A couple months ago my partner and I had an incredible experience hiking around Ausangate, a fairly remote peak near Cusco. It wasn't until the very last second (the night before we had to board a bus wherever we were going) that we decided Ausangate was the right objective. Despite some wild weather (we hiked in the rainy off season), we feel 100% certain we made the right choice. Still, though, I sometimes daydream about how many "right choices" there may have been.
I'm curious, how do you choose your dream trails? This is specific to the bigger objectives, the rare opportunities, the extended PTO... When the opportunity to start scratching at the bucket list comes along, what ultimately pushes you to one opportunity over another? For me, isolation is a massive motivator! It's the unseen variable that leads to some of the more unique perspectives I've had the luck to enjoy.
To anybody that has perhaps spent time in South America, or spent time perusing the many South American trails online, what trails still give you butterflies to think about?
I think I get influenced a bit by the recency effect- if an incredible photo draws my attention and the timing is right to plan a trip, it might hold more influence in my decision than places on my list for a while. Probably also related to crowds though- if something’s been on my list for a while, it’s probably pretty well-known by now. If I see an amazing not-yet-discovered-by-the-masses place I’m more likely to get there first! Or sometimes it’s a popular destination but I research lesser-known spots. Haven’t been to Peru yet and this spot looks amazing, so who knows if that’ll be my next impulse-booking :)
