Ask a Peruvian Guide: Interview with Shandira of Mother Earth Treks

Six Months in South America, Part 14

I first messaged Shandira on social media, after seeing her featured by Indigenous Women Hike, a US-based hiking group who I follow and love. Shandira responded back immediately and told me she hadn’t led many tours since she’d given birth to her daughter but was working on setting up her own tour company: Mother Earth Treks.

With Shandira’s expert guidance, I hiked the short Inca trail to Machu Picchu and climbed Machu Picchu Mountain. She patiently answered all of my questions and helped me set up the tour through Evolution Treks, a company she runs with her husband Miguel. Evolution Treks is a worker-owned agency, and you can even book women-only tours, led by women guides and porters.

Shandira was kind enough to be interviewed for this newsletter about her expertise as a guide in Perú and how she supports women in the outdoors. 

Here’s our interview, which has been translated from Spanish:

1. What inspired you to be a guide? 

I decided to go into the field after working in a travel agent's office. I think I followed an instinct, the search to do something that fully satisfied my place in this world. 

When I met the porters who worked on the Inca Trail, I knew I made the right choice. I truly felt inspired because they brought to my mind and emotions an authentic reconnection of where I came from to my current reality: the villages far from the city, where the dreams of my Andean grandparents, now my dreams, were born.

2. What steps did you take to become a guide?

I studied tourism and administration at the national university of Cusco. Up until then, I wasn’t sure which specialization I would choose. I got involved with tourism in general, working with different tourism companies, until a friend who already worked as a guide shared her experiences, and I decided to explore becoming a guide myself. 

I started in the field in 2016, working as a trekking group assistant. It didn't take more than seven months for me to feel ready to be a main leader. I went through a variety of situations in a mostly male-dominated space, situations that reinforced my enthusiasm to be a tour guide and my ability to do it professionally. 

3. What’s your favorite place to take visitors in Perú? 

The mountains or the outdoors! It’s not important whether we go on a long or short hike, it’s the best space to welcome people to the land of the Incas. It's a magnificent introduction to a cultural destination where, as a local, my identity is strengthened. If I had to choose a specific destination, it would be the city of Cusco and Machu Picchu through the Inca Trail.

4. What’s the most difficult part about being a guide? 

Leaving the role of assistant guide to become a main guide was the most difficult part. I went through experiences that helped me overcome my fears of speaking in public and in a different language, recognize and progressively build myself up in the field, and feel comfortable working outdoors, but it was a challenge. 

5. What’s your favorite hike? 

The Inca Trail is a place with great energy, its nature makes me happy, and the evidence of Inca history makes the hike even more mysterious and special. It feels like I have been there before, walking the cobblestone road between the mountains, the construction the Incas made. When I imagine that my ancestors were there, and made this social project a reality, it makes my role as a guide feel even more authentic and magnificent. It’s a space that inspires my narrative about our Inca history and identity. The Inca Trail fills me with many emotions, between joyful and sometimes sad.

6. Where is the most underrated place in Perú? 

I would say Puno, the part of Perú where the highest lake in the world is located. Puno is an important and special place, not only because of the pre-Inca culture that was developed near the area, but also as a strong part of the beginnings and origins of the Inca culture. The cultural identity in Puno is very strong. It is a place visited by tourists, but in terms of history, it is important to enhance and appreciate its significance as a cradle of cultural identity. Many people there love the Andes, and people have very clear, Indigenous features. 

7. Can you tell us about starting your own agency: Mother Earth Treks? 

Mother Earth Treks was in my plans since I started my guiding career. Although the name was established a few years ago, one of my great ambitions was to develop my own company, with the identity that the name represents. The feminine approach comes from empowering myself more, and I want it to be the same for the women who are part of this project. I feel even more inspired because Mother Earth Treks represents my female ancestors, my grandmother, and my mother who always nurtured my desire to live fully through my own actions. 

Mother Earth Treks represents me: I love the mountains, and they are the refuge where I can find the special lessons that a mother can give. They are there all the time, we just have to know how to listen, observe, feel, and live.

8.  How do you work with and inspire other women and Indigenous guides? 

With practice, the execution of my work, and sharing what I know with others. I also like to share my experiences with my networks and invite others to do the same. Until a couple of years ago, I was developing a platform to empower women who are involved in outdoor activities. Many women were motivated and happy to know that there are strong and brave women who work wonders outdoors. 

Outdoor work is hard. And sometimes, people may not think that it is right just because we are women. We need to show more people in Cusco and Perú that along with intense outdoor activities, there are also intense, capable, and strong women who do what any human being can do because they enjoy and love it.

9. What do you wish people knew about guiding in Perú? 

Becoming a guide in Perú is a formal process, and there are public and private institutions that certify your work as a tour guide. However, Perú’s method of monitoring the performance of certified guides is insufficient.

There are many people who offer guiding services without being certified, without having invested time in preparation for this career or learning first aid. There are travel agencies that also hire uncertified people, and this puts at risk the integrity of visitors and also their experience in any destination in Perú. It would be interesting for the public to have a platform that gives them access to a database of certified guides, and thus ensure that they are in good hands.

Guiding for me is a career that pleases me, gives me security, affirms my leadership, and strengthens my ability to do many things. I think that is the feeling of many guides who love this career.

10. How can someone be a good traveler when visiting Perú?

A good traveler is someone who, before looking at prices, must understand the impact of their trip on the destination, and how they relate to those involved in the development of a travel experience. 

For example, the Inca Trail is a product that depends on the work of the porters; these people provide the service of carrying all the gear for the hikers and making these experiences possible. Just as a trekker needs attention: eating well, dressing appropriately to survive in the mountains, and sleeping comfortably, people must be concerned about whether the porters have the same conditions and other conditions behind-the-scenes. 

Many people seek to pay as little as possible to get a photo in a popular place and nurture their ego, but they should know that a cheap price in Perú is paid dearly by the people who, like everyone else, seek the best for themselves and their families. These people will be exploited by receiving a low salary in precarious working conditions. This cheapness reinforces corruption in Perú and informal tourism. 

Today, there is more information about porters’ working conditions and deciding to make a positive travel impact makes the work experience of others more humane and respectful.

11. How can we find your work online and contact you?

You can find me at Shandira_Tour _Guide_Peru on social networks; www.MotherEarthTreks.com is my project. You can also write me on WhatsApp: +51953281345

12. Anything else you would like to share? 

 Traveling in harmony sounds nice, but it is a serious matter. If we’re being honest, it’s difficult to achieve this fully, but we can do something positive by responsibly informing ourselves. Taking care of ourselves during our trip is important, but also, we should leave a socially sustainable footprint that makes the trip even more positive and humane.