Álvaro Silberstein and Isabel Aguirre from Chile recently completed 11 kilometers of the Inca Trail on their wheelchairs.
It is the first time quadriplegic and paraplegic travelers were able to complete this journey on their wheelchairs, Lonely Planet informed.
“The one-day trek up to Machu Picchu, on a section of the famous Inca Trail, was designed to promote accessible travel in the region. Silberstein and Aguirre were part of a 14-person group who were taking an eight-day tour of Peru, including Cusco and the Sacred Valley”, the website said.
Silberstein is the founder and CEO of Wheel the World, an accessible travel company, and the tour was designed along with the travel operator PEAK DMC.
The trip these travelers took included a climb of 320 vertical steps neat the Wiñay Wayna ruins, which was the toughest section of the trek. “It was totally worth it though, as once we passed this section we knew we were truly going to make it to Machu Picchu”, Gary Cohen, PEAK DMC Regional General Manager for South America told Lonely Planet.
Besides the trek on the Inca Trail, the trip also included a ten-kilometers cycling trip through the Sacred Valley, which was made possible with special equipment that can be adapted to the terrain.
One of these is the “Joëlette chair, which was provided by Wheel the World, which will now be available for travelers in the future”, they explained.
Wheel the World seeks to allow people with disabilities to be able to explore any place in the world.
