Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25125
are forced to uphold new standards, low-budget operators will be pushed out of business and the base price for the hike will rise dra- matically. "All the gu idebooks say the Inca Trai I wi II cost 'a certai n amount, and when the price goes up 300 percent, there will be a lot of people bumming," says Currie. Cahusac insists that the increased prices will be money well spent. The entry fee will support research and conservation activities, and the regulations will ensure that only companies offer- ing trained guides, safe equipment and fair treatment of the porters be allowed to operate. Moreover, tour companies that want to lead groups into the sanctuary will be required to put away a US$2,500 damage deposit that will be forfeited, along with their access to the trail, if their group is responsible for an infraction . While these requirements provide ample incentive for companies to meet much- needed environmental and employment standards, the end result for backpackers on a budget is that tours, already unpalatable, will also be unaffordable. So, why not allow backpackers to enjoy the trail on their own? It would seem that those who prefer to hike independently would know how to behave responsibly in the backcountry. Cahusac argues that requiring all hikers to travel with a group is the only way __________ .1 to police environmental infractions. "Just because you're hiking alone doesn't necessarily mean you're responsible, and accidents sti II happen," he says. "Last year an American woman' was so NOTE: POTENTIAL MUGGINGS AND ROBBERIES MAKE HIKING ALONE DANGEROUS. 28 responsible about not littering that she burned her toilet paper and started a forest fire." Nevertheless, many are bound to be irate over the hefty new fees and their exclusion from the legendary hike if the planned prohibition on solo hiking makes it into law. Fortunately, the Inca Trail is not the only Inca trail , and the Sacred Valley near Machu Picchu is peppered with ancient settlements far from the tour-bus crowds. These seclud- ed hikes offer tumbledown ruins, spec: tacular scenery and crumbling roads comparable to those encountered along the Inca Trail. You may be missing the most famous hike on the continent, but you'll also be missing the tennis-shoed crowds, water-bottle-clogged streams and toilet paper fluttering in the breeze.-Rachel Proctor and Michael May --.,--.,--......... ,...".,. .....