One of our past clients Megan Seccull - aka @theadventuremum, hilariously recounts her experience trekking in the Andes in Peru. What began as an adventure by misadventure turned out to be one of her favourite experiences in South America.
Find out why, and follow her next journey as she climbs Mount Kilimanjaro via the Shira Route!
Adventure by misadventure
It seems I am a Jack of all trades but a master of none. I have successfully managed to get my life into such a crazy spin, spiralling out of control , almost like being on a Gravitron ride that I am wanting to slow down so I can jump off to relax with a good book.
Plan of attack: Get up early and get your life into order Megan!
Action: Divide a page into 10 sections, each representing a part of my life and list all my ‘to do’s’.
(I do love lists because of the sense of achievement you get when you cross items off; but there was so many things written that I thought am I ever going to be able to wipe any from the list, so I ended up including things likes like – eat breakfast, brush teeth etc. just so I had something to cross off!)
Result: Overwhelming exhaustion just looking at this list.
So the problem with spreading yourself so thin is you forget things and/or make mistakes. A prime example of this is my recent adventure to the Andes Mountains in Peru with my 16 year old son, Durras. I was so busy prior, that I didn’t have time to read the trip notes - Ooops, I sold the adventure to him as a lovely bonding experience between us, where we could wander through some pretty little villages in Peru over 7 days and experience the recently discovered lost city of Machu Picchu. In my mind, it was the perfect, relaxed getaway that had culture, scenery, and a little bit of fitness. Needless to say, I guess I should have read the trip notes!
It started out really well with a few days spent in Cusco, meandering through the quaint streets to the city square, eating in beautiful Spanish restaurants, shopping to get the best Alpaca socks ever and topping the evenings off with a pisco sour, a cocktail typical of South America. On day 3 of our tour, the bus picked us up early and we drove into the mountains, hours from civilisation, and we got out on the side of a remote, in the middle-of-nowhere walking track – Uh Oh! This certainly didn’t look like a relaxed stroll! Before we knew it, our group was trekking for hours each day through the Andes Mountains at altitudes between 4500 and 5000 metres, camping at the bottom of glaciers with avalanches thundering in the distance and disturbing the silence of the night, whilst we drifted off to sleep in our two man tent. Aside from our group, there were NO people to be seen as far as the eye could see... It was just us and the elements!
Some mistakes are just brilliant!
In my life time I don’t think I will ever again experience the breath taking beauty of this barely touched landscape. The valleys and mountains we walked through will be imprinted on my mind forever as the most beautiful scenery. At night the sky came alive with the Milky Way which was so incredible we were lost for words, (it was either the beauty or the fact we were exhausted).
After 7 days we were so entrenched in the peacefulness of being out in the wilderness that when we arrived in Aguas Calientes, the closest access point to Machu Picchu, the hustle and bustle of this gorgeous town came as a bit of a shock and we longed for the serenity of the Andes Mountains. However to sit on a cushioned seat on the train and have a cappuccino soon cured that. To share this unexpected experience with my youngest son has made our bond so strong and sealed this as the most unforgettable adventure for both of us. World expeditions called the trip the Andes Adventure and that is exactly what is was!
As the Adventure Mum, my other son Rayner and I will hike to the top of Africa, by climbing Mt Kiliminjaro in January 2016 and I plan to take time to read the trips notes so I know exactly what we are in for and hopefully have time to read a book along the way.
Follow my journey at my website www.adventuremum.com.au, on Instagram or on Facebook.
Follow in the footsteps of Megan and her son and experience the Andes beyond the tourist trails and deep into the mountains, and book on the Andes Adventure (AKA Inca Wilderness Trek), departing between April - October. Note: Make sure you read the trip notes!