Andean Lodges’ top priority: Our guests’ safety and health on our Andes mountain treks

Trekking in Peru’s Andes Mountains enchants the eyes, nurtures the heart and soul, and strengthens the body- of this you can be certain. It’s also true that hiking at over 14,000 ft. in the Andes can sometimes be physically challenging.
A regime of physical preparation and taking sufficient time for acclimatization before your trek are essential measures to prepare your body for the more arduous section of the trail.
To make your Andes trekking experience the very best possible, Andean Lodges’ programs offer our visitors great advantages and excellent facilities.
Our four high-altitude ecolodges are fully equipped to provide you with everything you need to make each day of trekking along the route better and easier.
Evenings by the fireplace, comfortable beds, hot showers and excellent food all contribute to your good rest and physical health on the Ausangate Trail.
In almost every case, our guest trekkers arrive at the end of the route in perfect health- renewed, stronger, and with a deep sense of wonder and accomplishment.
Occasionally, some guests have experienced a bit of discomfort due to the altitude. Very rarely, but a possibility, acute altitude sickness can occur.

How we keep our adventurers safe

Knowing this full well, Andean Lodges takes every possible precaution. We carry state-of-the-art equipment to avoid any such contingency, including oxygen tanks, a full medical kit and, for more serious cases, a hyperbaric chamber that rapidly stabilizes physical conditions of anyone showing severe symptoms.
Of course, all of these precautions are dependent on the proper skills and medical training of our guides and assistants.
All of our professional guides are highly trained in emergency medical techniques and in wilderness rescue and evacuation. We offer ongoing professional medical workshops to actualize and strengthen our team’s medical skills.

Our work with the Andean Communities

Now, we’re very proud to be able to include the native Quechua villagers who accompany our treks in emergency rescue and medical training workshops.
Recently, villagers have begun training in a set of skills that will be very useful in assisting our guides in the case of any emergency.
Using modern medical gear, our Quechua friends are training in supplying oxygen, measuring pulse and oxygen absorption, immobilizing limbs, evacuation and other key emergency medical treatment techniques.
Our new training program will make them invaluable assistants to the more experienced guides in dealing with any type of medical emergency that might arise on our treks.
You can be reassured by knowing that you’ll have a highly trained team to deal with any emergency situation along the trail.

Our commitment through the years

We should mention that over the ten years of Andean Lodges’ operations very few medical emergencies have occurred on our treks, and none of those has been truly serious or life-threatening.
We intend to maintain our excellent record of avoiding accidents and keeping our guests in perfect health along the Ausangate Trail.
Finally,  we know that learning new medical skills and about how to treat health issues directly benefits local Quechua families in their own communities.
This new initiative contributes to Andean Lodges’ essential goal of promoting wellbeing and sustainable development in our partner communities of the Ausangate region. We invite you to come to Cusco and immerse yourself in the amazing Ausangate experience!