The Trail to Machu Picchu – Training

My mom said it best, why would you hike if there is a train or bus to take you there? It might seem insane to her but the Inca Trail is no stranger to backpackers. Thousands of people a year head to Peru to do the exact same thing I am doing. That being said, hiking the Inca Trail is no joke! The trek begins at km 82 on the Inca Trail. With a max. elevation just under 14,000 feet and a start elevation of 9,000 feet, this is definitely an intense 4 days of hiking.

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Training in Texas

Texas is not known for high elevation hiking… actually hiking in Texas is exactly the opposite of that unless you go out to the Guadalupe Mountains (which I did, check out that post here). So, wondering how I trained for the Inca Trail? I spent a lot of weekends hiking. I put A LOT of miles on my hiking boots. Winter was there for all of it! Nearly every Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning I hit the trails, averaging 6 to 9 miles a weekend. We hiked all over the state, check out some of our photos below!

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Heading to Colorado

If you have never hiked at elevation before, use it as an excuse to go to Colorado. Southwest Airlines can get you there cheap, and Rocky Mountain National Park is gorgeous! I did not get to go to Colorado to train for a few reasons: 1) vacation days, 2) vacation days, 3) vacation days. Okay, so really its only one reason. However, I have hiked at elevation before, so this was not too concerning for me. Also, check out my post about hiking in RMNP here.

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Tips for Training Hikes

This is just a quick list of my tips for training for long distance hiking.

• Make a schedule, and stick with it.
• Train with your backpack, and add weight to it!
• Break in your hiking boots really well, you’ll be living in them for the entirety of your hiking trip.
• Workout at a gym. I have a membership at a group training gym in Houston that does strength and conditioning training, I would recommend something similar.
• Stretch!

REI had some great tips for training for backpacking and thru hiking trips, here and here.

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Posts: The Trail to Machu Picchu

Check out my other posts written prior to my trip: The Trail to Machu Picchu-History and The Trail to Machu Picchu – Planning, and keep an eye out for more when I get back!

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