Basic trekking tips in the Andes

Basic Trekking tips

Travelers should follow this basic trekking tips for a memorable and pleasant experience hiking with Top Peru Trips. Trekking in the Andes will be so easy for some people. But not the same everybody, if you are going to hike in the high altitude. Here is some of the basic trekking tips you must consider!

• For the people who just arrived from the low altitude places. We strongly suggest to spend 2 or 3 days in Cusco to get acclimated. So you can manage better the altitude sickness. Before you trekking on the mountains.
• Eating light food helps a lot with you acclimatization. Because in the  high altitude your digestion process will be very slow. Also sometimes you will lose your appetite.
• Re-hydration is very important point, for this reason you should drink a lot of water and some electrolytes. Avoid drinking alcoholic drinks.
• Coca tea helps with the altitude sickness. But it contains a lot of caffeine and calories. So we recommend you drinking it no more than 3 times a day. Not in the evening because it keeps you awake.
• If you feel any symptoms of altitude (headache and fast heart beating). Is better to take long rest (sleep) not doing any exercises.
• In the Andes trails usually go up and down. So we highly recommend using walking poles. Especially for people who have knee and ankle problems.
• If you are doing a multi-day hikes. Ask always to the guide for an early start, because the weather in the morning is normally nice (good views). Even better up on the mountains. If you have slow rhythm you will have plenty of time to arrive to the lunch spot or to the campsite.
• If you are not an expert hiker, the best thing you can do is following your own rhythm. Not pushing yourself; the idea is to make it to the campsite without any problem.
• Short breaks after some minutes of walking helps to catch up your breath. Especially for the uphill places, do not follow the fast hikers or the local people. Remember the higher you go there will be less oxygen to breath.
• For some reason, if you have got altitude sickness, and you are still carrying on the trail. Do not eat much, hot drinks help a lot, wear warm clothes and lay down.
• Diamox is the most prescribed medicine use by travelers for the altitude sickness. But sometimes it does not work very well. So the Peruvian guides have always the emergency tablets for this problem (Sorochi pills) you should talk to the guide and ask one.
• For any of the treks in the Andes we strongly suggest having a pre-departure briefing with the guide. It is very important to know where are you going? What do you need to take? Make sure you have all the essential things required for the trek.
• Most of the treks in the Andes of Cusco require a good acclimatization to the altitude. But the case of Ausangate trek is even much more harder hiking route.