1-20-20 - Leanne - Humantay Lake Hike

Today the group splits as half will hike the Inca Trail and half will explore other Incan archaeological sites and cities. We will all meet up late Thursday night and tour Machu Picchu on Friday as a family. 

My “Inca Light Train” started at 4 am for a Girl Power hike with Ashlynn to Humantay Lake.  I kiss Kyle goodbye and board the van with Ashlynn for a four hour journey to Laguna Humantay, which is a turquoise lake at the foot of two glaciers.  It’s billed as an easy to moderate hike.  It took quite a bit of Leanne prodding Ashlynn to join her for this Girl Power hike. “It will be so much fun!” promises Leanne.

After breakfast, we start out with rain ponchos as the rain drizzles. We take just a few dozen steps are already out of breadth.  “Let’s rethink this” goes through both of our minds.  Reynaldo the guide isn’t buying it. The hike starts at 3,900 meter (13,800 ft) elevation so huffing and puffing is expected.  But rain adds an extra element as it’s harder to trudge through the mud and mini puddles and streams developing.  The easy flat road ends leading to a gradual incline up to the mountain pass where we can see the lake. It’s deceiving as it looks so much more gradual than it actually is.

About an hour and a half in, it’s still raining enough to need the ponchos and both Ashlynn and I are hurting even more now, requiring breaks every 50 or so steps. As we compare the road up to the path we’ve completed, it doesn’t seem we have made much progress at all.  We see other folks struggling with the climb and even a few who have slipped in the most unappetizing concoction of mud and manure. Worried about us, our Andean guide turns into the best impersonation of Toni Robbins I have ever seen — belting out the “you can do it” and “you got this.” 

Every step is a struggle — boy this air is thin!!! As we rest on a rock less than halfway up seriously contemplating just heading back, Reynaldo offers us both the local remedy of coca leaves to chew on for energy and to combat the altitude.  We are to chew on them like spinach and swallow them.  Jury is out if it worked for us, but apparently the locals chew these leaves all day long. 

I hear Reynaldo mention “caballos” (horses) on his Walkie talkie at least three times.  For those who are struggling, there is the option of riding a horse up the mountain. After the third time he says it, he tells me, “the horses aren’t running up today.”  Apparently there was some sort of horse convention. Even Reynaldo thought Leanne wasn’t making it up on foot and would require the services of the local horseback taxi. 

The local horsemen must have the best tourist trap going, thinks a more cynical Leanne today.  More than 1,000 people attempt this hike each day.  At least half of them aren’t Andean and therefore don’t have the evolved lung capacity to breathe with ease at this altitude while hiking.  So about half of unsuspecting tourists typically grab a horse taxi up at some point of this 4 kilometer ascent.  Perhaps when their bodies realize “no pain, no gain” isn’t exactly a safe rule to follow in the Andes.  

But today the horsemen held a meeting so it’s only human power up this mountain today.  Leanne dreams of wrangling a nearby grazing horse and going bareback (she DID grow up on a horse farm, didn’t she?).  In the meantime, Ashlynn charges ahead, still in obvious pain, but still with a lot more vigor than her Aunt Leanne has in her.  Which isn’t saying much.  Reynaldo hangs back knowing Leanne is going to need every bit of Toni Robbin’s 2019 Top Ten Excuse Busters to get up this mountain today. 

In fact, Reynaldo tries every trick in his guidebook. Teaching her switchbacks. Teaching her light stepping techniques the Inca Trail porters use.  Raising her walking sticks.  He tried everything but actually suggesting carrying Leanne.  
At one point he even sprays something — a local mix of herbs — an invigorating scent onto her hands to clear her sinuses and invigorate her for these final steps.  By comparison, It helped her improve from the pace of a snail to that of a sloth. Progress?  Maybe. I guess. Sort of. 

The rain stops suddenly ending one of the more unpleasant aspects.  But sun doesn’t alleviate the pain one bit.  As she hikes, Leanne grows worried about the hikers who have five days of this ascending ahead of them.  
“Don’t worry about them, they aren’t worried about you,” shares Reynaldo. Now whose the cynical one today?  Where’s my Toni Robbins now? 

After 4 hours 8 minutes, both girls finish what was dubbed an easy 30 minute to an hour hike up.  Feeling oddly pathetic and accomplished at the same time, the pair attempt to redeem some semblance of pride on the way down by hustling through the manure and mud with no breaks on the descent. 

At the Cabañas at the bottom of the mountain, a delicious lunch spread is ready for the girls.  It’s off season so today’s hike is literally just Ashlynn and Leanne.  But the lunch spread was enough to feed a Quetchuan village.  Too exhausted even to eat, Leanne tries to figure out the minimal intake necessary that doesn’t insult the cook.  “Eat up... it is all healthy and you need your energy back.”, insists Reynaldo.  But Leanne is literally sitting expressionless hardly able to lift the fork.  

The bumpy four hour ride back to Cusco felt like six.  Reynaldo apologizes for his country’s developing infrastructure to which Leanne responds “no apologies needed, there are many places on Earth with infrastructure issues including our own.”  She hoped her comment made him feel better unleashing the pride he absolutely needs to feel with this beautiful country in front of her.  Green lush mountains with deep light green fertile valleys filled with livestock, crops, and more varieties of potatoes (4,000 in fact) than anywhere else in the world.  A French fry gourmet cookoff contest should be started right here! 

On the way home, Leanne notices a toddler — the driver’s daughter — in the van was wearing a “Girl Power” sweatshirt.  Leanne was wondering just where did she leave her a “Girl Power” today at 4,000 meters! The bumpy ride home offered no chance for siesta. Arriving at the hotel with muddy shoes and tightened calves, both girls slowly slither to their rooms and crash for the night.  

Before shuteye, Leanne has a field day describing her tough day to John who snorts his room service meal at the funniest parts. “Mom, I can’t take it, I’m laughing so hard it hurts!” “Oh yeah, talk to my calves!”