By ORLANDO DELANO
Special to the AV News
Anna Cole describes her fascinating and adventurous trip to Peru in 2023 as one of the highlights in her life. It was there that she defied the elements by climbing to some of the most outstanding historical ruins in the world—at the age of 80.
Cole was born in Regina to parents of Romanian ancestry who immigrated with their families to Saskatchewan to homestead in early 1900. Once her education was completed, Anna began working in the government service: first in Embury House (a children’s shelter), then the provincial library, a government initiated commission on rural libraries, and finally as an executive secretary in the Saskatchewan Government Insurance executive office.
She was no stranger to the outdoors and was deeply interested in reaching high mountains and walking long distances. She accomplished both on various adventurous trips in her life. “In 1975, the family accepted a move to the Yoho National Park in Field, British Columbia,” she says. “The area was an exciting place for our two young sons to experience living in the mountains with daily sightings (occasionally even in our backyard) of black and grizzly bears, elk, moose, and porcupines. We all learned to cross country and downhill ski during the winter months and to hike the trails during the summer months.”
Four years later, Anna and her family moved to Ucluelet as part of a job transfer. This move suited them fine as this area was perfect for hiking, beachcombing, camping, fishing, boating, and exploring the Broken Group Islands.
“I was employed with School District 70 for 14 years in various capacities but largely as the Ucluelet Secondary School secretary,” she says. “My volunteering started with involvement in my sons’ scouting activities and expanded to include the United Church, Crime Stoppers, and as a founding member of the Pacific Rim Hospice Society.”
In 1994 she accepted a job transfer to Port Alberni and worked at Alberni District Secondary School until her retirement in 2000. “Over the years, I have continued to volunteer in numerous organizations including the Alberni Valley Hospice Society serving approximately 20 years as a volunteer, staff member, board member and Reiki practitioner. I am one of the founding members of the PAGO Grandmothers to Grandmothers Chapter of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a Beta Sigma Phi Sorority member, the volunteer organizer for the arts council’s annual book sale, and a co-director of the Sunshine Club volunteers,” she says.
“Travelling, along with hiking, has also been one of my passions and I’ve road-tripped across the United States from the West Coast to the Maritimes twice.” Cole says she has also travelled to Egypt, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and India.
“While in Egypt our group visited the area surrounding St. Catharine’s where I hiked up Mount Sinai in total darkness to arrive at the summit just in time to witness a beautiful morning sunrise from the top of this sacred mountain,” she recalls. “It was another amazing experience.”
In 2005 she backpacked along the legendary El Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage (also known as The St. Frances Way). This ancient route begins at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains on the French-Spanish border and terminates in Santiago, Spain – 800 km (500 miles) that took 33 days of trekking to complete. “The experience was life-changing and I continue to be reminded of some aspect of my pilgrimage even today.”
So, when the opportunity arose for a trip to South America in November 2023, she was invited to join up with members of her family to tour Peru and trek the Classic Inca Trail. In 1983, UNESCO declared the area surrounding Machu Picchu, as a Historical Sanctuary and a World Heritage site. “This ancient trail is consistently ranked among the 10 best hikes in the world, and I was forewarned that it would be a grueling and challenging experience,” she says. The trail is approximately 45 miles in length and typically takes four days to complete.”
After a week of trekking the surrounding ruins around Cusco (11,500-plus feet of elevation), frequent naps, and numerous cups of cocoa tea, “we felt that we had done due diligence in acclimating to the altitude. We were part of an organized expedition which was comprised of 10 fellow trekkers from all corners of the world (98 percent of whom were mid-thirties or under), 18 porters and two expedition guides.”
After long days, Anna quickly realized that she was dealing with a rarified atmosphere and that the climbing had become grueling and challenging with steep, treacherous ascents and descents, uneven, slippery, slimy steps, and long, numbing hours of non-stop walking each day. But she kept going. “After warning the group that I would trail behind them and that I wanted them to hike at their normal speed, I usually trekked the route on my own with the younger guide following patiently behind me. Throughout the route, we constantly encountered sets of stairs.
“At one point, my guide took away my poles and packsack and cautioned that we had reached a treacherous set of stairs that would require my full concentration to continue climbing using my hands and without looking over the unguarded edges, upwards or downwards. He jokingly referred to this particular set of stairs as ‘The Gringo Killers’.”
Cole said she was exhausted and emotional upon her nightly arrival into camp after sometimes being on the trail more than 14 hours. Upon her arrival into camp, she was greeted by the porters and many of her fellow trekkers who recognized “my late, but safe, arrival with fist bumps, hugs, clapping of hands and encouragements – it was a humbling experience.”
On the morning of the fourth day after only a few hours of hiking, she had her first glimpse of the sacred site of Machu Picchu from The Sun Gate. This is the ceremonial entrance to the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, and it is the first place where the sun’s rays hit the ruins in the morning. “Machu Picchu was totally visible that morning with only a few misty clouds floating over the site and our views of the sacred city were unrestricted and breathtaking.”
The group toured the sacred city for a couple of hours before they caught a bus to Aguas Calientes and were treated to lunch before they needed to separate to start their journey homeward.
“Throughout the trek and to my surprise, my age seemed to be an oddity within our group, our porters, and even with a number of trekkers from the other expeditions.
“It was always startling when I was approached with a request to have my photo taken with another hiker, or received an encouraging remark, handshake or fist bump from a stranger, or even when I was serenaded by a group of handsome Italian men, as I didn’t feel that my presence on the trail warranted any extra attention.
When I finally questioned our senior guide why my presence on the trail was drawing such attention, he answered that he had been a guide for many years and that to his knowledge, I was possibly the first 80-year-old woman to have completed The Classic Inca Trail into Machu Picchu. What an extraordinary compliment to be given!”
After a day of rest and relaxation following their return to Cusco, it was decided that the family would undertake one more trek together up to the top of the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain which is 4,900 metres (16,076 feet) in elevation.
The rainbow-like appearance of the mountain range is created by the sediments of 14 different minerals. As recently as 2013 the mountain range was not visible as it was permanently covered in snow.
“The views of these unusually colourful mountains were spectacular,” says Cole.
Orlando Delano writes the monthly Valley Seniors column for the Alberni Valley News.
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