Last week I spent 3 days and 4 nights hiking the Inca Trail through the Andes Mountains in Peru. With the help of the wonderful Alpaca Expeditions, I trekked 27 miles up to 4200m in elevation as I made my way through the ancient footpath culminating in Machu Picchu.
Hiking the Inca Trail was a Bucket List Experience
This was a bucket list experience for me. Seriously, back in 2020 I made a vision board of all the places I wanted to see in my travels. The epic ruins of Machu Picchu was front and center. Building a career and lifestyle where I can take a few days off at a time to go on longer treks has also been a huge priority for me. And now I’ve finally done them both.
I’ve built my business with flexibility that allows me to shift my schedule to accommodate “off the grid” hiking trips like this one. This absolutely never would have been possible for me when I was working in the hospital, and it was one of the reasons I grew to be so resentful of the medical field.
The schedules were so fixed and rigid. There was no room for spontaneity, adventures or vacations that weren’t planned months in advance.
So basically, I want to start of by saying how supremely grateful I am for the life and business that I have created. It hasn’t been easy, and there were so many times I wanted to give up. But moments like these, when I can take 4 full days off in the middle of a random work week, to have a bucket list experience, show me that I’ve created something insanely special.
Hiking the Inca Trail was Intense
Now, hiking the Inca trail is not the same as taking a luxury cruise around the Galapagos or an all inclusive beach vacation. While the views are equally breathtaking, the process of trekking through the Andes is serious, intense and challenging on so many levels.
That’s why I love incorporating experiences like this into my travels. It’s not just passive sightseeing. When you complete a multi day trek through nature, you can’t help but feel changed afterwards.
In this post I want to share with you 3 lessons that I took with me from my 4 days hiking the Inca Trail. I hope to convince you why it’s so worth it to include an experience like this one in your travels.
#1 It’s always worth it to step out of your comfort zone.
I think I must have drown or suffocated in a past life because I have some serious anxiety about altitude. The moment I feel like I can’t breathe normally, I start to panic and convince myself that I’m dying. Earlier in March, I was hospitalized while adjusting to the 9,300ft elevation in Quito. I sat down and cried while trying to summit the 14,000ft volcano Acantanengo in Guatemala.
At some point you’d think I would just give up on the whole high altitudes thing and accept a nice quiet life closer to sea level. Maybe you’d assume that someone who struggles with altitude anxiety probably doesn’t need to spend time in a city at 11,300ft above sea level, hike to a 13,700 ft peak or camp out at 11,800 ft. But unfortunately for me, that’s not how I operate.
As much as I’m afraid of altitude, I have this competing love of the mountains. The fresh, crisp air and winding trails. The jagged peaks and distant glaciers. The 360 degrees of surreal beauty. When I’m hiking in the mountains, I feel expansive. The mountains are my “wide places”, the places that make me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.
I am not interested in letting my fear or anxiety call the shots. 3 years ago when I left medicine, I made an even bigger decision about how I am going to approach life.
I decided that I am not going to let my fear hold me back. I will not shrink down from something I really want to do because of fear. Learning to overcome your fears to experience your greatest desires is something I teach my clients, and therefore it’s imperative to me that I practice it as well.
And let me tell you…. it is ALWAYS worth it to face your fears and get out of your comfort zone. No matter how scary it may seem at the time. No matter how much you may regret the decision initially.
The first night of the hike, I laid awake in my tent, wide eyed with a panic attack. I had chest pain. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was starting to get dizzy. Every part of me wished I had never signed up for this trip. I wanted to wake up the guides and ask them to take me home.
But I somehow made it through that first night, and kept going with the hike.
And by the end of day 2 I remembered WHY it’s always worth it to step outside of your comfort zone.
It’s worth it for the endless views that remind you how BIG the world is.
It’s worth it for the high fives and clapping from your friends when you reach the highest peak.
It’s worth it to wander through the ancient Inca sites that you couldn’t see any other way.
It’s worth it for that feeling of accomplishment when you realize you are NOT the kind of person who lets fear or anxiety stop you. When you realize that YOU can do hard things.
#2 I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
I honestly would not have survived hiking the Inca trail without the physical help, emotional support and companionship of the 10 other brave souls that hiked with me. We were complete strangers on Day 1, making small talk in the van as we drove to the trailhead. But by the end of Day 4, we had formed some pretty inseparable bonds.
On Day 1, I quickly realized I had forgotten to pack a few things (classic Chelsea). One of my group members lent me some coins to pay for the bathrooms, and kept my passport safe and water-free in his dry bag. Subtle, but super supportive.
On Day 2, I struggled hiking to the highest peak, Dead Woman’s Pass. I literally wanted to sit down, throw my trekking poles off the cliff and just wait for a helicopter to rescue me (not sure that would have actually happened). But, another one of the group members stayed back with me, hiking slowly and giving me encouragement and pep talks with each step.
On Day 3, while going to bed, my tent mate made me promise to wake her up if I had another panic attack.
On Day 4, when we had to wake up at 3:30am, the whole crew kept me entertained and laughing while we waited for 2 hours for the check point to open.
Trips like these remind me of how much we all need each other and how important it is to seek out connection with like minded people.
The people I’ve met along my travels have helped me learn to open myself up to authentic connection. And I’ve realized that, in general, the people you surround yourself with play such a vital role in what you go on to accomplish in life. So, make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who are supportive and uplifting to you. It makes a HUGE difference.
#3 Nature + friends= pure, innocent fun
Also as a solo hiker, I can be someone that takes nature very seriously. It’s my place to go out and think deep thoughts, journal, have aha moments and connect deeper to my soul. Nature is obviously a fantastic place for this, but sometimes I forget that nature can be fun and light hearted too. Especially when I am there with a group of friends.
As an ex drinker, and someone who used to rely on alcohol to have fun, I am now always in the search for “fun replacements.” I’m looking for ways to recapture, that child-like bliss of an endless summer night or a school-free snow day. I’m finding new ways to enjoy myself without the dark and sinister impact of alcohol creeping in.
Being in nature with friends is one of my favorite ways to let go of my inhibitions and embrace the type of fun, I used to think I could only access through drinking.
There were so many playful, carefree moments on this trip while hiking the Inca trail.
Wandering around ancient Inca hospitals planking, posing and doing synchronized leaps. Watching llama dogs, herd random a pack of llamas on the trail. (Did you know there was such a thing as llama dogs? I sure didn’t.) Dipping popcorn in hot chocolate. Wearing handmaids tale bonnets while getting fired from a campfire cooking class.
During these 4 days, I got to experience the type of innocent fun of kids at a recess. I got to let my inner child play, laugh and joke and feel safe to be her authentic self.
So, to the 10 strangers turned travel companions and friends, thank you so much for bringing your best selves to these unforgettable 4 days.
Thanks for inspiring me to keep going even when I wanted to break down and quit.
Thanks for sharing this bucket list experience with me and making it all the more magical.
And for everyone else reading this, I encourage you to incorporate some sort of trekking adventure into your next vacation. It’s something you absolutely will not regret.
XO, Coach Chels
