Advertisement
Published: April 30th 2011
Edit Blog Post
The trek was scheduled to take 4 days and 3 nights, hopefully arriving at Machu Picchu at around 7am on the fourth day. 48km is not a huge distance, but the path ahead would not be flat and because of the altitude our guide, Effe, assured us the pace would be slow but steady.
Day 1 was supposed to be the easiest day, and so it turned out to be. That's not to say there weren't some great views along the way; highlights were two Inca ruins, Q'entimarka overlooking Willkarakay in the valley below, with the railway to Machu Picchu hidden amongst the trees behind. Most of the first day's hike was flat, with the occasional small house and food stall dotted along the way. It was a surprise to see settlements on the trail given its reputation, though no shock to see the locals cashing in on the most popular hike in Peru.
The first day taught us a few things about the hardiness of Peruvian mountain dwellers. We were only carrying small day packs for the entirety of the trail, with water, a raincoat, our cameras and a few extra layers inside. The rest of our equipment,
such as tents, food and sleeping bags was carried by porters, expert mountain climbers from local communities. These men carry 25kg from campsite to campsite, being the last to leave and the first to arrive. Many only have sandals on their feet and the sight of them rushing past us was quite something. And we were only carrying 6kg!
We stopped for lunch as the rain started to come down and were treated to grilled trout and potatoes! Here we were in a small tent halfway up a mountain with a meal we would be happy to pay for in a restaurant!
The last hour of day one was uphill to the campsite, situated in a wonderful green valley, looking up ominously at the summit we would be climbing the following morning. We enjoyed afternoon tea (with popcorn!), met the porters and chefs and had a great chicken dinner before hitting the sack.
We awoke at 5:30 on day 2, had porridge for breakfast and set out at 6:30. Day 2 is generally considered the toughest as it is 3/4 hours up relentless, steep Inca steps, from 3000m to 4200m, to the top of Dead Woman's Pass.
Inca steps are HUGE (ironic as Peruvian's are very short!) and it was a tough climb. Luckily our previous hiking had prepared us so we managed well, even at altitude. The light rain did not help and made the summit very cold, so we raced down to the next campsite 45 minutes away.
Going down the steps actually proved tougher than going up, particularly in the rain as they became very slippery. Unfortunately the views weren't exceptional because we were in the clouds, though they did clear a bit once we got lower and nearer the campsite.
We reached the site early, around 11:00, so the rest of the day was spent relaxing our aching knees and calves. Fortunately it had also stopped raining! That evening the chefs made us a huge cake, which seemed to go down very well! We certainly felt like we deserved it, though we shared it with the porters as their efforts were far greater than ours.
The third morning we again left at 6:30 (after pancakes!), another early start for the longest but most spectacular day of the hike. 16km of all ups, downs and mercifully even some flat sections! It
began with a steep climb to the ruins at Runkuraqay. In the cold, driving rain we continued to the 2nd highest pass of the hike half an hour away, which provided no views because of the cloud!
We then continued on to the 100 steps up to Sayaqmarka ruins, which Carina climbed as the clouds started to clear. After a quick rest the rain inevitably came down again as we continued along a reletively flat path through the Cloud Forest towards our lunch spot, becoming more miserable as we knew the poor weather was causing us to miss some great scenery we knew was out there. It's called Cloud Forest for a reason!
It continued to rain after lunch, though the whole afternoon was spent descending those ancient, slippery steps so we did eventually leave the cloud above us. Not before passing Phuypatamarka ruins, which were an eerie presence hidden in the mist. By the time we passed the Yunkapata ruins at 2:00 the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out; when we arrived at the last campsite at an hour later we could at last enjoy the wonderful views.
Heeding the warning of "watch
At the first site
Looking at Willkarakay below. out, this is TARANTULA country", we walked 10 minutes to more Inca ruins, Winaywayna. It was an incredible Inca town, built on steep slopes, with views of the valley below us. We headed back to the campsite for last dinner of the trek and another early night, ready for a 3:45am wake up call!
Waking up came and went in a rushed blur so we could get to the queue for the park entrance. We arrived at 4:30 but couldn't enter for a whole miserable hour. The anticipation of being an hour's walk from our destination was hanging over all of us, but we had to wait with a hundred or so other hikers who shared both our exhaustion and excitement. We then began the last 6km of the Inca Trail: flat and easy, with spectacular views to our right and our goal hidden behind mountains ahead. We raced up the 50 (incredibly steep!) steps towards the Sun Gate...and were greeted by jaw-dropping Machu Picchu, perched delicately but regally between two mountains.
48km, four days and three nights, hard rain, steep steps, no sleep and aching knees...and it was utterly worth it. We remained at the Sun Gate
Willkarakay
A few hours in to the trek. for a short while, basking in our achievement and savouring our reward.
We strolled down to the most famous Inca site, took the 'postcard picture' and enjoyed a tour of our prize, all the while feeling a sense of oneupmanship over the flocks arriving by bus. Although they did probably smell better!
We had heard that the best place to view Machu Picchu was from Huaynapichu and the ruins that adorn it. Only 400 people a day are allowed up and for good reason: the steps up are treacherously steep and the ruins themselves hang off the mountainside, ready to catch out anyone searching too hard for the perfect photo. Uh oh!
For us this was the best part of Machu Picchu itself. Seven of us managed to get tickets to climb it (despite being told there were none left!). The climb was punishing after four days hiking, but the views were amazing. We all had a real sense of achievement and awe.
We survived the climb back down; by now we were spent and ready to rest. We caught a bus to Machu Picchu town, then a train to Ollantaytambo and finally a minibus back
to Cuzco. Dinner was quick but it was followed by the best chocolate brownie on earth, so it was worth the effort. Then to bed, and a long and richly deserved sleep...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.04s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.019s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb