Kelly Isfan and the Inca Trail

Posted by C. Richard Campbell on Dec 09, 2017

Story by: C. Richard Campbell

Photographs from: Kelly Isfan and Rotary Archives

December 4, 2017

Our Kelly Isfan has a taste for adventure. The Port Dover resident is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Norfolk General Hospital in Simcoe and West Haldimand Hospital in Hagersville. When she relaxes with a glass of wine with a friend from Atikokan in northern Ontario, they decide to climb the Inca trail in Peru. What's next, the great wall of China, Nepal or the Egyptian pyramid of Giza. This story should read like a Canadian ~~Indiana~~ Ontario Jones script.

It wouldn't be the first glass or two to launch an adventure. At our Rotary meeting Kelly shared her story, humor and photographs with the club. The photographs from the digital projector were stunning and there was actually gasps from the audience. Wait a minute, maybe it was heartburn!

Kelly and her friend landed in Lima with a population of about 10,000,000. They travelled to the assembly point and took on the Inca trail.

There is little relieve. It just keeps going up and up and up. But the scenery is simply stunning or .... please hold while I find Uncle Harry's Thesaurus. Ah, here it is, a substitute ... spectacular. To add to the constant exertion, there is the reduced oxygen level available for breathing as you climb higher and higher. Altitude sickness is a real concern as the elevation keeps rising.

Kelly commented that it was one of the hardest things she has done. Walking uphill and gasping for air, you must be fit. From the photographs, portions of the trail do not have a lot of width. So if you are clumsy, do not book this trip. And if your wife books the trip exclusively for you and reminds you to update your will, become suspicious.

More of Kelly's personal photographs are on the next page!

This trail is steep and probably more suited for the Alpacas.

The trek is about to begin.

If my memory is correct, this is Dead Woman's Pass! Actually quite a lively place.

This is Machu Picchu!

Hopefully Kelly will share her next international adventure with us.

This is What Wikipedia Has To Say About The Inca Trail

"Cusco stands at 3,200 metres (10,499 feet) and is already significantly higher than Machu Picchu itself, however, many sections of the Inca Trail are much higher.

Starting at 2,600 metres (8,530 feet), the trail ascends to 3,300 (10,823 feet) on the first day. The second day ascends over Dead Woman's pass- the highest point on the Inca Trail at 4,200 metres(13,780 feet. This is the most dangerous point in terms of altitude sickness, however, you do not spend long at this elevation and by the afternoon you'll be back at 3,600 metres(11,811 feet).

The trail only descends from this point until you reach Machu Picchu at 2,430 metres (7,972 feet)."

If you like to fiddle with mathematics; Simcoe, Ontario, Canada is at 735 feet above sea level.