On the 8th June 2024, Mary and Mark, her son, set off to Colombia. Their mission was to trek to the Lost City and raise money for vulnerable people.
The money raised will be gifted to Streetz2Streetz, a local food company run by Jackie & Jane. If you aren’t already familiar with them, you can find them on Facebook and follow their amazing journey! From their food truck, Jackie and Jane regularly provide free hot meals to the homeless and vulnerable in Folkestone and the surrounding areas. The money raised from Mary’s challenge will go towards funding more meals for the ladies to hand out.
The Lost City trek consists of 48km through jungles, rocky hillsides and across streams. This trek has a 5 point difficulty rating – the highest rating there is!
There was sunshine, rain, smiles and occasionally tears, but our strong leader Mary completed the trek and we couldn’t be more proud!
This week we caught up with Mary (who was back at work the day after she landed, sporting some amazing bites and blisters!) and heard about her amazing adventure.
In Mary’s Own Words…
On arrival:
When we arrived in Santa Marta, I was taken aback by the heat and humidity. Temperatures were reaching 30 degrees but felt like 40. We had a bit of time to acclimatise and meet some of the locals. Everyone was very friendly but did not speak English and we did not speak Spanish. That was fun!
Day one:
Firstly, we had an hour long drive in a 4×4 though rough terrain, deep into the jungle to our starting point. When we arrived it suddenly hit me, and I realised what I had let myself in for.
We had some heavy rain, making it very difficult underfoot. The paths were rocky and uneven and the rain made this much harder. In no time, I had my first fall.
After 5 hours of walking, we arrived at our first camp which was as expected very basic. The beds were comfortable with mosquito nets but we were still sleeping outside. The cold showers were not pleasant but became most welcome after a hard days walk. An extremely large spider greeted me at the end of my bunk bed along with a second over the top. This was a shock! The food was very good and much needed to refuel.
Lights were out by 9pm but between the bugs, noises, strange location, and anticipation for the next day, sleep was minimal.
Day two
It was an early start at 5am for breakfast, setting off at 6am. Day two was by far the toughest day as it was mostly uphill all day. There were points here that I did struggle and felt like I wanted to go home. If it wasn’t for my son and the team around me, I am not sure I would have carried on.
To add to my struggles, a huge thunderstorm and torrential rain made the ground so difficult to walk on as it became a muddy slush, resulting in another fall.
At 4.30pm, after walking for 10 hours, I could not believe (or be more relieved) that I made it to the camp in one piece.
Day three
Again, a difficult uphill trek to start the day. Then came the 1200 steps in mid-30 degree heat and extreme humidity towards the Lost City. They were a lot steeper than I anticipated, the first 450 were very narrow and covered in moss. I tackled these by going up using my hands.
It was worth the struggle for the view found at the top and the history that went with it. The view was breathtaking, up in the clouds looking down at the Sierra Nevada, it was stunning. Built before Matu Pitchu, the city is all on different levels and you can see the original huts and landscape.
Meeting the locals who live in these huts still to this day, the guides translated our conversations, informing us about their way of life. We the had the joy of coming down these steps and the hike back to another camp.
We arrived back to the camp about 4.30pm. The sleep was now getting a bit easier by now as I acclimatised to the noises and heat. Eating was still difficult due to exhaustion.
Day four
Another 6am start where we hiked for 6 hours to the indigenous tribal area. It was lovely to meet more of the locals and learn the way they do simple daily things.
Here we got to have a swim at one of the many waterfalls which was lovely to cool down. Then we got to have an early finish for some downtime, where I chilled out in a hammock for a couple of hours for some much needed rest.
In the evening, we were joined for dinner by a very large toad and several small frogs. Frogs are a fear of mine so this was not pleasant. They were everywhere in the bedroom, so it was like hopscotch trying to avoid them.
Day five
Another early start and a 6 hour hike for some fun in more waterfalls and streams. A few brave members of the group jumped off the bridge – I was not one of them.
We were given the option to jump on a motorbike instead of walk for the last hour and half back to the camp – I happily accepted this. That was an exhilarating but scary ride.
After lunch, we were all taken back to the start. I had the fun of sitting in the front of the 4×4 and felt like I was working for David Attenborough – going over streams and bumping around. The views were again stunning, with scary drops, beautiful trees and flowers.
It was an amazing trip but extremely challenging. I have done previous treks in Machu Picchu and gorge walking in Wales, but nothing had prepared me for this one.
Walking over shaky bridges, narrow ledges wide enough for only one person, and massive drops were terrifying! Wading through rivers that were up to my waist and then having to hike with wet socks and boots was not pleasant. The humidity was so bad the clothes never dried so we had to put wet clothes on every morning. I walked for up to 10 hours a day with bites, blisters and sore legs. But I got to see hummingbirds, beautiful butterflies, poisonous frogs, snakes, and the most incredible views. I met the most amazing people and being able to experience this with my son was truly unforgettable.
Overall, this was a once in a lifetime challenge. Everyone was so supportive and encouraged me the whole way – even when I honestly thought I couldn’t go on. To have been able to raise such a fantastic amount to help Streetz2Streetz support local vulnerable people is amazing.
The average age for doing this trip is 25-35, so I am extremely proud of myself. I am not in any hurry to book another challenge just yet!
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