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Magnificent Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
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I have spent the last four days undertaking the classic Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu which was absolutely superb and met all my expectations as one of the world´s great treks. It was pretty physically demanding ... to the point that some people said it was the hardest thing physically they have ever done ... not sure I would go that far but it was certainly tough going at times due to the combination of altitude , steep gradients and for me three pretty sleepless nights. Overall we walked 42km (26 miles) over the four days with 15km on day 1 , 12km on day 2 , 9km on day 3 and 6km on day 4 culminating in our arrival at the awesome Machu Picchu ... and of course there were some major climbs and downhill sections along the way. We had eleven trekkers in our group and once again , as with previous multi-day group activities I have undertaken on my big trip I´m pleased to report we had a great bunch of people - it´s so good how you can bring together randomly people from different parts of the world and they can get along & pretty quickly bond as a group - I guess travellers are a fairly like minded bunch so maybe it´s not that surprising. We had five Americans , two Brits , two Germans , a Kiwi and an Aussie in our group and in addition two tour guides and eleven porters made up our complete trekking party. The fabulous Peruvian porters are undoubtedly the absolute heroes of the Inca Trail - these guys lug 28kg of gear along the trail ... the food , tents , cooking equipment etc that are needed by the tour groups. Apparently in years gone by they used to take up to 50kg of stuff , which is absolutely incredible but thankfully things are more regulated these days . To see the porters in action , bent over with their load but rapidly sweating their way along the trail is both awe-inspiring and also humbling - they cheerfully lead such hard lives ... apparently , especially in high season , some porters finish the four day trek and then start again back on the trail the following day without a day off to rest ... amazing. We heard that the record for covering the Inca Trail (which is basically a marathon distance but with the added factor of the gradients and the altitude) in 3 hours and 45 minutes ... puts our 4 days somewhat to shame :) It´s possible if you want to pay extra to get a porter to carry your rucksack and some people opted for this (having felt the weight of their rucksack I can see why) ... although there was a bit of discontent that these extra porters weren´t actually available on Day 1 which was the hardest day. I wanted to carry all my own stuff along the trail so I packed as light as I could into just my daysack and tied my sleeping bag/mat to the outside ... satisfying to lug my own gear but with hindsight it might actually have been better to take my more comfortable big rucksack as my little daysack has no waist straps to take the weight from my shoulders to my hips - hence I had aching shoulders most of the way. The other stars of our group were the tour guides , especially Sol the main tour guide who was great and the cook who consistently produced fantastically tasty food which was so much appreciated after the efforts of trekking. So then , the trek ... we had a briefing on the Friday night before to get all the info for the trek and then we started at 4.30am on the Saturday morning from Cuzco. I was picked up from my hotel along with a couple of German guys who were also doing the trek and staying at the same hostel as me ... as we walked down to the plaza to catch the bus it was amusing to note some of the nightclubs were still pumping with people still partying ... no Friday night in the bars and clubs for us we´d all got an early night. After we picked up some others from different hostels we drove for about 90 minutes to the village of Ollantaytambo , arriving about 6.15 am for breakfast in a local cafe. Here we were also recommended to buy cheap plastic ponchos in case of rain , walking sticks to help along the trail and coca leaves both for us but also as presents for the porters ... the porters all love to chew the coca leaves as it staves off the effects of altitude and fatigue. After breakfast we drove further for about an hour along a bumpy road with great views of the valley until we reached the famous KM82 (from Cuzco) start point . Here we spent maybe 15 or 20 minutes getting loaded up and organised before finally we set of walking. It´s a relatively short distance to a control point where passports get stamped (we get Inca trail & Machu Picchu stamps) and permits checked before you cross a bridge over the river and get cracking along the trail. The first morning is about five hours walking but it´s pretty gentle going without any steep gradients and the scenery is very nice as you walk through the valley with hills on either side and pass some minor Inca ruins along the way. At about 11am we reached the first major set of Inca ruins "Llactapata" (altitude 2650m) which we could see from high above on a little mirador - these were used as a storage site and set of agricultural terraces which were basically a support centre for the citadel of Machu Picchu. Here we got our first "history lesson" on the Incas / Quechuas from Sol the chief tour guide , herself a Quechua , and took some photos before continuing onwards. We stopped for lunch about 1.30pm at Huayllabamba , which is actually where the majority of groups stop for their first night which makes for them an easy first day but much harder second day ... when you talk to other travellers who have done the Inca Trail they all say the second day is the "killer" day. The reason is that after this campsite there is the notorious climb of 1200m altitude to Warmiwanusca ("Dead-Womans Pass") , which these other groups do all in one go on the second day. Our tour operator , United Mice , chooses to carry on in the afternoon on the first day and climb 700m altitude (ie. over half-way) towards the first pass , which made for us the first day the hardest of all and the second day easier , aswell as meaning we camped in a much better spot ... so to me our approach made a lot more sense. The porters always rush ahead to get to the lunch and camp sites ahead of the group so as to set up the equipment and make food ... it was just so well organised ... so when we arrive the hot drinks and food are always pretty much ready. After a nice lunch at about 2.45pm we set off on the dreaded climb , which is scheduled to take about 3 hours , up a steep gradient (including hundreds of Inca stone steps) to the first pass. Having walked together as a group in the morning the nature of this climb means that people go at very different paces so we were told we can choose our own speed rather than have to stay together. I really wanted to get this worst bit out of the way asap so together with the two German guys we decided to crack on at a good pace and not stop too much for breaks ... we walked steadily , not what I would call rushing , and it was hard work with a fair bit of sweating and puffing but we reached the campsite in about 1hr 45 mins at just before 4.30pm. Was really satisfying to get this climb done and I think we surprised some of the porters by passing them en route (they are carrying a lot more weight than us) so understandably the camp wasn´t ready when we got up there. Over the next hour and 45 minutes the rest of our group arrived in ones and twos , the last ones at about 6.15pm when it was really getting cold and dark. The campsite "Llulluchapampa" (altitude 3700m) was a superb spot with amazing views both up and down and various animals such as llamas and alpacas wandering around the campsite , making for some classic South American images. We had hot drinks and a very hearty dinner before retreating to our tents to get some much needed sleep ... or so I thought. The biggest challenge of the trek for me personally was the lack of sleep at night in the tent which became a pattern over the three days . I would be really tired and fall asleep quickly upon going to bed at around 8.30-9 pm but then be awake at 11pm , realise how cold & uncomfortable I was , have to go outside for a pee and then be kept awake by the infeasibly large number of snorers in our party . No escape from the loud snoring noises when you are all in tents pitched close together and it´s my one pet hate when I am dorming ... I can sleep through most things but snoring really drills into my head and it´s impossible to block out even with earplugs. I think I finally drifted off to sleep about 4am and at 5.30am Sol was around all the tents waking us all up to get started again. Soon shrugged off the tiredness with the superb early morning views and a nice breakfast before we had a little meeting where all the porters introduced themselves to us and us to them ... we took some nice photos and then set of again on the second half of the climb to Dead-Womans Pass (so called because the mountain looks like a woman lying down rather than someone having passed away there). The scond part of the climb worked up a sweat & got us puffing a little but it wasn´t as tough as the first day and once again myself and my German amigos cracked up there pretty quickly in maybe 1hr 15 minutes to await the others who arrived during the next 45 minutes or so ... this is the highest point of the Inca Trail at 4200m and it was immensely satisfying to have got the hardest climb out of the way without suffering too much . Took some nice photos and had a good rest before continuing onwards on a long downhill section ... I actually found the downhills in a way put more strain on the legs than the climbs as it´s really jarring on the knees. We had an early lunch on day 2 at around 11.30 am , again as the day before we lunched at a campsite , "Pacaymayu" , where some groups camp for the night. After lunch we had another climbing section (the second day is basically an "m" shaped walk) in order to reach some more Inca ruins called "Runkuraquay" (altitude 3800m) by about 1pm where we had another "history lesson" from Sol. We continued higher after the ruins up some steps and passing a small lake to finally reach the second pass (altitude 3900m) at about 3pm where we stopped for a rest and some drinks/snacks ... here for most people it was a relief to note that the biggest climbs of the Inca Trail were done - Machu Picchu itself was mostly downhill from here as it is all the way back down at an altitude of 2400m. Then followed a very long downhill section to some impressive Inca ruins called "Sayacmarca" (altitude 3580m) where we had another history lesson , explored the ruins and got some great photos of the cloud-forest covered hills all around ... we could actually see our campsite from here over on the other side of the valley and it was only a relatively short walk of about 30 mins or so to get to camp by about 5.15pm. It was still relatively warm with the sun out which was nice ... it´s good to get you gear unpacked and tent sorted out whilst it´s still light and warm (not like the day before). We had another tasty dinner and a few of us played cards for a while before hitting our tents about 8.30pm where for me alas the same lack of sleep pattern as the previous night ensued. When we were woken up again by Sol at 5.30am I was feeling pretty shattered to be honest but it´s an amazing thing how superb views , fresh air , a good breakfast and getting going walking again can take away the fatigue and I was soon feeling OK again once we were on our way at about 7am. We had a short climb to start the 3rd day , nothing too strenuous by comparison to previous days climbs , followed by a down section which included going through a small "Inca Tunnel" carved into the rock, The rest of the morning was what Sol described as "Peruvian flat" ie. a series of minor ups and downs which was relatively easy going , a good thing given that most of us were feeling some soreness in the legs from days 1-2. After about 90 minutes or so we reached a little mirador close to the top of the third pass where we got some great views across over the mountain range , including the snow-capped Salkantay (where some alternative treks to Machu Picchu pass over) and our first glimpse of "Machu Picchu" mountain (but you cannot see the ruins yet as they are on the other side) . From here it was a really short 10-15 minute walk down to another set of Inca ruins called "Phuyupatamarca" (altitude 3650m) with interesting shaped buildings and a set of steep agricultural terraces in the hillside. Another history lesson , exploration of the ruins and photo shoot followed before after about an hour we were on our way again on a long downhill section with some spectactular views across the jungle-covered mountain peaks and a quite huge set of agricultural terraces carved into the hillside opposite , to which we made our way across to see close up by about mid-day. From the agricultural terrace the views down across the valley and the river way down below were absolutely marvellous. From there it was only about 30 mins walk to our day 3 camp where we stowed our gear in the tents and had lunch about 1pm. This camp site is the last one before Machu Picchu and is easily the most equipped , having it´s own hot showers , bar and restaurant .... flipside of this is that of course it is very popular and the place where all of the tour groups are staying before the early morning trek to finally see what we have all been waiting for . After lunch we made the short walk to the nearby Inca ruins of "Winaywayna" which are easily the most spectacular set we saw along the way , obviously excluding Machu Picchu itself . "Winaywayna" is almost a mini version of Machu Picchu , a very well preserved citadel with houses with sloping roof support sections intact , large agricultural terraces and a set of water fountains which the Incas used for water supply and irrigation. We spent about 90 mins or so exploring the ruins before going back to camp for a hot shower and a cold beer which was sooo good after three days of trekking. Enjoyed a relaxing few hours or so before our final evening meal in the food tent on the trek ... after dinner it was time for a little traditional ceremony with the porters . We had collected some money as a tip , which was presented by Sebastian , one of the German guys , as he had the best Spanish amongst us (having lived for a stint in Barcelona). Then there were handshakes all round with each of the porters before they sang us a song in Quechua ... Sol the Tour Guide had told us this would happen and asked us if some of us could sing a song back .... as everyone slumped lower into their chairs trying to hide , two of the American guys , Adam and Joe , came to our rescue by performing a very funny rap/beat-box number which the porters absolutely loved ... Adam couldn´t remember the rest of the words but the porters were wanting more so he was racking his brains trying to make up some more rap lyrics which they (and us) greatly enjoyed. It all made for a great final night before we hit our sacks early as the following day was a planned 3.30am start for the final march to Machu Picchu. The idea behind getting up so early on the final day was to ensure we were one of the first groups to get going on the trail and hence get better photo opportunities ... so we had breakfast and walked the short distance to the final control point where we arrived at 4.30am. Unfortunately the control point doesnt actually open until 5.30 am so we were basically waiting queuing in the dark as more & more tour groups arrived and joined the line , including one very irritating group who wanted to sing loudly. At 5.20am the control point guys arrived to cheers and applause ... not many people can say they get a standing ovation when they arrive at work each day. After the formalities of the checkpoint we got walking the 6km or so to Machu Picchu ... we were pushing along at quite a pace , the fastest we have walked , and not stopping for breaks (such as to take off layers of clothing as we warmed up) but there were some people literally running past us in desperation to be first to get the views ... all a bit silly really in my view. Some people actually said they thought this last bit was the hardest as we were walking so much faster and there is a climb up some steep steps along the route. At 6am we reached the "Sun Gate" and finally got our first magical sight of the majestic Machu Picchu ... it didnt disappoint and is truly in an extraordinarily breath-taking setting , with the tall mountain of Huayna Picchu behind it and all around jungle-clad moutain peaks with the valley way down below. After our first Machu Picchu photo shoot we continued to walk along for about another 2km along the trail watching the "lost city" get ever closer and larger until finally we arrived at the terrace right above the sight from where you take the famous picture of the site ... naturally we spent a fair bit of time here shooting pics and admiring the ruins before we went down to the entrance to complete more checkpoint formalities (including another passport stamp) and then started our walking tour inside Machu Picchu. The "lost city" itself basically comprises various temples , terraces , plazas , towers , buildings , fountains , sundials and sculptures , all in the typical Inca dry-stone style. Our walking tour lasted a couple of hours after which we had a further couple of hours free time but frankly by this time we were all very tired and most people only stayed for maybe an hour more to get a few more snaps & refreshments before we caught the bus back to Aguas Calientes the little service town about 30 mins away which serves the ruins with hostels , bars , restaurants , shops and so on. We actually chose a good time to leave as there were literally busloads of tourists arriving at the site from Aguas Calientes and the train station ... Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist attraction in Peru. Right outside the entrance to Machu Picchu there is an expensive hotel , which from the outside is fairly ordinary looking , some might even say unattractive ... so we checked on how much it costs to stay there and it ranges from a cheapest room at 666 US dollars up to 1320 US dollars per night ... utterly ridiculous rip-off in my opinion , however nice it might possibly be inside ... but I guess people must pay it or they wouldn´t be able to continue to charge at those levels. We had a well deserved lunch in Aguas Calientes and then caught the train for the 90 minute journey back to Ollantaytambo where a bus was waiting to take us the final way to Cuzco which took another 90 minutes or so. On the train everyone was falling asleep pretty quickly as the four days trekking caught up on us , but in the evening we still summoned up the energy for a fun final dinner and a few drinks as a group in a very nice little restaurant in Cuzco. Overall I´m just so glad I was able to do this trek ... it really adds so much to the experience of Machu Picchu to walk there and enjoy the fantastic views along the way , suffer a little physical discomfort along the way and then enjoy the feeling of satisfaction when you finally arrive ... so much better than joining the tourist hordes on the train. Machu Picchu really lives up to it´s billing as one of the wonders of the world and it´s certainly up there in the overall highlights of this fantastic year I am enjoying.
More thumbnails ...
Where I stayed:
Camping on the Inca Trail
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