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Published: January 8th 2006
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I did the Classic Inca Trail, 4 days 3 nights with a Peruvian company called Q´ente. The trek starts at Kilometre 82 we then walk the 36Km to Macchu Picchu (the full Inca Trail actually starts in Cusco).
Day 1
Early start and I get to meet the other people in the group, Katharine and Laura both Brits. So in total we 3 Trekkers, 1 Guide (Himay), 1 Chef and 8 Porters!! Yes we do feel like we’re lording it a little with all those Porters. The bus drops us at Piskacucho, Km82 and we start the trek in picturesque green Andean valleys. We arrived at a camp site for lunch to find bowls & towels to spruce up with and a three course meal ready in the dining tent. Fantastic. The afternoon walking was a little more tough in the heat, at this point I start to hope I haven’t packed too much (if you cant wait for the answer its a big YES, see day 2). Mid afternoon we arrive at the camp site for the night, tents already put up and enjoy afternoon tea and popcorn!
Campsite : 2991m
Day 2
I can only describe
day 2 as
PUNISHMENT really bad punishment. So we get woken about 5:30am with hot Coca tea and Pancakes, very nice then start off around 6:30am, not my favourite time of the day by a long shot. We first stop off at a check point where I get to weigh my pack, 15Kg fcuk its heavy. The girls wisely chose to hire a porter for there stuff. As the day goes on the 15Kg starts to feel like 15tonnes. For the next 5 hours all we do is climb 1200m, from
2990m to 4200m. I'm beaten by 8:30am, every break we take is a joy. I get my hopes up around 10am that we’re nearly there but it’s only a false pass, we continue, I struggle. I’m now lagging the group and not just stopping for a break anymore but lying down on every opportunity. At last I can see the peak but it doesn’t help, what does help is seeing many fellow trekkers who also choose to carry large packs struggling aswell, nothing like a bit of collective pain. I decide to get rid of all non essentials, the extra water and biscuits go Himay takes the bottle of
the Vodka & Coke. Laura drops back for moral support, it helps.
Dead Women’s Pass : 4200m
But I make the peak, Dead Women’s Pass 4200m and celebrate by lying down for a minute. The view of the valley below is fantastic, its also really cold up here. We don't stay long before starting the descent, only a few snaps and time Himay to enjoy some of the Vodka and Coke. I’ve been looking forward to this all morning thinking downhill would be easier but it bloody well isn’t its hard work too, in the end I find jogging down is much easier than trying to walk it.
note to self : next time pack light and you don’t really need two hefty books and a phrases book do you. They just hurt.
Lunch : 3600m
Arrive at the lunch campsite a broken man, my legs and shoulders are fine its the stomach which is the most tied. Some groups are spending the night here, unfortunately we’re not. The afternoon is a 400m climb followed by a 400m descent through the cloud forest. I´m really starting to hate the Incas and their stupid trail at this point,
I didn’t pay for this its not fun. Mid-avo we arrive at another Inca ruin Himay is keen to tell us all about. By now I couldn’t give a toss and proceed to lye down until we have to move on. Special thanks for Katharine and Laura for listening to the tour and even asking questions, I did feel guilty but really needed to lye down on the cold damp concrete for a while. We arrive at the camp for the night around 4ish. I go to bed. Game Over.
What a day 14Km, +1200m, -600m, +400m, -400m!
Campsite : 3584m
Extra special note about the Porters, they each carry around 22Kg with no special packs just ropes and bags!They have to break camp after we leave then carry it all to the next site and have it ready for our arrival. Its really something seeing these guys bounding along the trails carry all that equipment. They really are hard as nails.
Day 3
Now this is more like it, an easier 8am start followed by great scenery, easy trekking and all over by 11:30. We end up sitting at another Inca site (I wasn’t listening
to the tour today either) for over an hour, amazing view overlooking the Umbamba River and Valley and all in the glorious sunshine. The camp for the last night has a bar and a shower!!! Wwho! the three of us enjoy a few cold beers to celebrate.
Campsite : 2864m
Day 4
4:30am wake up call its raining, by 5:15am were in Ponchos queuing at the entrance to the Macchu Picchu Park, maybe 2 or 3 groups in front us and plenty behind. The gate opens at 5:30am and we all storm off. Around 6:30am we reach the Sun Gate for our first view of Macch Picchu, we get about 30s before it becomes engulfed by clouds. More walking and we arrive at Macchu its 7:30am still raining, were soaked and all you can see is clouds. The team is not happy. Himay correctly spotting that after 4 days of trekking we had hoped for a little more than clouds and starts willing the wind on. it starts working! Good man. Fairly soon the clouds lift and we can get a glimpse of Macchu for the first time. By 9ish the sun is out the rains stopped the
clouds are gone and Macchu Picchu is there to see, hallelujah! we get the full guided tour. Great stuff. Its a big Inca site with plenty of areas and terraces to explore aswell as a few Lama´s wandering around for good measure. Katharine and I decide to climb Wiynapicchu, mainly because we’ve come all this way so we better do it. Well worth the effort the view is fantastic. The climb is pritty tricky with lots of sharp drops and slippery steps, you have to sign in and out so they can workout who doesn´t make it back. They really don´t go for Health & Safety much in Peru.
Macchu Picchu : 2438m
Macchu Picchu is interesting because it was pritty much abandoned before it was even complete, probably due to Spanish invaders. As the Inca’s didn’t keep many records not that much is actually known about it or how it was used. Even the name Macchu Picchu was given to the site by local farmers, not its original name. One of the main things I didn’t get about the Incas, why did bother to go all the effort of creating terraces on the side of mountains for
farming when a valley floor is much easier?!? (answers on a postcard please)
We then head down to the Aguas Calientes still slightly damp but happy and take a very slow train back to Cusco.
All in all really great fun and a thoroughly enjoyable experience!
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Rob Meades (rob@meades.org)
non-member comment
Found you out
You're playing for sympathy in Day 2, but in Day 3 http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/9550/32841/t/169636-Day-3--More-Views-0.jpg we can clearly see the cable-car wires in the picture. You just rode up didn't you? Go on, admit it, no-one would be silly enough to walk a load of books up MachuPicchu. :-) Seriously, the pictures are marvellous. Wow. Rob