· I suggest travelling first to Chile, which has an immense diversity of terrain - desert, Mediterranean, temperate and sub-Antarctic - within its boundaries. End up at Arica in the far north, and then make the stunning journey by ordinary busline (at least two a day, eight hours, about £9) to La Paz, Bolivia, through Lauca National Park with its llamas, lakes and volcanoes, and on to the Altiplano.
This means high plains and offers strange, incredible vistas with the proximity of mountains without the necessity of scaling them. You can then explore the west and south-west of Bolivia before entering Peru via Lake Titicaca (about two to three hours from La Paz). You can then decide whether you want to undertake the Inca Trail, but by this time you will have seen and experienced much.
Bernie Barnet
· I was also dreading drops and overhangs that I heard were part of travelling in South America, but I walked the Inca Trail and was not scared at any point. There were no drops or high bridges that made you feel unsafe and most parts of the trail are enclosed and well maintained. T scariest part was trying walking down some areas where the steps had been eroded away and the only option was to slide. There are always a lot of people around to help as you'll certainly never be on your own walking Machu Pichu!
I found that the time when the overhangs and drops where the worst was when we were on a bus zooming up and down mountains at high speed overtaking on blind corners, but this only really applies to Peru, in Chile the buses are much safer to use. My tip is to travel at night so at least you cannot see the drops!
Emma Morris
· I am also not great with heights but I had no problem with the Inca Trail (though I would not like to try the route the Incas took to leave the city following the arrival of the conquistadors). I went with Amazonas Explorer and I would recommend them to anyone.
Sam Wardill
· We trekked the Inca trail last May from Km 77. The walking was no harder than Lake District walking but we had to take a bit slower due to the altitude. However there are plenty of strange flora and fauna to see whilst getting your breath back. The only time that we felt a little exposed height wise was on a 30 ft sequence of steps on the last day. If this is a problem you could go down backwards - its not far. Make sure that you get fit beforehand!
David & Jan Jobling
· The Inca trail, although at altitude, is not difficult walking and there are no 'drops', just fabulous views. At Macchu Picchu itself, any overhangs and the like are completely avoidable. I say go, it's the biggest 'high' you'll ever experience!
Roz Webb
· I love mountain walking but hate heights. However, I successfully completed the Inca Trek in October 2000. Whilst the walk reaches altitudes of 4,500m, most of the path is through broad mountain passes. There are a very few points where, for a short distance, steep drops exist, but the path is still at least 1m wide. The drops are covered by vegetation, and I never felt uncomfortable. I have felt uneasier when approaching cliff faces on mountains such as Snowdon, Cader Idris, and Ben Nevis. I hope you decide to do the walk; it is a fantastic experience, but make sure you get acclimatised to the altitude first!
Glyn Lumley
· Like you James, I suffered from vertigo for 35 years. I learned to accommodate for this in everyday life and it only became a problem when I started to go on skiing holidays. With the help of a cognitive therapist, who used hypnotherapy, I overcame this problem completely. It took only two 1hour sessions and has left me with a sense of control over my feelings and a great sense of freedom.
Joke van Wijk
·: When visiting Macchu Picchu in March 2000, I left my companion and walked to Intipunku (the "Sun Gate") which is the last part of the Inca Trail.
Getting there was fine but on the return journey ie the direction of the Trail itself, vertigo struck at one section which had a severe drop, was very narrow and where the handrail came away in my hand. I remained unable to get past this section for nearly one hour until rescued by a group of octagenerian USA ramblers - street credibility be damned.
I would not suggest you do the trail. If you do, take a companion whom you trust implicitly but more importantly, is very understanding of your fear. Alternatively get a whole lot of therapy first.
Julie Armstrong
