CORNWALL, Ontario – Four Cornwall women are off to Peru for once-in-a-lifetime adventure in the fabled and ancient capital of Cuzco and the lost city of Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in the Internet poll in 2007.
An increasing number of tourists and visitors from around the world are now being drawn to Peru’s wide variety of attractions, archaeological treasures and stunning sceneries.
“I have a long bucket list and in sharing this list, I saw that others are also interested in similar explorations,” said Cathy Chumley, 47, an employee of Bayshore Home Health.
Joining her will be Kathy Maguire, 57, of Children’s Aid Society of SD and G, Glenna Redmond, who works for Dr. Steven Bacher and Veronica Langlois, 66, who used to work for St. Lawrence College.
Chumley started planning the trip to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
It is a tangible evidence of the existence of the urban Inca Empire at the peak of its power and achievement.
This citadel of cut stones is fit together without mortar so tightly that its cracks still can’t be penetrated by a knife blade.
The vast complex of palaces and plazas, temples and homes may have been built as a ceremonial site, a military stronghold or a retreat.
These ruins lie on a high ridge, surrounded on the three sides by the windy, turbulent Urubamba River some 2,000 feet below.
Scholars are still striving to uncover clues to the mysteries hidden high on the eastern slopes of the Andes mountain range.
When Machu Picchu was built more than 500 years ago, the Inca had no iron, no steel, and no wheels.
It is believed fewer than a thousand people lived in Machu Picchu, which offers the most intriguing destinations on the planet.
All four Cornwall know each other through the Cornwall Outdoor Club.
“We all share the joy of hiking and being outdoors,” said Chumley. “We all love to hike no matter where it is.”
In past years, the friends have hiked in the Adirondacks, Smokey Mountains and the Canadian Rockies.
“One thing we all love about hiking is anyone can do it,” Chumley explained. “It’s not a competition but a desire to challenge oneself to the elements, the terrain, as well as it can be a spiritual journey of healing and accomplishment, building confidence and simply exercise to maintain good health.”
No matter what speed, shape of fitness, she added, they all accomplish the same goal.
One of her favorite quotes is by Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, who was among the first to conquer Mount Everest.
This quote:” It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
The entire adventure has been organized by G Adventures, who specialize in adventure travel.
“We all have been training for the trip in different ways.”
The four will live for Peru September 8 and return home September 17.
“We are all worried about altitude,” Chumley said.
They will be at one point over 13,500 feet.
Chumley said everyone reacts differently every time at high altitude as it does not depend on one’s fitness level.
Slow pace, she insisted, is the best help to reaching high altitude.
The peak of Huayna Picchu is 8,920 feet above sea level or about 1,180 feet higher than Machu Picchu.
“This hike is not included in any of the guided trips due to the danger of the ledges,” said Chumley. “We had to book it on our own.”
A few years back Chumley and Maguire successfully completed the 18-day trek in the shadow of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.
Chumley and Maguire are also planning to scale the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, in the next two years.
