Focus ireland Machu Picchu trek

SpaceCowb0y

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone is planning on doing this any time soon or if anyone who has done it before has any information on the trip. Thinking of registering for the trek next May to give myself time to train and raise the funds.

Things i'd like to know more about:

Exactly what level of fitness do you need for this trek? I've done a few hill walks over the years but never consistently. The biggest hike i've ever done was Lugnaquillla and i was wrecked after it ha.

Do you need much money for the trip itself, i know the funds raised pay for most things, flights, accommodation and meals etc but what other expensses do you have when you actually get to Peru?

I guess most importantly what did you enjoy/not enjoy about the experience? I have wanted to visit Machu Picchu for years and think the charity treks are a great way to do it and also give something back. My unlce is from Peru and i'd love to see the places he has spoken about.

Bad_alibi

If the funds raised pay for the fights, accommodation & meals what part goes towards the charities. The main issue I have with "these" charity trips is what your really doing when you sponsor it is you funding personal trips/holidays for the people taking part.

Mango Joe

If you want to raise money for charity fair play and best of luck. Find something local and you'll deserve our recognition and respect.

If you want to bring your current hobbies to exciting new international destinations and have the trekking holiday of a lifetime them please pay for it yourself because people are getting very tired of being socially obliged into paying awkwardly for this type of utter, utter nonsense.

Do you also work for Rehab by any chance?

PS Sorry to be harsh, someday in retrospect you may thank me for saving you from revealing and embarrassing yourself in front of family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.....

SpaceCowb0y

Over €2000 of the funds raised goes to the charity apparently. I was planning to put at least 1000 toward it myself, thought it would be a decent thing to do. why not raise some money while going on a trip? Do people really view these events that badly?:o

The Bishop Basher

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Do people really view these events that badly?:o

Yes.

People are understandably dubious of any kind of charity at the moment...

But this is taking the piss...

"How much do I need to raise ? - Focus Ireland are asking you to raise €5,300 to trek to Machu Picchu. The cost of this expedition is
€3,299. In total the amount that goes to help people who are homeless is €2,001."

https://www.focusireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/machu-picchu-FAQs.pdf

Why not raise €5300 doing something worthwhile for others and give it all to Focus Ireland ? Because as it stands, you're just asking people to pay for your holiday under the guise of charity...

SpaceCowb0y

That's fair enough then. I see people doing these the whole time and never really thought of it like that i suppose. i actually just looked and can do a 21 day expedition including Machu Picchu for €999 with tucan travel which is what i was planning to contribute myself so i'll probably look into that instead if these treks are viewed so poorly.

The Bishop Basher

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

That's fair enough then. I see people doing these the whole time and never really thought of it like that i suppose. i actually just looked and can do a 21 day expedition including Machu Picchu for €999 with tucan travel which is what i was planning to contribute myself so i'll probably look into that instead if these treks are viewed so poorly.

Great price...

Does pose the question though...

If you can do it independently for €999 why does it cost €3299 when doing it through Focus Ireland.

Might be perfectly legit but that's a substantial difference..

Anyway, best of luck with the plans..

Would be an incredible trip...

Alun

Swanner wrote: »

If you can do it independently for €999 why does it cost €3299 when doing it through Focus Ireland.

€999 surely doesn't include flights though does it?

The Bishop Basher

Alun wrote: »

€999 surely doesn't include flights though does it?

A quick check on Skyscanner has flights to Cusco or Lima from about €700 in May.

So even if we were to pay €900 for flights and add that to the €999, it's still €1400 less then doing it through the charity...

Something doesn't add up here...

Maybe the charity lays on lots of extras like red carpets and champagne receptions when you get to the top :rolleyes:

Bad_alibi

I've done the trip on my own back. It's excellent and well worth doing. I organised it all once we were over. One thing you'll have be aware of his you have to book you ticket/trail access. You can't just go up whenever you want. They have a website and make sure it's the official one your booking on.

Bad_alibi

It's booked out at the moment until middle of November.

SpaceCowb0y

Bad_alibi wrote: »

It's booked out at the moment until middle of November.

Do you have the link to the official site?

Bad_alibi

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Do you have the link to the official site?

http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe

SpaceCowb0y

Bad_alibi wrote: »

http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe

Thanks I won't be going until next year so the fact its booked up for now is now issue!

Bad_alibi

It requires a bit of planning you won't decide this week your going next month. If I can find the name of the guide I used I'll send it on (highly recommend)assuming he still does it.

SpaceCowb0y

Bad_alibi wrote: »

It requires a bit of planning you won't decide this week your going next month. If I can find the name of the guide I used I'll send it on (highly recommend)assuming he still does it.

That would be great thanks, did you trek the whole Inca trail to the top? As I said in the previous post it wont be until next year when i go. Probably around May when the weather is good.

Losty Dublin

From the point of view of fundraising, yes they are dear but they provide the man on the street with off the peg stand out fundraising projects and it makes things a lot easier. By all means you can do it for half the cash but it's a lot easier all round to do it centrally; it's easier to fundraise for a specific cash target for a well known charity than it is for a sole person to work a ad hoc basis with no target as such and it increases the monies that they can raise for themselves. Also, it gives people an once in a lifetime chance to do something special; that alone is something special to take in.

Side story. A friend of mine signed up to do a similar charity walk in Nepal or Tibet or some such Asian state a few years ago. There was unrest in the country some weeks before they were to fly out; a hasty revision was called for and Peru was the stand in country

Pat Mustard

Bad_alibi wrote: »

It's booked out at the moment until middle of November.

Also, the Focus Ireland trek does not go via the Inca Trail itself. It is proposed to go via the Salkantay Trail.

There are even further restrictions on access to the Inca Trail.

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Exactly what level of fitness do you need for this trek? I've done a few hill walks over the years but never consistently. The biggest hike i've ever done was Lugnaquillla and i was wrecked after it ha.

If you have a very low level of fitness, you will struggle. You should try to get fitter before you go.

The altitude requires acclimatisation. I've never done the Salkantay trail but the base of operations before starting out on the Inca Trail is Cusco. Cusco is at an altitude of 3,400m, which can give rise to the effects of altitude.

I saw a guy who had asthma going up Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail. He was a fairly fit guy but even so the altitude meant that he was caught for breath. He made it but it was a struggle for him. I am not sure how high the Salkantay Trail goes so I don't know if you would encounter the same problem.

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

Do you need much money for the trip itself, i know the funds raised pay for most things, flights, accommodation and meals etc but what other expensses do you have when you actually get to Peru?

IIRC, Peru was not very expensive.