The Inca Trail 18th - 22nd May

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A Long and Winding Road on the Inca Trail

Day 1

The start day of our South America highlight was finally here and despite being woken up several times during the night by some raucous cockerels, Lisa and I had both managed to have a reasonable night’s sleep. In fact, we woke up raring to go!

The rules of the Inca Trail/GAP stated that we could each pack up to 6kg in a duffel bag that would be carried on our behalf by a porter. Anything in addition to this we had to carry ourselves. For this purpose we had been supplied with red duffel bags which we had packed the day before, thankfully coming in below our weight limit.

At 08:00 we were on our minibus to Piskacuchu which was accessed via a bumpy, dirt road. Single lane in most parts, this busy road caused many standoffs between the drivers of similar buses filled with Peruvians not wanting to give way to a bus full of tourists. The road intersected the railway line regularly which was concerning to those on board our bus. My worrying was with good reason as in one case we crossed about 50m in front of a train. Thankfully it was travelling in the same direction as us and was not going much faster!

We were dropped off in a small square where we got our first glimpse of our team of porters. In an exhibition of speed they had weighed and packed our duffel bags into big sacks - each carrying 3 duffel bags plus 2kg of their own personal belongings. We were then left milling around with a few of the local ladies who were not going to miss an opportunity to sell the tourists more provisions for their trek.

Our guide, Jeremy eventually turned up and led us to the start of the trail and first checkpoint where we had to produce our passports. For some reason it is obligatory to carry your passport at all times whilst on the trail and you are requested to show it at various points along the trail. However being able to collect 4 stamps in your passport offsets the inconvenience of carrying it!

We had planned to have a photo session in front of the main sign which marked the start of the trail, but soon after giving Jeremy all our cameras a train turned up and cut everyone off! Although we did not get a photo, everyone was in high spirits and the sun was shining - it was going to be a good day!

It was a fairly steep start, but nothing too taxing. We stopped regularly so Jeremy could point things out. For some reason Jeremy spoke English with a Chinese type accent. This of course made him difficult to understand. On route we tried some prickly pear from the local cacti (for a small charge of course) which we thought tasted like a cross between a pomegranate and a watermelon. Unsurprisingly there was no shortage of locals lining the track on the first day waiting to supply us with whatever we desired and as we climbed higher the prices did too!

The scenery was spectacular throughout the day, but the undoubted highlight after another short, sharp ascent was the Llactapata ruins which the powers that be are in the process of restoring. Jeremy tried to explain what the functions of the various buildings were, but most people were just interested in taking photos. It was suggested that we refrain from sitting down on the rocky ground as ‘Black Widows’ nested under the rocks in the area. We were not sure whether he was on a wind up mission, but we certainly followed his advice!

We continued walking for another hour and then came across an area of grass next to a river where we were to have lunch. We were surprised to discover that our porters had already set the ‘mess’ up as well as laid a large tarpaulin out for everyone to leave their bags on and have a lie-down. We were also presented with a welcome drink on our arrival - warm orange cordial! We spent about 1.5 hours here enjoying lunch and our surroundings although given the easy morning, most of us were keen to get back on the move especially when some grey clouds began to roll in.

We all agreed that the food had exceeded expectations at lunchtime - tasty vegetable soup accompanied with garlic bread and that was just the starter. This was followed by chicken, bean and chip salad. So far, so good!

We walked a further 1.5 hours until our first camp. This stretch was very easy and there was nothing of any real significance to report. Our camp was in a pretty spot in the valley. We arrived to find that the porters had set the tents up in a long line facing the mess/dining tent. All we literally had to do was pick up our duffel bags and choose a tent. As were we setting up for the night, the porters arrived with a bowl of hot water for each person which was for our daily wash!

Lisa and I blew up our mattresses, got changed and went outside for a 16:30 cup of tea and biscuits. The toilets were a grim affair and they were perched forebodingly on a hillside daring campers to use them. There were lots of little chicks wandering around which Jeremy continuously picked up. Lisa was handed one at the dinner table and forgot to cup its wings so said chick decided to go for a walk-a-bout, hopped on the table then tried to fly!

After another enjoyable meal we undertook an expedition to the horrible hillside squat toilets before going to bed listening to the howling dogs going into what sounded like battle on various farms. The local roosters also decided to give us an all night performance.

Day 2

Our morning wake-up call at 06:00 from the porters was unnecessary as we had already packed by then. Another bowl of hot water was placed outside our tent and we were offered a hot drink. Lisa and I were the first out and the eagle-eyed porters were quickly onto our tent to take it down. Breakfast consisted of what can only be described as gruel. At least we could add honey to it making it a little more palatable.

We were soon ready to go and stood marvelling at the speed at which the porters broke camp. Lisa and I felt guilty for not helping, but having us gringos interfere would probably have slowed them down. We had been informed by various sources that this day of the trek would be the hardest due to a steep climb from 2950m to 4215m making it the highest point of the Inca Trail. I thought the first stint was fairly easy as I chatted away to Scott about the football. We had our first break after an hour and were surprised by how spread out our group had become. Lisa looked shattered and was clearly struggling with a cold she had picked up a couple of days before which had been doing the rounds amongst our group. Scott and I decided to walk with Lisa and Julie for the rest of the day, despite their protestations that they were fine - we knew there would be repercussions if we didn't.

We then had a tough 2 hour stint until our next rest stop where popcorn, crackers and hot drinks were waiting. Much of this part was through forest and the girls (all of them) would literally stop every 20m or so for a quick breather. We got to see a small family of alpacas giving everyone who passed a bemused look as if to say 'what are you silly buggers doing up here?' The steep climb and thinner oxygen were clearly taking their toll on some of the group who were visibly relieved to reach the next rest area.

We had another 1.5 to 2 hour stint before we got to the highest pass on the trail called Warmiwanusca or Dead Woman Pass at 4215m. The track was open which meant that you could see how far you still had to walk and therefore was daunting at times. About 3/4 of the way up I decided that the slow pace was doing me more harm than good and pushed on. I thought that the quicker I could complete the uphill sections the better.

After eventually making it to the top of the pass, everyone was suitably relieved and happy and the mandatory photo session followed. The difference between the two sides of the pass was pretty amazing. The side we walked up was very warm, sheltered from the wind and very bright. The other side was freezing with a pummelling wind and a raft of thick grey cloud quickly sweeping up the mountain towards us.

After a 30 minute break we started our descent, 100 steps down and we were engulfed by cloud, 200 steps further it started to drizzle and another 200 steps on and we found ourselves in a shower! The next 2 hours of the trail would be the lowlight as we trudged our way down towards camp. The steepness and the slippery rocks made this bit particularly dangerous all the way to the camp. We arrived cold, damp and miserable with no way of drying our clothes. I went for some hot soup which was an amazing pick-me-up while Lisa napped away her woes. This was a large campsite with many tour groups pitching here. There were terraces of tents lining the hillside, however when the rain cleared you got a fantastic view. We later found out that if we had reached Dead Woman's Pass one hour later we may have encountered snow so maybe we timed it well after all.

Day 3

Due to the previous day's rain we ended up camping a few kilometres short of our intended site which meant that we had a longer walk of 15km on day 3. We all sat down for breakfast at 06:00 having woken up before 05:30 fearful about what might be served up following yesterday's gruel. After the staple bread and jam we were delighted to be presented with warm pancakes which went someway to restoring everyone's spirits.

It was a little cloudy, but mostly fine. I had wriggled back into my damp trousers, but gave up on my sodden gloves and hat. We were on the trail by 07:00, uphill again for 1.5 hours. We stopped after 45 minutes at Inca ruins called Runkuraqay which was used as a resting place for the Incas walking the trail up to 500 years ago. From here on in the Inca trail would follow the exact route that the Incas did, (the trail up to now had been slightly different due to erosion etc). Another 45 minutes later we had reached the second pass of Runkuraqay. The view from the top was unremarkable due to thick cloud although we did catch a glimpse of a distant snow-capped peak which was heartening.

We had another steep down-hill section, but this time the ground was dry so our progress was quicker than yesterday. This section of the trail led us to ruins called Sayacmarca at 3580m perched on a mountain spur. After 45 minutes we reached our lunch stop where we were formally introduced to our team of 19 porters including 1 head porter and 2 chefs. This was certainly going to make tipping a headache I thought!

Following lunch we reached the third and final pass of Phuyupatamarca which was again shrouded in cloud. After a brief talk in the ruins of the same name, we had another downhill section which was the hardest part of the day. It was a relief to reach our last campsite of Winay Wayna at 2640m around 16:30 where some of the hikers had found a supply of beer and were gleefully tucking into it!

Machu Picchu

Incredibly Lisa and I were awake around 03:00 and slowly started to pack our stuff so that by the time the 03:30 wake-up call came we were ready to rock and roll. Breakfast was a very basic affair of just bread and a hot drink - we had obviously decimated the supplies. Unsurprisingly it was still dark outside when we made the short trip to the final check point just after 04:30.

Thankfully the early wake up was worth it as we were the first group at the check point where we had to wait in cold darkness for the gates to open. The group managed to pass the time with a bit of banter.

At 05:25 we were allowed through and gained another stamp in our passports as we passed. We walked purposefully towards the Sun Gate, said to be about 1 hour away. It got lighter during the course of our 45 minute power walk, most of the trek seemed downhill, but there were a couple of very steep sections. I still cannot believe how quickly we walked this part, considering the previous 3 days exertions. It was hard persuading Lisa to push on for the last uphill section because she did not believe that this was finally it!

From the Sun Gate you could see Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) about 40 minutes away against a back drop of Wayna Picchu (Young Mountain) which, just before the sunrise was eerily spectacular. We were the 7th and 8th people there so it was very serene at first. Many others arrived soon after, mainly Americans exclaiming 'holy s**t' as they caught their first glimpse of this famous city. However we were a bit more restrained.

A downhill 30 minute walk to the outskirts of the city ensued. We passed stretcher bearers and a doctor on their way up, later finding out that someone had tumbled off a cliff, injured, but still alive we think! This new vantage point gave us some great photo opportunities which we spent about 30 minutes taking. It just felt great to finally be here, a special moment which most of the group shared. We then headed down towards the entrance to meet Aleks our tour leader, plus Alex and Robyn before briefly going outside to use a clean toilet for a change. For me this was pretty pointless as we ended up wasting about half an hour during the best part of the day - when the blazing sun was not out and the crowds had not developed.

Inside Machu Picchu

Jeremy led us back inside the complex and started his guided tour. Most of the group had given up trying to understand him after about 20 minutes and had gone off to explore themselves (the fact that so many of them were tucking into their second or third beer when we met them later in Aguas Calientes suggested that this may have been a futile exercise).

We were given a brief history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated in 1983). Apparently local Quechua farmers had been aware of the site for centuries, but it took the 'discovery' by Hiram Bingham on July 24th 1911 to bring it to the attention of the world. Bingham was back the following year with a team to clear the thick vegetation that had engulfed the ancient stonework. There has been ongoing controversy over his removal of certain items for safekeeping at Yale University!

Jeremy took us around some of the key features of the ancient city where you had to marvel at the stonework everywhere you looked. Located in the first zone were the primary archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, the Inca's sun god and greatest deity. The Popular District, or Residential District, was the place where the lower class people lived. It included storage buildings and simple houses. The Royalty Area, a sector that existed for the nobility, included a group of houses located in rows over a slope, the residence of the Amautas (wise persons) characterized by its reddish walls, and the zone of the Ñustas (princesses) which had trapezoid-shaped rooms. The Monumental Mausoleum was a carved statue with a vaulted interior and carved drawings, it was used for rites or sacrifices. There was a permanent water source that was channelled through the city via a small viaduct. One memorable feature was a stone altar with a huge stone on top whose function was to mark the Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice. We had to take Jeremy's word for it because we would have to have waited for another month to verify this!

After Jeremy's tour Lisa and I spent some additional time looking around including the Temple of the Condor and various storage areas. Without a guide or book it was difficult to comprehend what we were seeing and as the sun got hotter and we felt our legs getting heavier from all the hiking, we decided to call it a day. Why we did not start the tour as soon as we arrived is a mystery to me (quiet and cool in the early morning air).

Leaving Machu Picchu

We both agreed that the actual journey to Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail and seeing the ruined city in the context of its surroundings (the backdrop of Wayna Picchu) was more impressive than the actual ruins. Having said that, apart from the short guided tour, we had no way of knowing the significance of many of the buildings so people on a guided tour from a nearby town who caught the bus up there may have got more out of their experience whilst in the city.

Whilst waiting for the bus to Aguas Calientes near the entrance, we bought the most expensive coca cola in Peru (primarily so I could get the equivalent of 20p in change to use the facilities). There were many souvenir shops here all selling the usual stuff at inflated tourist prices.

Our 11:30 bus journey to town was a fairly hairy experience as the bus flew past on-coming buses neither of which seemed to check their speed. We found our designated meeting spot, 11 of the group already were there tucking into some alcohol. Lisa and I ordered a pizza with a celebratory drink or two. Straight after lunch we caught the train back to Ollantaytambo, initially it seemed to be a very pretty journey, but I was very tired and very warm and quickly fell asleep. We then caught a minivan back to Cuzco.

In the evening we went to one of Aleks' friend's restaurants where the food was poor and the service slow - it was the first night of opening though. However having Aleks around meant that we did not have to pay for anything except our drinks which included Abbots Ale!

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Photos

The group smiles with relief at the top!
Top of Dead Woman Pass, the highest point on the trail.

All of the crew!
Posing with our team of porters, chefs and guides.

Comments

[jay]

[e-mail]
Hello name's canadianjay, i was wondering if you could help? I was looking into what trek company you went with? How much? and how much stuff you brought with you? Did you have enough water? Any other things you could remember would be great thanks for your time

[Lisa and Mike]

Inca Trail
Hi, we travelled with a company called GAP Adventures. In total we paid about £900 each to travel with them from Chile to Lima over 40 days which included the cost of the Inca Trail. We took about 15kg of stuff with us. Yes you can buy water along the trail. Hope this helps. Lisa