absolute brighton

The Inca trail
Local businessman, Roger Clifton-Moore, recently took a
Peruvian adventure to celebrate his 60th Birthday. Here he shares
with our readers his journey where he discovered
a beautiful land in Peru
How would I celebrate my 60th birthday? Arranging a big party was
not for me, I did not want to give the opportunity for friends and
family to make repeated ‘ageism’ and ‘bus pass’ jokes - I preferred doing
something more adventurous!
After much consideration, the idea of a trip to South America,
specifi cally Machu Picchu the ‘Lost City of the Incas’, was born. Myself,
with two of my three kids and my friend Geoff Bush, were to join a
party of ten others on the challenging ‘High Inca Trail’ trekking trip to
Peru organised by The Adventure Company.
The trip was in three parts: Lake Titicaca and Cusco; two days of
sightseeing and, very importantly, aclimatising to the high altitude. Then
The High Inca Trail and Machu Picchu; six days trekking and camping
up to 5000 metres (higher than Mont Blanc) ending at the fantastic
site of Machu Picchu. And fi nally, The Amazon Extension; our party of
four spent an additional three days at the Sandoval Lake Lodge in the
Peruvian Amazon.
Puno and Lake Titicaca (3860 metres)
From the port in Puno we were taken by boat to the fl oating reed
islands of the Uros Indians. We had the benefi t of a very experienced
guide who explained the history and the way of life of the local
inhabitants. It is clear that they are no longer as secluded as they once
were, but they are still a unique sight and it was very interesting to learn
about how they build and maintain their fl oating reed islands.
On the way back to Puno we visited the old iron ship, The Yavari. Built
in Scotland in the 1870’s, it was shipped to Chile and then carried up
into the Andes on mules and llamas, to be assembled in Puno. It was
the fi rst iron ship on Lake Titicaca and is now being restored to sail on
the lake once more.
Cusco (3400 metres)
From Puno we went by coach across the Altiplano via the La Raya pass
(4,321 metres) to Cusco, visiting several places of interest along the way.
Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, is a must to visit both
from the point of view of the Inca and Spanish cultural and architectural
treasures as well as the many bars and restaurants. For the adventurous
‘foodies’ you can try deep fried whole guinea pig!
Another must to visit is the fortress of Sacsayhuaman lying just outside
Cusco city. The skillfully constructed outer walls consist of massive blocks
of stone (the largest weighing over 350 tonnes) which must have been
diffi cult to manouvre, let alone to cut and dress with such precision!
The Inca Trail (3,500 to 5,000 metres)
This is where the hard bit started; six days of trekking for over 70
kilometres, up and down mountains for fi ve to seven hours per day,
camping overnight with temperatures down to 3 o c. All home comforts
were now a distant memory; no hot showers, and the toilet was simply
a hole in the ground.
But it was worth it for the spectacular mountain views, clear night skies
and Inca architectural sites to see on the way. We fi nished at the Sun
Our tour group at Sacsayhuaman
ABSOLUTE TRAVEL
The trek continued to 5,000 meters (and a well-earned rest!)
ABSOLUTE 45