Fearless In Peru
This blog is from fellow Wild Rose Press author, Brenda Whiteside’s Fearless Friday blog.
Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru has long been a dream of mine. The stunning Inca ruins, the gorgeous mountain scenery, the terraced mountainsides…I wanted to see it all. What I hadn’t counted on were the devastating effects of hiking at a high altitude.
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Climbing the infamous Monkey Stairs on the Inca Trail.
The second the plane touched down in Cusco (elevation 11,152 feet), shooting pains attacked my joints, waves of nausea washed over me, and even walking the slightest uphill had me struggling to breathe. I took prescription medication for altitude sickness and chewed the cocoa leaves the locals swore would ease my symptoms. Nothing helped.
The hike was even harder. Each step up the ancient stone stairs required a massive effort. My heart thundered in my chest, and I gasped for oxygen in the thin air, but I was determined to finish. The trek lasted four days, and by the time I crested Dead Woman’s Pass (elevation 13,828 feet), I was exhausted, but thrilled. I’d done it! I’d pushed my body to its limits and beyond and made it to the highest elevation of the Trail.
This accomplishment filled me with a new confidence. I now know I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I went on to cycle through Central America and hiked towering, glacier-clad mountains in Patagonia. This strength of will also helps with my writing. When things get tough, and the writing muse deserts me, I keep on trudging…one step at a time until the writing flows.
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Made it! The iconic view of Machu Picchu.
Stop by Brenda’s blog if you want to see the original post.
