[fimbulvetr]

That's right. Before I went, I spent at least a 18 months hiking trails in Colorado with similar profiles to the one we'd do on the 1 day Inca trail which led to a 2nd day at MP. I also ski a decent amount every year here in CO.

I can say with certainty that it wasn't enough to keep up with our Inca guide or even to tackle the hike with no complaints. While I'm sure it helped considerably to prepare for months ahead of time, I personally feel that there's some other unquantified difference between here and there that makes it just a bit harder. But try it and let me know if it was just a walk in the park. Just don't drink the coca tea the night before you start your hike like I foolishly did.

We also did hyanu piccu, which is absolutely amazing and an additional hike that is like a sprint at the end of a difficult race. It doesn't take long, but at the very least can give you a great carido workout.