Lorna’s Inca Adventure

One of our Senior Business Partners here at CCS, Lorna Warmington, recently undertook the challenging Inca Trail in Peru, with the ultimate destination being the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. Not only did she have an incredible adventure, but Lorna and her friend Cheryl also managed to raise £1,639 for Dementia UK, a cause close to Lorna’s heart, as her mum, Vera, sadly lived with the disease for seven years.

A huge well done to Lorna and Cheryl for raising such a fantastic amount.

I finally managed to catch up with Lorna this week to hear all about the South American adventure, and she was clearly still buzzing from the experience as she enthusiastically recounted the tale of the journey.

Here is her story:

“We landed in the Peruvian capital, Lima. From there, it was a two-hour flight to Cusco. That whole journey really took my breath away. For the entire two hours, the view from the plane window was nothing but untouched greenery, endless rain forest stretching as far as the eye could see. I’ve never seen a landscape so completely untouched by humans. It was absolutely incredible.

“We took a day to acclimatise to the altitude in Cusco, which sits over 3,000 metres above sea level. During that time, we visited four impressive Inca sites in the area. The following day, it was time to set off. We began our four-day trek along the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu.

“We started our trek with the Urubamba River flowing beside us. The route covers 42 kilometres over four days, not a great distance in itself, but the altitude and elevation changes make it a real challenge. The first two days are the shorter stretches, but they still involved seven to eight hours of walking each day. Day three was the big one, climbing to over 4,200 metres above sea level. We passed over ‘Paso de la Mujer Muerta’, or in English, ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’. It’s so named because the shape of the mountain resembles a woman lying on her side. Personally, I think ‘Sleeping Woman’s Pass’ would be more fitting, but it’s certainly less dramatic! That third day was the toughest, with the reduced oxygen and constant uphill climb, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and stayed focused on moving forward.

“Although Machu Picchu was the ultimate goal, we actually encountered quite a few Inca sites along the way, something I hadn’t fully appreciated when planning the trip. One evening, we camped atop a mountain, and just below us was a small Inca site known as ‘The Town Above the Clouds’. It was one of many smaller sites scattered along the route. Combined with the untouched jungle surroundings, it was utterly breathtaking.

“On the fourth day, we set off early, around 4 a.m. The first glimpse of Machu Picchu comes as you enter through the Sun Gate. Although it’s still another hour’s walk from there, the anticipation really starts to build. When we reached the site, we spent a few hours with a guide who showed us around and shared insights into the site’s history, including the temples and their purposes.

“After the long trek, it was a relief to board a coach to the train station for the return leg of our journey. We then spent a few days relaxing and enjoying the city of Cusco before heading to the Amazon as an extra bonus, and then heading back to the UK with memories that will last a lifetime.

Having completed this intense South American expedition and returning to the UK, no one would have blamed Lorna for taking it easy for a while. But just three weeks later, she was back in her walking shoes, completing a hike from Winchester Cathedral to Salisbury Cathedral along the Clarendon Way, a 27-mile challenge which she completed in just 10 hours.

This time, she was raising funds for a local children’s hospice, Naomi House & Jacksplace, a charity that CCS supported at Christmas through our gift drive.

Congratulations to Lorna and everyone involved in these incredible challenges. The funds raised will be deeply appreciated by the respective charities.

Lorna had nothing but praise for the guides and the company she used for her South American journey, the same team she had previously used when climbing Kilimanjaro.

If you’re feeling inspired and want to follow in Lorna’s adventurous footsteps, you can find them at discoveradventure.com.