{"id":2216,"date":"2021-08-12T12:35:55","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T17:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/millennialroad.com\/?p=2216"},"modified":"2021-10-21T13:22:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T18:22:46","slug":"sky-lodge-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/millennialroad.com\/sky-lodge-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"Skylodge Adventure: Climbing, Ziplining and a Hanging Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Skylodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Would you consider it a dream to sleep in a transparent capsule attached to a cliff face, surrounded by stunning panoramic views? What if I told you that you had to climb 400 meters up the side of a steep cliff to get there? If this still sounds appealing, you can have the experience of a lifetime at the Skylodge Adventure Suites in Peru. If this is the type of dream you would actually consider a nightmare, then you might want to sit this one out because you’ll likely find this to be just as terrifying as it sounds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Skylodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When my husband told me that his wish for his 32nd birthday was to scale a rock wall and sleep in a clear pod (seemingly barely) attached to the side of a cliff in Peru, I had to wonder whether I should be questioning his sanity. Then, when I agreed, I started to wonder whether I should question my own sanity.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve ever walked that (sometimes fine) line between exhilaration and fear, excitement and terror, then you’ll understand exactly how I felt as we made the climb. Once we made it to the top, however, all of my concerns melted away. With panoramic views overlooking the Sacred Valley of Cuzco, simply being in these glass pods is unlike any other experience. It may sound clich\u00e9, but the destination is every bit as spectacular as the journey when it comes to the Skylodge Adventure Suites<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A via ferrata climb to remember<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when we pulled up to the Skylodge. The pods were so high above the ground that they were barely visible from the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we gazed upward at these transparent hanging capsules, the extent of how far and steep the climb would be started to sink in <\/em><\/strong>more fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SkyLodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"SkyLodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We put on our harnesses and gear, had an alarmingly brief safety and training session, and got right to climbing. I felt grossly unprepared for this potentially life-threatening experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One after another, we began to scale the cliff face. As I began the climb, I could hear the ladder squeaking almost as loudly as the sound of my pulsating heart <\/em><\/strong>(don’t let that smile fool you!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Skylodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My adrenaline pumped more vigorously with each motion as we carefully worked our way up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the climb had metal bars affixed to the cliff face that you could grab and step on for each part of the ascent. Every five feet or so, we had to reclip our harness to the next section of cable wire that we were using as our safety net. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of climbing is known as via ferrata<\/a> in most countries and is a great way for less experienced climbers to safely rock climb more advanced terrain without sacrificing the thrill and adventure of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Skylodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the vast majority of the bars were securely attached, I cannot say that was true for all of the bars. And there were a handful of times where there was nothing other than rock face or the cable wire to grab. Those were the scariest moments for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With sweat rolling down my back and my heart pounding in my ears, I looked down to check on my husband. He was calm and collected, as usual, having the time of his life. Well, at least one of us wasn’t on the verge of panic! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SkyLodge<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

About halfway through the climb, we had to take a wire bridge horizontally across the rock face. And the term \u201cbridge\u201d is a gross overstatement, in my opinion. The bridge consisted of two wires next to each other that you shuffled sideways across with your back to the mountain, with a third wire at shoulder height to hold onto with your hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We made our way across one by one, keeping our hands on each side of the clips that were temporarily attached to the upper wire and cautiously stepping sideways across the \u201cbridge\u201d wires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Skylodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I tried my best to avoid looking down, fearing that I would become too scared to continue climbing. Despite my best efforts, there was no avoiding looking out into the distance during the part where we crossed the wire bridge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Skylodge<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My eyes nearly popped out of my head as I caught a glimpse of exactly how high off the ground we had made it. And this was only the halfway point!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although I weaved in and out of flashes of fear throughout the climb, I was able to let go and enjoy the experience. And I mean that both figuratively and literally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n