BEHIND THE PHOTO – The Intersection of Inspiration and Intimidation

And how one hike can be both.

Peruvian Andes. April 2019.

This was our first up close view of the Andes on the second day of our trip to Peru in April 2019. We’d already been treated to incredible and colorful landscapes in Cusco and its surrounding countryside, but just a few hours on foot from this point is where we would officially kick off our five-day hike over the Salkantay Pass and onto Aguas Calientes, home of Machu Picchu.

Clearly, its beauty was striking, but coupled with the mountain’s crisp thin air, it was quite literally breathtaking.

The beauty of Humantay’s snowcapped peaks, boosted our anticipation to get started, but also spurred some mild anxiety about the sheer scope of the challenge ahead of us. We had prepared. Hours on the step machine and steep inclines on the treadmill – but was the preparation any match for days of sustained hiking, climbing thousands of feet in elevation, and a 15,000-foot peak?

We may never know if it was the months of preparation, the sheer magnificence of the views, or the curiosity about what was around each bend in the trail, but five days and forty miles later we arrived at our destination. Over that time, we hiked through multiple ecosystems, engaged in countless trailside conversations, and tried the local cuisine of pisco sours, quinoa, and guinea pig, and it all started here - at the intersection between inspiration and intimidation.