Day 1: Lares Trail #TrekTowardsACurePeru

Today was the day of reckoning. After all the months and months of training Annalisa and I had done this year, today was the time when we really saw the results.

Our group of eager Pink Lady trekkers (minus Chloe who was really sick with a throat infection), group leader Kate and guides Jose and Enrique set off in the mini bus for a drive through the Sacred Valley to our starting point 90 minutes away from Cusco.

We started gently, walking through a village and past a school (all the kids waved madly) and then followed the river up into the Andes in the sun. Both Annalisa and I were struggling as we got higher and the air thinned (Annalisa's chest was really tight and painful and I was feeling dizzy and almost passed out).

Despite this we were still able to appreciate the incredible beauty of this remote region. The further we walked, the less signs of civilisation we saw until it was just us and the odd llama and alpaca. The mountains were so imposing, leading me to feel as insignificant as a speck on the path. We crossed the river to our lunch setting, jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone. It was at this location that we got our first taste of 'The Rocket', the portable toilet that we would come to know well in the coming days.

After lunch we walked back down the mountain through an eerie mist, but this time the sun was not on our backs and the wet weather gear made an appearance. This was very similar to the Scottish Highlands and Hebridean islands, so much so that it almost felt like we were walking through a mystical realm and would come out the other side in a different place or time.

Annalisa and I felt a great sense of achievement when we walked the final steps towards the bus and knew the first day of real trekking was done. All of us were tired and wet, but happy for the drive to our camp site for the night within a walled yard in a tiny village. The mist had turned into a cold and damp night, which saw all of scrambling for hats, scarves and gloves. Those of us who were not prepared for this level of cold bought extra layers from the villagers who set up a mini market outside our tents.

I wasn't looking forward to the camping side of this adventure and this first night proved a real test for all of us as it got down to -2 degrees. I don't think many of us slept as much as our exhaustion should have let us.

Trek Towards A Cure Poem by Angela Cartwright

One of our fellow trekkers, Angela, is a talented poet and penned a ballad about our trip for a grand performance during our last dinner. We've reproduced the poem here with Angela's permission.

NBCF wants to find a cure,

For Breast cancer and its effects impure,

A trek to Peru to raise some much needed dough,

So all of us here - decided to go.

We came from all around Oz,

Some for a reason, some just because,

We began our trip in ol’ Sydney Town,

Some travelled up, some travelled down!

Some arrived with time to spare,

Others scraped in by the width of a hair,

14 souls all eager and keen,

On an adventure of a lifetime, living the dream!

So across the Pacific we started to fly,

13 long hours high in the sky,

We met those around us and started to share,

Our lives, our stories and why we were there,

We finally landed in Santiago, Chile,

Where Pisco Sours were the drink of the day!

Back on a plane and away we flew,

To Lima City, in the country Peru,

Where Miguel took us into his care,

To a quaint little villa for us to all share,

We met our new roomies and dined on the best,

And snuggled up in bed for a much needed rest!

The next morning we waved Lima goodbye,

As over the Andes we passed on high,

To Beautiful Cusco, our new home base,

As the altitude made our pulses race,

The view from the plane was breathtaking,

Literally, as the altitude kicked in!

Here we met our fearless leader Jose,

Who told use to Vamoose and got us on our way,

Into the Chaos and colour of Cusco Town,

Where cobblestone streets led us up and down,

We dropped all our gear at our new hotel retreat,

And went in search of something good to eat!

At a little cantina, we enjoyed the view,

As a local band, played the sounds of Peru.

Aft our feed, we took to the hills,

Where we huffed and puffed and took our Diamox pills,

That night we recovered with another great meal,

While local dancers moved with energy and zeal!

The next day we ventured to the Ruins of Pisaq,

A warm up for what lay further down the track,

The views of the valley were beautiful and serene,

Then onto Sacsayhauman, well we know what they mean!

The next day began our 4 day hike,

Energies were high, and eyes were still bright,

Unfortunately, one of our team could not go,

So we had to leave Chloe back in Cusco,

We soon were acquainted with our friend ‘George’

The more we drank, the more our friendship was forged!

When we arrived at camp the first night,

We met the ‘Rocket’ and how to use it right,

As the cold air settled in, along with the dew,

The local ladies made a killing from our freezing crew!

We settled in our tents, the mountains high overhead,

We dreamed about the next day with anxiety and dread,

The next morning, the altitude had got to a few,

Jo, Annalisa and Sam could not continue,

We headed straight up the rocky peak,

The track was slippery, narrow and steep,

When the rain started our patience was tested,

But we strong women knew we wouldn’t be bested,

We scaled that mountain and continued beyond,

The hot springs at Lares were spurring us on,

We met up with the girls, and rode the bus to the springs,

The world’s deadliest roads were just part of the strings,

The hot soothing waters were such a treat,

And the outdoors showers were less than discrete!

All the team was back for trekking day 3,

A long day with the wind and weather rainy,

We climbed to the highest point in our trek,

Emotions were raw, and we were cold and wet,

We trudged through the mud, and the rain and the poo,

As we took in the sights and the amazing view!

Poor Lou had succumbed to the Altitude hit,

And on the back of the mule, she needed to sit,

Her ride wasn’t smooth, but was taken with care,

After it she needed new underwear!

Our final night of camping was a spectacular pocket,

You had to be agile to get to the rocket!

Final day was a downhill run,

Back to civilization, shower-land and fun!

We boarded the train after a medicinal brew,

And headed on down to Macchu Picchu!

Finally here, our long awaited day,

We dressed up in Pink and headed on our way,

Chloe had joined us, and our team was complete,

The fog didn’t deter our positive upbeat,

Macchu Picchu was a sight to behold,

The fog cleared and the sun warmed the cold,

We made it! Our journey was a success,

We somehow managed to not be a blubbering mess!

A few brave souls, took on Huanna Picchu,

The best birthday gift for our girl Sue!

We saw Chinchillas, Llamas, alpacas and bugs,

We shared lots of jokes, stories and hugs,

We butchered a language with our Aussie insight,

We ate lots of great food til our pants were too tight!

We lost our things; fell down a few times,

We haggled, giggled and made some fashion crimes!

We exchanged lucky Llamas and wore bright orange capes,

We suffered some sunburn, mozzie bites and scrapes,

But we survived and our achievement is great,

We should be proud of ourselves, and our little friend Kate!

For when we were exhausted, smelly and dirty,

We were helping to have zero deaths by 2030,

14 souls now connected for life,

Our healing was deeper than any surgeon’s knife,

So my parting words to you all before I pass,

Buenos Aires senoritas and Grassy Arse!!

#TrekTowardsACurePeru Movie

Acclimatisation Trek: No way Jose, we're calling it day 1 of trekking!

As I shared in the last post, we were scheduled for a three-hour acclimatisation trek the day after we arrived in Cusco to see how we coped at higher altitude and a longer time frame.

We all secretly thought our guide Jose wanted to test us so he could see what we were really made of. This team of 13 Aussie girls and their team leader showed him!

We started with a look out over Peru's very fertile Sacred Valley and saw the town Pisaq, which Jose announced we'd be walking in to. What we didn't realise at the time was that the walk was through some amazing Inca temple sites and then down near-vertical steps through Incan agricultural terraces built in the 14th and 15th centuries.

It was a long, slow 7km walk down the side of the mountain and we all got sunburnt (event though we were wearing 30+, 50+ and even 100+ sun screen!) but there was a gorgeous old Peruvian woman selling freshly squeezed orange juice at the bottom of the hill so that made everything worthwhile.

As Annalisa said, "This was a true test of my strength and endurance and how I feel I'm going to go on this four day trek starting tomorrow. With the hot sun beating down on us, I was physically and mentally challenged, wondering numerous times what I had gotten myself into! I'm so proud that I got through it and I know I can do this". Hear hear Annalisa!

After shopping for jewellery and souvenirs in the Pisaq markets we started on our way back to Cusco, via an al fresco lunch with our chef for the trek and a stop off at another popular Inca site, Saqsaywaman (or as Jose puts it "sexy woman" - try saying that to a bus full of women without laughing).

Since today involved lots of steps and much mental and physical energy we decided it should be the first day of the trek, rather than a practice run. Annalisa and I are so grateful to be able to share this trek with you and to have raised so much for breast cancer research. We'd like to thank our Gold Llama sponsors for making this trek and our fundraising possible: Gillian Adams Salon & Spa, Bush Legend, JCPT Health & Fitness, Strawberry Communications and The Transcription People.

Hola from Peru

It took us a long time to get here, but now Annalisa and I (Joh) are settling into Cuzco ready for our Andean adventure.

We set off on Monday morning Sydney time for a 12-hour flight to Santiago, Chile. The sun rose over South America as we changed time zones and we flew over many snow covered mountains. Our next flight was to Lima, Peru's capital, where we stayed overnight (Monday night in Peru).

While it was nice sleep in a bed, we were all itching to get to Cuzco to see where we'd be spending the next few days. Our late morning flight took us over more of the Andes, with tiny villages dotted throughout the valleys.

Our first acclimatisation exercise was this afternoon after lunch in the city. We walked through Cuzco's cobbled streets from 3500m above sea level up 100m further to see the city of 500,000, which is nestled in the valley, from a new vantage point. The air is definitely thinner here, but we have coped with the change in altitude so far.

We have a three-hour walk higher up outside Cuzco tomorrow in readiness for our #TrekTowardsACure to Machu Picchu, with support from our Platinum sponsors Juice Plus, David Jones, OnePoint and Mission Foods.