Wednesday 28 February 2024

Special Edition - Machu Picchu Recruitment Drive


After posting my Feb 23rd - 2024 Mini Series # 3 - Sept Long Walk Decision I directly contacted 6 blogpost readers to gauge their level of interest should Paulo and I book the KAdventures Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek. 

I considered them prime Tier 1 candidates i.e. best bets to join the walk. Sometimes you have to take matters in your own hands to make something happen...I am so very happy I did just that.

The responses (5 out of 6 so far) were both gratifying, illuminating, inspiring, touching 🥲 and instantly raised my hopes for meeting the 6 person KAdventures minimum participation ☺️. 

Their edited (names replaced by XYZ to protect the innocent) responses are shown in the order they were received.

I also received 3 responses from friends of the blog not in either Tier 1, 2 or 3 whom I did not contact directly. Most thankful for their comments!

However one must always have alternate plans should Machu Picchu not materialize and in this case Plan B - Via Francigena (Lucca to Rome through Tuscany), Plan C - Camino Invierno & Camino Inglis and Plan D - Camino Norte (Ribadesella to Santiago de Compostela).

Over the next while as time from my exceptionally busy schedule permits 😉 I will flesh out in detail Plan B...daily stages, accommodation possibilities, ~ Euro costs, flights etc. 

Come early to mid May Paulo and I will simply have to make a decision.

Now here are those gratifying responses...

Friend of the blog #1 - Short, sweet to the point...suspect he really wants to go

“Well well well. Good to hear from you Guy. Just to put your mind at ease a wee bit, I did get your last blog and after “skimming” and saw the pictures of a) the near death for sure paths and b) you latest hairdo!, I was left with a no fricken way will I join you in Peru!🤪😘”

Friend of the blog #2 - Friendly response...clearly on the fence and is being cagey

“Great to hear from you both. While the idea of an XYZ reunion sounds wonderful, doing so in Peru is probably not in the cards for me either.”

Friend of the blog #3 - Trying desperately to one up my blogpost hairdo picture...reading between the lines there is still much hope

It’s not my fault if this anonymous blog reader sent me a picture which may allow some to guess his identity...he should know better 🤣

“Shoot and I got the haircut ready just for this



But seriously, Guy guessed correctly, I will hopefully be in Sweden in August for the World Masters Athletics Championships. XYZ and I will be in France in September.  She has a former student representing Canada in a world skills competition.“

Friend of the blog #4 - An amazing dissection of my blogpost although he played somewhat loosely with the truth...more below. Almost a certain Machu Picchu trek participant!!!

"Good to hear from you, even if it's an attempt to lure me to an early grave. 

Now, regarding your invitation to go stomping through the heights of Peru... May I politely suggest, if you ever decide to head back to the working world, that you avoid applying for any positions in sales or marketing. Let's loosely follow your sales pitch to recruit fellow wilderness walkers. 

I'll give you credit for opening strong with "UNESCO World Heritage Site designation was conferred in 1983. In 2007 Machu Picchu (Peru) was designated as one of the 7 Wonders of the New World along with Petra (Jordan), The Great Wall of China (China), Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Chichen Itza (Mexico), The Colosseum in Rome (Italy) and the The Taj Mahal (India)."

I started to become suspicious with "this is an achievable challenge for any regular hill-walker" which, to someone who lives on the flattest land on the planet, already sounds challenging.

Then there was "Interestingly the Choquequirao to Machu Picchu walk is ranked as more difficult (note weather cannot be forecast 😩) than the Wainwright UK Coast to Coast walk." Also interestingly, I recall your mad struggles through part of your UK trek. And this is MORE difficult?

And then there was the clincher: "The entire 9 days of the Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek rate in the top 10 most challenging of all walking days!". I suspect what's left unsaid is that 911 calls for an emergency airlift will (a) not work because of cell coverage and/or (b) not be possible because the mountain air is too thin for helicopters.

So, after an appropriate number of nanoseconds of consideration, I think I'll decline the enticement and stay closer to home, writing my book and slapping my forehead at either your humorous posts or death-defying antics.“

I wrote back and provided the following Feb 23rd blogpost comment which he simply omitted from his reasoning... I also mentioned that I might use his comments in a future blogpost but would of course protect his anonymity.

"However the mitigating crucial factor...which I experienced in our (Dad, Marc and me) 1996 Nepal trek is that very experienced people are leading the trek. KAdventures has run a number of treks a year for the past 10 years. They know and plan out appropriate breaks...they help pace their trek participants."

His final reply.

"I’m not concerned about anonymity, so feel free to re-publish my comments. Anything to potentially save other lives. 😃”

Friend of the blog #5 - Oui c’est en français mais vous pouvez simplement utilizer “Google Translate”. Les chances sont bonnes que #5 va nous rejoindre au Peru 🤔

"Salut Guy, 

Super nouvelles. I follow your steps on Instagram😅.

Content de savoir que tu vas bien et que tu es bien occupé. Tu as bien raison, la vie est courte. Il faut profiter à fond. C'est intéressant ce projet de marche jusqu'au Machu Picchu, je ne savais pas si je pourrais être avec vous, mais pourquoi pas???? 

On se tient au courant et l'on voit comment évoluent les choses 🙌🏻

Take care my pelegrim friend”

Responses received from blogpost readers who were not contacted directly. All such responses were nice to receive.

Friend of the blog #6

"October 13 is my birthday so it would be a wonderful birthday present to myself to find myself in South America but I’ll have not long been returned from completing my 2020  birthday present Camino - can’t help you, sorry”

Friend of the blog #7

"Ha ha. I had lunch with XYZ on Friday and we both think you are nuts. However at least you have Paulo to look after you as well as the guides. Hope it works out for you.”

Friend of the blog # 8

“Guy, we look to you so we can live vicariously with your adventurous walks around the world.  You are a great blog writer.  I hope that not too much has come from your imagination…..vicious wild animals, towering heights, and torrential downpours.  😊”

Finally I curl twice a week in what I refer to “Old Foggies Curling League”...great fun and yes I consider myself an Old Foggie...but one who likes to walk. In our game yesterday two members of the opposing team who are blogpost readers/skimmers casually asked about the Machu Picchu trek. Again reading between the lines no question they are seriously interested. 

It would be fun to have them along as from a stature point of view they are somewhat a Mutt and Jeff scenario.





Tier 2 Candidates - Feb 23rd blogpost identified 5 other potential trekkers. I will wait a while before deciding whether to contact them directly. The reason is simple...maximum trek participants is 16. I do not want to create a big problem considering I see the following scenario unfolding. 

Note: In my working career there was little room for creative assumptions...so freeing to be retired ☺️

  • 3 - Paulo, me and other confirmed booking, then...
  • 5 - Tier 1 candidates ultimately decide to book...just playing possum at the moment...Confidence Level Very High
  • 2 - Mutt & Jeff from Old Foggie curling....Confidence level High
  • 2 - Other Old Foggie curling members hear about this and they want in...Confidence level Medium - High
  • 2 - Unknown Blog Readers...Confidence level Medium 
  • 1 - One of the two lunch participants from Friends of the blog #7 above...Confidence level Medium
For anyone counting that equals 15...so why not go for the max sweet 16?

I would then consider contacting Dennis (I know I said no names but we go way, way, way back) my Tier 3 candidate who on our Thames River Walk was constantly wanting the red wagon for transportation. A few pictures somewhat illustrate why this particular walk may not be Dennis's cup of tea.  Confidence level Zero to Extremely Low


 


Onwards and upwards to Machu Picchu!