The Beat Experience (first ones there) The first point of contact that we received was from... read more Jeff. He confirmed our hotel pick-up time and what hotel we were staying at. He informed us of what to pack and answered our many questions quickly. We were concerned about the the altitude sickness as we did not have much time in cusco to acclimatize to the altitude before heading up to an even higher altitude. Jeff assured us that the guide will have an oxygen tank and is trained in monitoring signs and symptoms. Our hotel pick-up was at 2:00AM, yes I know it is early but trust me it is worth it! They do this so that you are the first ones there! Everything was very punctual which was very nice, so you knew how the day would go. Once on the road, you make a pit stop to pick up pillows and blankets for the 2hour and 50 min bus ride to the start of the trail. Once parked at the start of the trail it is still DARK! And very cold (make sure you dress in layers!). You can use the washrooms while the driver and your guide (our guide was Noah! He was the best! I will mention him more later) get your morning snack prepare. They have hot drinks, fruits, goodies and a sandwich to give you while they brief you on what to expect. This is where they ask you if you... The first point of contact that we received was from Jeff. He confirmed our hotel pick-up time and what hotel we were staying at. He informed us of what to pack and answered our many questions quickly.

We were concerned about the the altitude sickness as we did not have much time in cusco to acclimatize to the altitude before heading up to an even higher altitude. Jeff assured us that the guide will have an oxygen tank and is trained in monitoring signs and symptoms.

Our hotel pick-up was at 2:00AM, yes I know it is early but trust me it is worth it! They do this so that you are the first ones there! Everything was very punctual which was very nice, so you knew how the day would go. Once on the road, you make a pit stop to pick up pillows and blankets for the 2hour and 50 min bus ride to the start of the trail.

Once parked at the start of the trail it is still DARK! And very cold (make sure you dress in layers!). You can use the washrooms while the driver and your guide (our guide was Noah! He was the best! I will mention him more later) get your morning snack prepare. They have hot drinks, fruits, goodies and a sandwich to give you while they brief you on what to expect. This is where they ask you if you will need a horse or not.

For the horse, you can get a horse round trip which is 80 soles or 60 soles one way. You must tell the locals if you want a round trip right away. My friend chose to do roundtrip because she wasn’t adjusting very well. I did one way that way I could keep up with the horse on the way up which would be the harder part and hike and take my time and take photos on the way down. That would also get us to the view point faster so we can catch the sunrise.

Our guide Noah, was incredible! He kept checking up on us making sure we were feeling good even though he was on foot (almost jogging) while we were on horse. He also took photos and videos for us while we were on the horses as you need both hands on the saddle at all times since the horses ride right along the edge.

You come to a point where the horses are no longer allowed up and you MUST go on foot. It is a STEEP climb. Take your time. I was able to go a faster pace than my friend so Noah had said for me to go ahead and he will stay with my friend. As I look back I see him constantly comforting her and reassuring that she is okay and that she can do it. That made me feel comfortable to go ahead and explore on my own and the best part! I was one of the first few people at the top!

Once at the top the views make it so worth the hike! It is so incredibly beautiful! There are no words to describe it. Some people Say “oh it’s not as bright as the photos or it’s dull” you have to remember that it is a naturally occurring beauty. There are no dyes or additives to make tourists like ourselves happy. The preserve it as natural as they can.

I want to thank Noah for make our experience so special and so memorable! I will be talking about this forever! Tell stories about this day to my kids and to my grandkids and hopefully one day also take them here! More read less