a few drops of rain. The scenery was beautiful and I could feel the oxygen rushing into my lungs as we quickly became surrounded by the lush jungle. The scenery was much different to the previous day which consisted mostly of rocks, snow, ice and very little plant life. Today, however, the plants and trees were abundant. I felt much better.

Day 3 was our shortest day of trekking by far as we made it to basecamp before lunch. Our muscles were in full aching mode by now and the raw blisters scattered over my feet made me feel like Reese Witherspoon in Wild. We were truly pushing ourselves to our limits. Our group collectively agreed that you get to this point where it’s all in your head. It’s a complete mind game and it’s all about putting one foot in front of the other no matter how tired, sore, or hungry you get. It’s all about continuing to move forward. This day marked the half way point of our trek. The first thing we all did upon arrival to basecamp was take off our hiking boots, and sit in the grass, soaking up the luscious sunshine.

After lunch we were in for a treat. It was hot spring day! There was an option to head into the nearest town (by van, thank god) to visit the local hot springs. We were all over that! My boyfriend and I were so excited to have a chance to rest our muscles and treat our bodies to some well deserved down time. When we arrived there were only a handful of people there. After a quick cold shower, we headed for the pools. There were a couple warm pools and one hot one. We alternated back and forth and enjoyed the mountainous scenery. We stayed in those pools for a few hours and when we got out we definitely noticed a difference. It really helped my knees and gave them a little break.

On our way back from the hot springs, our van broke down and our guide was on the hunt for some Inca tequila for us to try that evening. After driving on the steep cliff sides, through a couple of streams and down the narrow roads we made it back to basecamp. We were always eager to unwind after a long day of hiking and the Inca tequila really helped. It was basically moonshine and we were told the best way to drink it was to add it to your hot tea with a bit of sugar. Sure enough, it was delicious. After dinner this evening we all socialized around the table and later on at a campfire. And then it was bedtime.

Keep reading: Day 4.

The Trek of My Life: Day 2

August 1, 2019 | Leave a Comment

I woke up the next morning still feeling ill but slightly better. I was nervous about the day ahead and worried that my body would give out on me. Altitude sickness is a tricky thing because you never know how it’s going to affect you. Some people don’t experience it at all (the lucky ones) and some get hit hard. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, your age, stature etc. It just hits some people much harder than others.

I was determined to keep going. After speaking with the guide we decided that I would take a horse for a couple hours that morning up the extremely steep terrain and then hike the rest of the day. The morning of day 2 is known as one of the hardest parts of the trek as you’re going through the Salkantay pass. I was upset that I couldn’t hike it but knew after throwing up the night before I needed to take it easy. Mind you, being on a horse, on the edge of a cliff, on ice ridden paths wasn’t exactly super calming. However, I was grateful that the option was there so that I could give my body a chance to breathe. Plus, our guide gave me an electrolyte mixture for my water which resulted in me basically drinking salt water all day (but it helped!).

Once we arrived on the top, the view was jaw-dropping. The snow capped Salkantay mountain right there in front of our eyes. It was a pretty great moment making it to the top. Everyone was eager to have a bite to eat, rest and drink some water. I was still not feeling great but doing my best to hang in there and prepare for the hike down. As we sat on the top of the mountain our guide spoke to us about the philosophy of the Incan people and how much simpler life is in the mountains. He had us all go around and list some things that we are thankful for. It was a special moment and a humbling one. Among my boyfriend and I’s list included our families, friends, our health, and our ability to visit new places and explore new cultures. We’re grateful to have been born into a world of opportunity and grateful to be Canadian. I also threw in a special shout out to pad thai and tequila (because they’re important food groups).

A little blurry but a shot of the landscape. Salkantay Mountain.

We hiked on a downward incline for the rest of the day. I found going down almost harder then going up simply because it was painful on the joints. By the end of day 2 I think we all had some knee pain kicking in. We arrived at basecamp which consisted of small raised tents. Everyone was super excited for the use of a shower that night. I was able to eat dinner that night which was my first meal in over a day. I started to feel better that evening and that was the biggest relief.

The group of 10 hikers that made up our group originated from Canada, England and the United States. We were all between 22-34. After hiking 2 full days we started to become quite close. You see when you’re a sweaty, sore, mess in the middle of the Andes you have no choice but to become friends. We had an awesome group of people with unique backgrounds all determined to complete this trek together. I’m grateful for the new friends we made along the way and that our group became so close on the trek.

Keep reading: Day 3.

The Hike of My Life: Mt. Batur

February 18, 2019 | 4 Comments

I have woken up at 2am many times in my life– usually, it’s to catch an early morning flight. This time, however, I was getting up at 2am for a sunrise hike up Mt. Batur in Bali. I had no idea what I was in for but I was excited, tired and ready for this incredible adventure.

Mount Batur is an active volcano that can be found in Batur Village in the Kintamani District in Bali, Indonesia. It’s located 1717m above sea-level and usually takes about 2 hours to reach the top by physically fit individuals. I highly recommend doing this hike at sunrise for the stunning views. You won’t believe your eyes!

The shuttle picked us up right at our hostel and proceeded to take us to a restaurant for a 3am breakfast. Unfortunately, it was not gluten free so there was no breaky for me. Then we piled back into the shuttle and drove about 45 minutes to the base of the mountain. As I stood outside in the pitch black light of the early morning I realized how chilly it was but I warmed up real quick.

Our guide, Bagawata was young, full of energy and extremely knowledgeable. It’s important to note that it’s prohibited to hike the mountain without a guide. There are plenty of guides and tours set up– we loved ours because of the small size (there were only 7 of us). We begun our hike up the mountain with Bagawata in the pitch black, only with the light of small flashlights. It was disorienting hiking in the pitch black but it was also really cool! Near the beginning of our hike, our guide stopped to talk to us about the mountain. It’s very sacred land to the Balinese people and there were some basic rules of respect that he asked us to follow. It was important to under no circumstance litter or leave garbage behind and to avoid cursing at all costs. He taught us a blessing that we could recite to show our respect for the land. This little talk was extremely interesting and gave us all some wonderful insight about the culture.

Our group was comprised of young, athletic adults and therefore we were cruising along at an incredibly fast past. We quite literally flew past other groups of hikers but the hike itself was gruelling. While it wasn’t a super long hike– it was pretty much straight up, entirely up the side of this mountain. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done– trust me we were cooking. In the darkness of the early morning all I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. Many of us ran out of water quite early on (oops) and our clothes were drenched in sweat. By the time we made it to the top our guide said we made it up 30 minutes faster than normal to give you a little perspective. Reaching the summit of that mountain was one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world. We were all above the clouds, watching the sunrise and night time disappear. It was the highlight of the entire trip for me but also one of the best experiences of my life. Witnessing the beauty of the world around us will never get old.

We stayed at the top for a solid amount of time just taking it all in. Our guide brought a guitar and serenaded us with some songs as we watched the sun rise in awe. We took photos and chatted. Don’t forget to bring layers because the top is much colder plus all of your sweat dries! Chilly! Our guide took us on a tour to see some of the giant craters, views from different sides of the mountain. We walked a lot and even saw some monkeys!

The hike back down was almost harder because it was so steep and hard on the knees. But we did it! This was an experience I will never forget. It was the toughest hike I’ve ever done and I’m so grateful seen that part of Bali.

When’s the last time you saw a sunrise? It doesn’t have to be from the top of a mountain but I promise it will give you some perspective. Our planet is beautiful.