Inca Trail- strenuous on arms/upper body?

[walnut19]

Hi,

I am going on the Amazon to the Andes trip and wanted to know if the inca trail or any part of the trip is especially strenuous for the upper body- or is it mainly just hiking/lower body work? I will be 12 weeks after a shoulder operation and am cleared to go on the trip but was wondering if i would need to be pulling myself up/climbing/etc for this trip. Thanks.

Ben

[ballu]

I'd say more lower body...ankles and knees will take a beating. You'll have porters to carry your tents etc., you only have to carry what you'll need while hiking in your daypack so as long as you can handle that you should be good. The trail is well established.

[TravelFun]

Hi Ben, the Inca Trail is pure hiking and there's no pulling or climbing required but you do have to carry your own day pack. Some days are long (well was for me because I'm one of the slower hikers) and make sure you pack light. Is there anything you can do to support your shoulder from carrying your pack or will that be fine?

[Janice08]

One thing I did was get a good quality large fanny pack (10 - 12 litres) with a good padded hip belt. I used it for all the heavier things I was carrying - water, camera, first aid kit, snacks, etc., and the used a cheap school-type day pack for the bulky stuff - sweater, rain jacket. The day pack rested on the fanny pack and was almost empty so next to no weight was on my shoulders.

Although I'm a big fan of trekking poles, I would recommend only using one. One is great if you need it for balance on slippery or steep rocks. You may not want it in your "bad" hand in case you fall on it and jar your shoulder.

Another thing that will make things a bit easier is to bring or rent a "thermarest" or self inflating sleep pad. They provide closed cell foam ones but the extra padding will give you a better sleep and a lot more padding if your shoulder is sore.

If you want to do the trekk go for it. You may not have another chance and its a great hike.

[collywobbles]

hiya

I did this trip a few years ago. while the trekking was great it was after the trek that the aches and pains began. It was my knees and ankles were worst affected. I found it difficult to walk for a day after the trek. I think what hurt the most was the 2000 steps you climb down on day 3 I think. The steps were quiet big and uneven and this is where you need your poles for support . plenty of water very important. If you don't have poles you can rent them or you can buy the timber poles but they must have the rubber tips. I gave them to my guide after the hike. so yeah keep your backpack light . water snacks camera gear. enjoy the trip and just remember its not a race to see who gets there first

cheers

[IncaTrail50]

You might also want to check with G Adventures and see if it's possible to hire your own porter for the Inca Trail portion if you are really concerned. I thought my daypack was okay weight-wise but it became unmanageable really quickly on day 2 (I am embarrassed to admit). By noon I was relieved of it and it was shared between the guide, my husband, and my daughter *blush*. Day 3 it was back to me. Anyway, there may be options if you are concerned. Ask at G and they will alleviate your concerns. It was an awesome hike...enjoy!