Inca Trail & Machu Picchu

The 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a 40 Km (25 mile) hike with three high passes to be crossed, one of which reaches an elevation of 4200m (13776 ft).

I checked into the Prisma Hotel, Cuzco around midday on Sunday, October 17, 2010 where I bumped into Robin Frostensson who I first met when we shared a dorm in Buenos Aires. We knew we were doing the trail around the same time but I never expected to be in the same group. We spent the remainder of the day exploring the city.



That evening we had a briefing where we met our head guide, Percy and the other members in the group. Percy outlined the details for the 4-day hike to Machu Picchu and told us exactly what we needed to pack. Our group consisted of eleven tourists, two guides, seventeen porters and two cooks.

Monday, October 18, 2010

We left Cuzco and travelled by bus to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region which was an important source of food for the Inca. Our first stop was to the small community of Ccaccaccollo where we visited a woman’s weaving project after which we headed to the impressive Pisac ruins. We finished the day in the village of Ollantaytambo, site of another large Inca ruin and from where we would start the hike the following morning.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

We left Ollantaytambo around 07:00hrs and travelled by bus for around fifty minutes to Piskachuchu or Km 82 as it is otherwise known. After having our passports checked and stamped we crossed the train tracks and bridge over the Rio Urubamba River before starting out on the 4-day hike.



The first day was relatively easy going. We hiked 12 Km to our camp site at Wallabamba which we reached at around 14:00hrs. The porters who had passed us on route, each carrying up to 30 Kg in supplies and equipment on their backs, had already erected our tents and the cooks had our lunch ready and waiting.

Lunch.

After lunch we played six-a-side football against porters from another tour group on a small gravel pitch a few minutes’ walk from our campsite. We played four games in all winning three and losing one which we put down to the altitude and the fact that we had never played together before.

Despite being unmarked Joe opted to shoot - a poor decision!

Our head guide, Percy seemed to take it a little too seriously. We later found out that he had been betting on the outcome of the matches with the other tour guides winning twelve soles, around £3! After a cold shower in almost pitch black conditions we ate dinner before going to bed around 19:30hrs.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

We were awoken in our tents around 06:00hrs for what we were told was going to be the most challenging day of the hike. We had a distance of 12Km to cover from our campsite at Wallabamba to our next campsite at Paqaymayo which included the steep climb to Warmiwañusca, or Dead Woman’s Pass. At 4198m (13769 ft) above sea level it was the highest point of the trek. Somehow I was one of the first to reach Dead Woman’s Pass along with Robin and Joe.

Robin, Joe and Myself at Dead Woman’s Pass.

The 4 Km walk down from Warmiwañusca to our campsite at Paqaymayo was hard going and seemed to take forever. The football, the climb up to Dead Woman’s Pass and the decent to our campsite at Paqaymayo had taken its toll, especially on my left knee which was extremely sore. We eventually reached camp at around 15:30hrs.

On route down to our campsite at Paqaymayo.

Thursday, October 20, 2010

We woke at 05:00hrs for the longest day of the hike. From our campsite at Paqaymayo we had 16 Km to hike in order to reach our campsite close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young). On route we took in the spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley and stopped to look around the Inca ruins of Phuyupatamarca (Town above the Clouds). We then descended to the spectacular terraced hillside site of Wiñay Wayna arriving at our last campsite around 16:00hrs which was just a short hike from Machu Picchu.

Phuyupatamarca (Town above the Clouds).

Friday, October 21, 2010

On the final day of the hike we woke around 03:30hrs and walked the short distance to the entrance of the Santuario Histórico de Machu Picchu where we had to wait for around an hour-and-a-half for it to open. From here we hiked the short distance to the Sun Gate which overlooks Machu Picchu.

The feeling at seeing Machu Picchu for the first time, bathed in the early morning sunlight is indescribable. The 4-day trek, the most physically demanding thing I have ever attempted made the experience all the more memorable and worthwhile. Truly unforgettable!

My first view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate.