In one short month we will be embarking on our first ever trek to Machu Picchu. Fausto, of course wanted to do the 4 days hike on the Inca road, traversing the well-worn path that leads to the ancient city. I on the other hand have many misgivings. We don’t camp or hike or embrace nature in general (unless you count walking around Central Park on the weekend). We are definitely city folks, so this feels like going from beginners to experts to me.

While Fausto is taking a very laid back approach to all this, I am busy training and preparing. What training you ask? I’ve been pretending like I live in a walk-up and take 6 flights of stairs whenever I leave the house. Aside from that, we do some minimal exercise everyday. Does this make me ready for the gruesome 8 hour/day hike in high altitude? Probably not, hence the freaking out on my part.

Recently, I started looking into the different gear that we will need to get. On top of the physical exertion, I am also concern about the frigid temperature at night. After some research, I’ve settled on the UA Base 4.0 legging and top. It’s supposed to keep you warm in extreme cold conditions. The challenging part is trying to track down winter gear in late spring when all the stores have switched their stuff to summer….why oh why do I always shop for the wrong season? Finally I found the one store with my size, it should come in a week or so, can’t wait to test it out.

Next we will start looking into hiking shoes an socks. Did you know that hiking socks are super expensive? Another thing we didn’t know.

Here is the list in progress of things that we’ll need to get for this trip:

• Hiking shoes 
• Hiking socks 
• Cold gear
• Gaiters 
• Sunscreen 
• Hiking stick – rent in Cuzco 
• Sleeping bag – rent in Cuzco 
• Rain Poncho – buy in Cuzco 

With much trepidation and also excitement, I prepare for this trek of a life time. Let’s hope I don’t fall off the side of the mountain. If you have any tips or helpful advice, please don’t forget to share in the comment below.