Steinbach woman completes trek to Machu Picchu while awaiting two knee replacements

Rhonda Harms from Steinbach recently completed a three-day hike up to Machu Picchu in Peru while awaiting two knee replacements. 

Harms says she'd been planning a trip to Machu Picchu with her daughter and a friend for over a year when things took a turn. 

“I'd been having knee issues with my left knee but three months before I left my right knee gave out completely. At this point, I'm like, 'I'm not cancelling'. I tried several injections, I got a couple of big knee braces, and I was determined that I was going to make it." 

Thanks to an excellent guide, Rhonda says she was able to compete the three-day journey up to an altitude of 15,700 feet, but it was far from easy. 

Laughing, she notes “definitely I would say at age 66 awaiting 2 knee replacements, you may want to rethink this hike!” 

Conditions were also less than ideal. Harms says they started the foot-journey with a downpour.  

“It's 3 days of deep, deep lunges. It's super slippery and dangerous because of the torrential rain, waterfalls everywhere and there's no culverts, you got to figure out how to cross that. So, sopping wet, very, very steep in many places, it was super challenging.” 

Harms says they arrived a few days early to get acclimatized. All photos supplied by Rhonda Harms.

Harms says she and her friend Diane were the oldest of the bunch at 66 and 67 and their porter said they were the oldest people he’d ever taken on the trek.  

“I did feel like it was a big accomplishment. I was also, I think, just overwhelmed at the beauty and the help I got. The Porter that was with me literally held my hand up and down that mountain. He was so good at making sure I'd be okay, but had I known or anticipated it would be that tough, I probably would have rebooked.” 

At times, Harms says she was crying due to the burning pain in her knees and, at the same time, crying tears of joy as a result of the surrounding beauty.  

In addition to the lesson in resilience, Harms says spending time in this remote area of Peru was eye-opening.  

“We'd get up at 5:30 in the morning, crawl out of your tent, and you'd see a lady sitting on a blanket with bottles of water and pop and some headbands trying to sell you some things and I'm thinking, 'where did you come from? We're in the middle of nowhere.' But I guess they know when the tours go through to make a dollar." 

She adds “They really, really struggle. It's a tough life and a very tough life for the people that are disabled, they're not looked after. We complain about Canada, but I'll tell you, I felt like I lived in the palace when I got home, living in the lap of luxury. We're spoiled rotten, we really are.” 

Harms says it was a trip that pushed her like no other, but she would never trade the amazing experience. She notes it’s something she will remember forever. 

Harms says at times, they wore plastic bags in their shoes to keep their feet somewhat dry. She also notes her knee braces left marks on her leg throughout the journey.