The Lares Trek: One Foot in Front of the Other

A few years ago, I decided to take on one of the biggest physical challenges of my travels — trekking through the Peruvian Andes on the Lares Trek.

Less famous than the Inca Trail, the Lares Trek is every bit as spectacular and, as I quickly discovered, certainly not short on challenges.

Covering approximately 33 kilometres over three days, the trek takes you high into the Andes, reaching an altitude of around 4,550 metres, with two nights spent camping at approximately 3,600 metres.

And I should probably point out that I am by no means a fitness fanatic.

So, as I contemplated three days of trekking at high altitude, I knew this was going to push me well outside my comfort zone.

I wasn't wrong.

Before beginning the trek, we spent a few nights in Cusco, giving our bodies time to acclimatise to the altitude before travelling through Peru's beautiful Sacred Valley and onwards to our starting point in the Andes.

From there, we were on foot.

What makes the Lares Trek so special isn't simply the scenery. Unlike some of Peru's better-known trekking routes, this journey takes you through remote Andean communities where Quechua families continue to live and farm.

As we walked, children would run down to greet us, waving and saying hello.

Their lives appeared incredibly simple compared with ours, yet the warmth and joy on their faces was something I will always remember.

These spontaneous encounters became just as memorable as the extraordinary mountain landscapes surrounding us.

Our accommodation for the next two nights? A tent.

And travelling in November meant it was cold. Very cold.

One night, the temperature dropped to around minus six degrees, which certainly added another dimension to the adventure.

Thankfully, the food throughout the trek was fantastic and plentiful — particularly impressive considering where we were.

Our trekking team somehow managed to produce meal after meal in the middle of the Andes.

They even prepared roasted guinea pig for breakfast on our final morning before we continued towards Aguas Calientes.

Let's just say breakfast in Peru can look a little different from breakfast at home.

The Hardest Day

Day two on the Lares was the real test.

As we climbed higher towards the trek's highest point at more than 4,500 metres, I began suffering quite badly from altitude sickness, along with a couple of others in our group.

At that altitude, everything becomes harder.

The air is thinner. Your legs feel heavier. Every incline seems steeper and the summit somehow never appears to get any closer.

There wasn't much conversation.

We simply kept encouraging one another and concentrated on doing one thing.

Putting one foot in front of the other.

Again. And again. Until eventually, we made it.

Standing at more than 4,500 metres in the Peruvian Andes, knowing how difficult it had been to get there, is something I'll never forget.

Looking back, the Lares Trek remains one of the most personally rewarding travel experiences I have ever had.

Not because it was luxurious. It certainly wasn't.

Not because it was easy. It absolutely wasn't.

It was because it challenged me.

There is an enormous sense of satisfaction that comes from discovering you are capable of doing something you weren't entirely convinced you could do.

The magnificent Andean scenery was part of the experience, but so were the freezing nights, the aching legs, the altitude, the laughter, the encouragement from fellow trekkers and those wonderful encounters with local families along the way.

Sometimes the travel experiences that stay with us the longest aren't necessarily the easiest ones. They're the ones that ask a little more of us.

Would I Recommend the Lares Trek?

Absolutely — for travellers looking for an adventure and something a little different from the more familiar Peru experience.

You don't need to consider yourself a fitness fanatic, but you do need to be prepared for the physical challenge, the altitude and some fairly basic conditions along the way.

For me, that was all part of it.

The Lares Trek gave me spectacular scenery, an insight into life in the Peruvian Andes and one of my proudest travel moments.

And when things became difficult?

One foot in front of the other.

Sometimes, that's all it takes.