Cycle Machu Picchu to the Amazon

Level of Difficulty

The Cycle Machu Picchu to the Amazon Challenge is graded as Tough. A good level of fitness and regular training is required for this challenge. The more prepared you are for this challenge, the more you will enjoy it. This challenge will be perfect for keen cyclists, who want to push themselves to the extreme. You can tell your supporters that during your Cycle Machu Picchu to Amazon challenge you will be:

• Cycling an average of 50km-65km per day at high altitude
• Taking on several long steep continuous hills - the longest is a continuous stretch of approximately 35km of ascent
• Camping each night after the daily ride with no home comforts to look forward to
• Battling changing weather conditions from the windy coldy mountain tops, to the warm and wet cloud forest

Money

Currency: Peru uses the Sol as its currency. US Dollars are also widely used in Cusco, but not in the mountains. Please bring dollars rather than sterling if you wish to exchange money in Peru. You should be alert to the possibility of being passed counterfeit USD or local currency by street vendors, so please use your local leaders for their advice on reputable currency bureaux. For up to date currency exchange, go to www.xe.com.

Credit Cards: Credit cards will be used in an emergency, and are also accepted in most hotels and shops in Lima and Cusco. However, you will not be able to use these in the rural areas of the ride.

ATMs: You will find ATMs in both Lima and Cusco. Most of them are located in the airport, the city centre or near banks. Please note that the ATM’s at the airport charge large fees to withdraw money but the ATM’s in the banks in Cusco town don’t.

How much to bring: You will not need a large amount of money during this trip, as most expenses are included. You should only need money for tips, food & drink (additional), gifts and souvenirs. There are a wide range of souvenirs to buy, including rugs, ponchos, and jewellery. On average around £150- £200 + a credit card in case of an emergency, should suffice. Keep in mind that, other than at the start and end of the trip, you will be in the mountains away from any foreign exchanges or banks. We therefore recommend that you carry some cash.

Tipping: Tipping is personal and at your sole discretion. You should only tip if you feel that you have received good service. We recommend approx. US$10 per person per day (approx $70) and this should be given to the challenge leader at the end of the challenge who will distribute it among the support team, including guides, assistant guides cooks, and porters.

Visa

British citizens do not require a visa for Peru. When entering Peru, participants will be asked to fill out a white embarkation card. This piece of paper is very important. You cannot leave the country without a copy; however, if you do happen to lose it you are able to buy another for a small fee on departure. You must hold a full ten-year passport with at least six months to run from the end of your challenge, and at least one blank page for your visa and entry/exit stamps.

Vaccinations

For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS Government website ‘Fit for Travel’ at: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspxb. Malaria precautions are essential only in low-lying rural areas; the risk is minimal in the Cusco region. Avoid mosquito bites by covering up with clothing such as long sleeves and long trousers especially after sunset, using insect repellents on exposed skin and, when necessary, sleeping under a mosquito net. Travellers with heart conditions or high blood pressure should check with their doctors before travelling to high altitude. Please check all vaccination advice with your GP or travel nurse.

Flights

You will be flying from London Heathrow Airport to Cusco via Lima. The flights are booked either with Avianca or LAN airlines. If flying with Avianca, you will be flying from Terminal 2. If you are flying with LAN, you will be flying from Terminal 5.The journey will take approx. 20 hours including stops (Bogota or Madrid and Lima). Internally, you will fly from Lima to Cusco with a local airline. This flight takes approximately 60 mins. Your flight tickets will be issued to you upon departure at the airport. If you choose to book your own flights you must confirm with the Charity Challenge office before paying otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance).

If you are flying with LAN, you may have some time in Madrid airport to make use of the facilities, but please make sure you are at the next departure lounge in plenty of time for the onward flight. Please note that the departure time of your connecting flight is in local time keeping this in mind so that you avoid missing your connecting flight.

IMPORTANT: Madrid Airport conducts strict security checks regarding hand luggage.  As at London Heathrow, in your hand luggage you are only allowed to carry a limited amount of liquid through security control. The liquids will need to be in individual containers with a capacity of no more than 100ml, or 100g in weight. The containers will then need to fit comfortably in a transparent, re-sealable bag measuring no more than 20cm by 20cm. These restrictions include any Duty Free bought at London Heathrow and on your return flight as well. At Lima airport please ensure that you collect your luggage from the luggage belt as you will have to clear customs and then re-check it in for your domestic flight.

Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you have a suitable travel insurance policy whilst participating on the challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge. If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you should complete and return.

For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Group Size

Each Group is intended to be a minimum of 16 people in order to run and a maximum of approximately 30 people. We will be able to run this challenge for 10 to 15 people by charging a small group supplement of £75 which will be added to your final balance invoice (self-funders) or charged to your charity (minimum sponsorship or flexi).

Leadership

We employ a number of first aid qualified challenge leaders, all of whom speak fluent English. They will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Climate

Peru's climate has two seasons – wet and dry – though the weather varies depending on the geographical region. In the Andes there is a dry season (April to October) and a wet season (mid November to March). The average temperature throughout the year goes from 8.5°C (June to August) to 10.8°C (September to May). In the Andes the temperature can drop up to 15º from day to night-time, especially at higher altitudes.  As the trip goes from the Andes to the rainforest you can expect to experience all different types of weather and should be suitably equipped to cover this. Temperatures can likely to go below freezing at night especially at campsites and during the day will be relatively warm making for pleasant hiking weather. Expect some rain, hot sunshine, humid jungle conditions, as well as dry, cold high altitude conditions.

Terrain

You will be cycling through different geographical zones and the terrain will vary. During the first days the terrain will be mountainous with long steep uphill sections. Once you reach the cloud forest the scenery will change and the terrain will still be undulating. Some days you will be cycling on main roads.

Luggage allowance and valuables

As no formal clothes are needed, luggage should be kept to the absolute minimum – details of what to pack are provided in your Kit List. Your main kit bag, or rucksack, must not exceed 23kgs in weight, but for the five days you are away from Cusco you can safely store any excess kit as you will be provided with a separate kit bag for the time you are trekking. Each day, your personal kit will be transported by vehicle to your next campsite, where it will be waiting for you on arrival. You will carry a daypack for your daily needs such as sun cream, water, camera and lightweight waterproofs. For any valuables, safe deposit boxes are usually provided in Cusco and Aguas Calientes for guests’ use in the hotels, but will not be available while camping. Use a padlock on your luggage when in transit to reduce any risks.
While we will do everything to provide adequate safety for the group and security for your possessions, the general rule is that if you don’t need it, don’t bring it. This includes jewellery, necklaces and rings. You must take your passport with you during the trek. It should be kept in a plastic bag to protect it from damp or water damage.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.

Typical day

During the cycling days you rise early and pack up camp after breakfast, then cycle with only your daypack. You can keep this in the support vehicle if you wish. There will be a lunch stop on route. There will be plenty of time to stop and view the remarkable scenery. The evenings are spent in beautifully located camps in the shadows of nearby mountain peaks, where the facilities are fairly good.

Accommodation

In Cusco the accommodation will be in a 3 star standard hotel. In Ollantaytambo you will stay in a 1-2 star family run hostel. During the cycle you will camp in spacious two person tents. If you would like your own room / tent, this can be arranged but there will be a single room supplement. Please let Charity Challenge know if you are travelling with a friend or partner who you wish to share with.

Food & Drink

The meals we provide are nutritionally balanced and well suited to the environment and altitude. Breakfast will usually include cereals, bread, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. Lunches will either be in the form of a snack pack given out at breakfast to be carried in the daypack, or set up along the route, or taken in a local restaurant. Dinner always includes a soup/starter, main course and a dessert. The vegetarian food is excellent. Please let Charity Challenge know prior to departure if you have any dietary requirements or allergies.

Clothing and equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For your cycle challenge, padded cycling shorts and comfortable footwear are essential, and helmets are compulsory throughout. Training with your cycling shorts is definitely advised! You can bring equipment like clip-in pedals or a gel seat, if desired, in order to adapt your bike in country, and we would also recommend technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here, once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners The Outdoor Shop, Outdoorhire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Toilets

Toilet tents are supplied during the challenge. They are set up near the campsite at specific locations away from watercourses. Toilet paper is provided. You will be provided with warm water for washing. A portable toilet will be set up at all meal stops and camps. During the cycling days they will be some toilet stops organized along the way.

Phone and WiFi

During your stay in Cusco you will have good WiFi access and phone signal. On camping days there will be no WiFi and phone signal will be extremely limited.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of its participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. In a nutshell, Our Challenge Safe brand (link to Challenge Safe page on new website) formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the activity itself. Your welfare is paramount!

In terms of your Cycle Machu Picchu to the Amazon Challenge, there are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• The route is quite exposed, with almost no shade, and on sunny days the temperatures can soar. You should ideally be wearing sun cream, and hydrating constantly throughout the ride!
• You will be cycling at altitude throughout, which may have an affect on certain medical conditions
• The brakes on your bike will be the opposite way to normal. Be aware of this and ensure that you test them softly in order to become accustomed before starting the ride.
• You will be cycling on some dirt roads, but also tarmac roads that can have more car users. Remember that in Peru you will be cycling on the right, and always signal when turning.
• Smoke alarms are not a legal requirement in Peru, and as such some of the hotels we use do not have them in place. Your leader will explain the emergency fire procedures to you.

Emergencies

The event is not run as a race and there is always a large discrepancy in people’s walking abilities. This is allowed for. There will be a staff member at the back of the group at all times to ensure that you are not left behind and can take things at your own pace. In the event of an emergency on Machu Picchu, all guides and leaders are maintaining contact via radio, and the backup vehicle will not be far away. If somebody is unable to walk at all, then we can transport him or her from one location to the next.

Training

Training and fitness is definitely required. It is important that you work specifically on your stamina, leg and joint strength, and balance in order to get as much out of the challenge as possible. The cycle takes place in a hilly environment, so the best training advice is to get outdoors and do some long cycles in the hills around your area. Try and cycle for at least 2 consecutive days in the run-up to the challenge, and if you can do any more this will also really help. Although you will be able to put all of your equipment on the support vehicle during the challenge, it’s a good idea to train while carrying a bag or panniers, in order to make it easier for yourself when you no longer need to carry the weight.