INCA TRAIL TOP TIPS:
Make sure you acclimatise! The Inca Trail reaches a height of 4,215m above sea level, pretty high. Make sure you give your body time to adjust to the new altitude. We only gave ourselves one day in Cusco (3,400m) before our tour started, but we could've done with slightly longer. Myself and my friend were both lucky and dealt with the altitude at Cusco okay, we felt out of breath doing 10 steps up a slight hill, but that is totally normal! Fitness levels don't really affect altitude sickness, it's just down to luck and the amount of time your body takes to get used to it. However, some older couples we met gave themselves a week in Cusco to acclimatise, as apparently the older you are the longer it can take you to acclimatise. If you don't feel right in Cusco, you can pop into a pharmacy and pick up some medicine, or you can visit your doctor and get an acetazolamide prescription before you go, just in case. All the hotels in Cusco should have oxygens tanks at reception, if it affects you this badly you will have to talk to your guide and a medical expert about whether it's sensible for you to do The Inca Trail.
Do not overpack! Each company gives you a different weight allowance, for us (with G Adventures) the porters could carry up to 6kg of our belongings (this included sleeping bag and sleeping mat) and you have to carry the rest. Believe me, you do not want a heavy day bag! You have little to no access to your duffel bag throughout the day so make sure you pack what you need in your day bag, in my packing list below I have written DB next to the items I carried/wore in the day).
Treat your feet like royalty! Make sure you have at least one pair of good walking socks per day, whether they are sweaty or wet, they are not comfortable to wear again. I had lightweight walking boots for this trek and they were great. They went up slightly over my ankles so gave me a bit of added support, as well as keeping the rain out and my feet dry. I also bought a waterproof spray which I used prior to my trip, which definitely helped. Our porters gave us a bowl of warm water every evening of trek to bathe our feet it. It was heavenly!
Don’t think you are too good for walking poles! They are very helpful with the steep inclines and declines. As well as taking up to 20% of your body weight from your legs, they also work your arms, shoulders, chest and upper back muscles, so walking turns into a full body workout! Two poles are definitely better than one. You will not need them for every section of the walk so if you have a strap/carabiner you can attach them to your day bag when you don't need them. When walking on flat terrain, your arms should be at right angles holding the poles, putting opposite leg and pole forward at the same time. When going downhill, you need to extend your poles slightly, and when going uphill, you need to shorten your poles slightly. It takes a while to get used to, but you will get the hang of it along the way, we definitely grew to love them!
Waterproof! Waterproof! Waterproof! When it rains, it pours. I made sure all of my belongings in the duffel bag the porters carried were inside a bin bag, and I also put a bin bag in my day bag. It worked a treat! Also waterproof coats don’t stay waterproof in 3 hours of torrential rain! If you are going in rainy season, make sure you buy a decent poncho (you can buy these in Cusco or off Amazon), they may be ugly but boy did they keep the smiles on our faces.
Listen to your body! Altitude and exercise affects everyones bodies in different ways. If you don't feel right, listen to your body. If you need a 5 minute sit down, give yourself one. Your tour guide will have an oxygen tank and will give you some if they feel you need it. It is very rarely used, but it is reassuring knowing it is there if you do need it.