Julie took on Trek Peru after a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She gives us a peek inside the diary she took during the trip and shares what the experience meant to her.
Julie took on Trek Peru after a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She gives us a peek inside the diary she took during the trip and shares what the experience meant to her.
Trekking for Breast Cancer Care just seemed like the right choice
I wanted to help people who had cancer and do something amazing at the same time.
In 2014 I had an ovarian cancer scare that left me deciding that I would live life to the full. I had decided many years ago to do trek to Machu Picchu for charity, but I wasn’t sure which charity to choose.
I chose Breast Cancer Care after my friend Carole was diagnosed with breast cancer while living in New Zealand.
I have known Carole since I was 17. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when her son was just three years old. The treatment that she had to go through sounded really hard. But she was really brave, and has since returned to work and is doing really well. I wanted to show my support by doing this trek for Breast Cancer Care.
My diary
I met some really lovely people and we had such an amazing experience together.
Day 1–3: Exploring Cuzco
On the morning of our arrival we noticed lots of people and the army going into town. There was a huge festival in the square. We really felt we had really arrived in Peru when we saw it.
We also visited a school before starting our trip. The children were a delight. Some of them had never seen a photo of themselves before, so every photo was shown to them that we took.
It was lovely to see them just wait patiently to see the photo or have a balloon blown up for them.
Day 4–6: Hiking from Wayllabamba - Winay Wayna
We climbed to about 4,500m above sea level over several days. It was truly amazing each day to reach the summit!
We met locals walking up and down mountains with their dog and horses, as if on their Sunday stroll.
And the food the trail guides cooked for us was amazing. It wasn’t just dinner but three-course lunches that were cooked for us half way up a mountain.
Day 7–8: Trekking to Machu Picchu
We had an early start, which we did every day to be fair. But don’t worry, you don’t really notice it because of the time difference – waking at 4am is equivalent to waking at 9am GMT.
We had a steep uphill climb and trekked through the Cloud Forest, which is more of a jungle, and passed by a waterfall. We then began to head to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. It’s a beautiful stretch of trail that takes you past lots of ruins and up some steep flights of steps.
We climbed what must have been several thousand steps before finally entering the Sungate, to see Machu Picchu shimmering in the sunlight below.
It was so quiet and still when we reached the Lost City, the views were just breathtaking. We were all very emotional and sat taking in the view of the Lost City for half an hour at least, before finding that last bit of energy to walk the final few steps to the site. I was really proud to have achieved something so incredible with such a wonderful group of people.
After spending the day exploring the site, we returned to Cuzco by train and bus.
Day 8–10: Return to Cuzco and London
We returned to Curzo and explored the city some more, before flying back to London with tales from the trek and smiles on our faces.
If you're inspired by Julie's story, find out more about Trek Peru and how you can also join us for the hike of your life.