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PersnickityPenguin t1_j6c25c0 wrote

Well, you can take the train.

I had a friend hike it and its a several day trip. He came down with severe altitude sickness on the last day of the hike and had to leave on a bus so he never saw it.

He was also a very fit mountain climber.

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tsukamaenai t1_j6c630u wrote

You still take the bus up to Machu Picchu if you take the train to Aguas Calientes.

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PersnickityPenguin t1_j6lzdae wrote

Yes, but 25 people just died when their bus fell of a cliff. The entire conversation was about bus alternatives…

Then i mentioned my friend had a hard time hiking it, and that there is actually a train. Trains don’t typically fall off of mountains so…

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couldbutwont t1_j6c4gzr wrote

He was probably just dehydrated as it's not that high in elevation

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MrMonstrosoone t1_j6d06n1 wrote

if you've never been in the Andes for a week from sea level you dont know what you're talking about

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couldbutwont t1_j6deh0d wrote

Allow me my pedantry for a minute.

AMS is most commonly felt above 8k feet. Machu Picchu is lower than that. Not saying it's impossible as some people are more sensitive, but if someone is mountain fit...they can handle that I'd imagine.

I have climbed a few mountains higher than that from sea level living in the PNW, so I have an idea of what I'm talking about. Also elevation is elevation. Also, just Google it and you'll see it's 50/50 for untrained people.

It was a 2 day excursion so no doubt it's brutal regardless of fitness but AMS is a specific thing. General exertion/dehydration is more likely here

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MrMonstrosoone t1_j6e8pk5 wrote

I see

so the old " I didnt suffer so it must be this " routine

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ZarMulix t1_j6e2ugj wrote

Non fit video gamer here. It was fine, had a little lightheadedness, coca tea fixed that. It really wasn't that big of a deal. It was fun to exert and have your breaths not recover you as much as you're used to, but you adapt.

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