On top of the world

Sinking Spring, PA - Kirstan Ulrich of Spring Township took a monthlong trip to South America in November, spending 10 days in Peru, four of them hiking on the Inca Trail.

Ulrich spent six weeks preparing her body for the trip, training with Shawn Stanislaw, an advanced personal trainer at Spring Valley Athletic Club in Lower Heidelberg Township.

Ulrich started her journey in Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Ulrich stayed in Cusco for two days, taking the recommended amount of time acclimating to the altitude of approximately 8,500 feet. From there, Ulrich took a bus to the start of the Inca Trail at 8,900 feet. She eventually got to 13,800 feet during the hike.

Ulrich, 34, was inspired to get fit for her trip due to the challenging nature of the Inca Trail. After speaking with a friend who works at Spring Valley about the trip, she was set up with an advanced personal trainer. Stanislaw proved to be the right person for the task.

"She needed to improve her cardiovascular and muscular endurance," Stanislaw said.

They worked out one hour per day, twice a week, for six weeks prior to her trip.

"I am so glad I took the time, effort and money to work with Shawn - when I was on the trail, I really felt it helped," she said.

Ulrich spent three nights and four days on the Inca Trail, typically starting her days at 6 a.m.

"We had porters who carried our tents, food and everything," she said.

She would hike four to five hours with her group before stopping for lunch, and then hike until dark before settling into a campsite for the night. Ulrich hiked from seven to 11 hours a day. Ulrich's tour group of six people was accompanied by one guide and 11 porters.

Overall, her muscular strength held up well, but it wasn't without some challenges given the high altitude.

"After the 12,000 mark it was hard - you literally took about 20 steps and had to catch your breath and then take another 20 steps," she said. "Your heart was kind of pounding out of your chest."

Ulrich planned the trip with her sister, Megan Ulrich, 26, of Brentwood, Calif. Megan always wanted to go to South America, and she put together the month-long trip through the Llama Path tour company.

In addition to the hike, they spent the rest of the month touring South America.

"I'm thankful enough to have a career where I have flexibility in my job," she said.

Ulrich is a financial advisor with Waddell and Reed, covering Berks, Chester and Delaware County for 13 years. She always wanted to see Machu Picchu, Peru, but never imagined getting there.

Ulrich and her group hiked the Inca Trail along the Andes mountain range before hiking to Machu Picchu, located at 7,800 feet. "Machu Picchu is fascinating and beautiful, but hiking the Inca Trail itself was the most extraordinary and challenging thing I've ever done in my life, without a doubt," she said.

Ulrich's trip provided a welcome relief from her hectic life.

"The sense of awareness that you were completely removed from society and everything we know of day to day - you have no choice but to be in the moment," she said.

She felt a great sense of accomplishment given the difficult terrain and high altitudes.

"I was really proud I made the hike," Ulrich said.

However, it didn't happen without a minor problem.

"I sprained my ankle two and a half days into the trip and that definitely made the last leg of the hike more challenging," she said.

Kirstan said she was able to work through her injury thanks to her training.

The program Stanislaw developed for Ulrich consisted of joint stability exercises and muscle strengthening.

"If you get injured, it's going to be harder to make it through, and it will be more difficult to get to you if you need to be rescued," Stanislaw said.

Stanislaw encouraged people to take as much time as they can to get ready for a trip such as the one Ulrich took, stressing the importance of preparing your body.

"The average Joe can't just get on the Inca Trail and accomplish what Kirstan did," he said.

Her hours spent working out were very hard, but it paid off when Ulrich was hiking.

"I saw the benefit of it for my own well-being," she said.

In addition to getting in shape, she also lost some weight, which she was happy about.

The highlight of Ulrich's trip was her time spent on the highest peaks, she said.

"When you look around and are looking across at the snow tops, you felt you were on top of the world," she said.

Resource: readingeagle.com