Machu Picchu called my name, and yet I turned aside

In his latest reflection on places and pathways, Will Gore regrets a Peruvian adventure he never had (and a Peruvian meal he wishes he’d avoided)

It’s worth taking a few days off for Machu Picchu and other such wonders (iStock)

Some decent walks require no planning at all.

With the Chilterns almost literally on my doorstep, I can access hills and woods and interesting pathways any time I like. And Britain is small enough that most areas worth exploring are within easy reach: I could get to the Lake District in less than four hours by train; the Brecon Beacons in about the same time by car; and I could catch the sleeper from Euston this evening and be in the Scottish Highlands by the time I wake up.

Hiking further afield takes a bit more effort to arrange. True, there are plenty of European destinations that can be reached cheaply and without too much trouble – but trekking in the Alps probably isn’t something to do for a weekend.

Beyond Europe, things become trickier still, even if the annual queues on Mount Everest suggest otherwise. The basic cost of air travel to non-European destinations can be prohibitive, putting aside any special arrangements needed to reach a particular, potentially remote location to walk or climb in.

This is why I will forever regret my failure to visit Machu Picchu.

The simple fact is, I was presented with the most golden of opportunities about 15 years ago, when I travelled to Peru to take part in a series of conferences and seminars. I had never been to South America before and to be going there for work felt remarkable in itself.

The lure of Machu Picchu is obvious enough. The great Inca citadel, built in the middle of the 15th century, was undiscovered by the Spanish conquistadors and so did not fall prey to those plunderers. Located in the south of Peru at an altitude of nearly 2,500m, its remarkable terraces, temples and culture have drawn visitors for decades. Various walking routes, including the classic Inca Trail, end at the site.

Located in the south of Peru at an altitude of nearly 2,500m, its remarkable terraces, temples and culture have drawn visitors for decades

For my trip, I was scheduled to spend a couple of days in Lima, then head to a town in the north of the country for some further events, before returning to the capital for a final night. All in all, I was due to be away for a week and could very easily have tacked some annual leave on at the end to visit Machu Picchu, or explore other Andean trails.

So why on earth did I not? Frankly, I don’t know. I worried that colleagues would think the whole thing was a jolly, anyway, and I was therefore anxious not to prolong my absence from the office. And I never much liked being away from my other half for too long. Perhaps I was also naive enough not to appreciate that such chances don’t come along every day.

A decade and a half on – and having not yet returned to South America – I could kick myself. Will I ever have the opportunity again? With air travel being burdened with ever more guilt, I wonder.

Then again, if memory serves me well (and in this instance I fear it does), I might reasonably note that on my penultimate day in Peru I ate something which very much did not agree with me. Two days on, I was in no fit state to tackle the Inca Trail – I would, indeed, have besmirched it.

Instead, I just about made it to Jorge Chavez International airport without incident, before boarding an overnight flight to Madrid during which I saw a great deal too much of the aircraft’s lavatory and a great deal too much of the Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner romcom, Rumor Has It.

I wept self-pityingly throughout, and prayed to the Inca gods for deliverance. Some things you can’t plan for.