Saturday 30th November 2013
Day One: Cusco – Ollantayambo – KM82 – Tarayoc – Ayapata
Rio Urubamba
Start of the trail: KM82
Snow-capped peaks in the distance
View of Patallacta from Willkaraqay
Rio Kusichaka
Rio Kusichaka
Lunch stop
Trail itinerary
The first day started with a 3.45am pick up from our hotel. The journey to the starting point of our trek, KM82, (referring to the distance from Cusco) was around 5 hours and we would stop along the way for breakfast just outside Ollantayambo, close to our destination. KM82 lies on the Urubamba river which runs through the province of the same name; its waters eventually flow into the Amazon River.
The walk started tame from KM82, it was like walking through some very large gardens overlooked by mountains. This was the flattest part of the whole trail and did not last for long. The trail starts to undulate gently pretty soon after that. It’s a short steep hike up to the first archaeological site WIllkarakay, which gave a good view of Patallacta below. The site was a lookout point for soldiers. Patallacta was first inhabited from around 500BC and the area around it still is. While Ruben, our guide, talked to us about the Incas we were surrounded by swallows ducking and diving like fighter jets. The weather was warm and sunny all day.
It was around 4 hours of hiking to our lunch spot at Tarayoc. From the Inca ruins the path ran alongside a tributary of Rio Urubamba, Rio Kusichaka. On arrival to the lunch spot the Green Machines (our team of porters and chefs who would be taking care of us for the duration of the trail) were already there to greet us with applause. They had already set up the dining tent. We were welcomed with a bowl of hot water, a numbered towel (which would be our own for the trip) and soap to wash with before sitting down for lunch. We were told that the towels would be washed each night. I was amazed as I had not expected any of this. The lunch was delicious, the best local food I had eaten on our trip through South America so far. Turns out my first ever camping experience was really glamping!
We had been told at the briefing the night before we started the trail that there were two versions of the trail. Our version set up camp on the first two nights further along the trail than the other. This meant the first two days were longer, containing all of the most difficult uphill stretches and hence harder, but the third day was much easier. Everyone camps at the same site on the last night; 500 people of which 300 are staff (porters and guides) and 200 tourists. The campsites we stayed at for the first two nights were much smaller than the ones earlier in the trail and consequently nicer. Our lunch stop at Tarayoc was the campsite for most other hikers. We had another couple of hours upwards to hike to our campsite after lunch.
The hike to the campsite was uphill the whole way from here and the incline was not gentle making me anxious about the next day, which I knew would be the hardest of all. We hiked 14km on this day, tomorrow would be 16km and steep uphill for the first four hours.
Day Two: Ayapata – Pacaymaya – Chaquicocha
Green machines ready to go
View back down from dead woman’s pass
Dead woman’s pass
Dead woman’s pass
Dead woman’s pass
Descending after dead woman’s pass
Wild flowers
Plant related to the pinapple
Leena and Ismael
Daniel looking over Runkuraqay
Cochapata shrouded in cloud
Cochapata after the cloud clears
Sayaqmarka
Sayaqmarka
Qonchamarka
Sayaqmarka
Sayaqmarka
Sayaqmarka
The Inca Trail
Day two was as described – hard. We woke at 5am to allow time to pack and eat breakfast before heading off. To start the day was a four hour steep, unrelenting, uphill hike to dead woman’s pass, the highest point of the trek at 4215m, 900m above the campsite. The trail was mostly steps. Ruben’s quena echoed through the mountains intermittently but while it may have made it a little easier it was still a killer on the legs. The temperature decreased the higher we got. Towards the end every step seemed a little harder than the last! But we made it.
At the top we took a short break. Shortly after us, a girl arrived and promptly burst into tears. It was freezing and the wind was strong. After some snacks, coca tea and photos, it was two hours and a 600m drop in altitude to the lunch spot at Pacaymaya. After lunch, it was another 2 hours uphill climb to the second pass at 4000m with a short stop at the small Inca ruins Runkuraqay in the middle. From here the campsite was down most of the way. Shortly before, we visited the the Inca ruins Sayakmarka, the most impressive so far. After a wander around, Ruben told us about the Incas obsession with the stars while we were sat around on the very platform they would observe them from. This particular site was occupied mainly by astronomers.
This campsite was the best in the trail. The view was awesome; we were on the edge of a plateau from which we could see all the way into the mountains. By the time we arrived there was only half an hour of daylight left and so we washed with our bowl of hot water as quickly as we could before piling into the tent for dinner. We were treated to warm fresh apple juice with some rum thrown in. Just what we needed after our 11hr day. Over dinner, the rain came down thick and fast. It teased us stopping only briefly. After dinner it was a dash through the rain to the tents before lights out.
Day Three: Chaquicocha – Phuyupatamarka – Wiñaywayna
View in the morning outside our tent
The trail
Inka made cave
Ismael
Aguas Calientes in the distance
Ismael wearing a poncho
Phuyupatamarka
Phuyupatamarka
Phuyupatamarka
The trail
The foundations of the Inka trail are visible here
Leaves of this plant are a deep purple on the underside
Alpaca grazing on the terraces of Intipata
Intipata
Rio Urubamba
Ruben playing his quena
Intipata
Ismael
Wiñay Wayna (forever young) aka Mini Machu Picchu
Mini Machu Picchu
Mini Machu Picchu
We woke to amazing views of the mountains. The clouds came in completely obscuring the view in seconds, and after a few minutes cleared just as quickly. This happened repeatedly over the course of the morning. Today was the easiest day so far. The path was gently undulating to the last pass which was only 80m above the altitude of the campsite and a two hour walk. The path cut through tunnels in the mountain and passed through lush greenery on the mountain side, revealing the deep foundations of the trail itself as well as affording us great views of the high jungle. Shortly after the pass we stopped briefly to explore the site Phuyupatamarka. It was a steep three hour descent from here. Near the bottom we passed through the only partially ‘excavated’ Intipata giving a real impression of how so many Inca ruins were lost under the foliage for centuries.
Hiking today was over by lunchtime where the campsite was set up when we arrived. This was the largest campsite of all and by far the least nice. It had been raining on and off throughout the day, the ground was wet and the result of 500 people all trundling through it was evident. The Inca ruins we had visited grew larger and more elaborate over the course of the trail and sure enough after lunch and we visited the best yet, Wiñaywayna aka Mini Machu Picchu. It was vast; the terraces went on beyond sight. These terraces were smaller as their purpose was not agricultural but rather aesthetic.
Unfortunately that evening myself and four others in the group fell foul of a stomach bug. It was a long and arduous night, I’ll leave it at that.
Day four: Wiñaywayna – Machu Picchu – Huayna Picchu – Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate
Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate
We made it to the Sun Gate!
Getting closer
The postcard picture
It’s all about the journey 😉
The team
We’re really here
Simon & Ruben
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Huanyana Picchu
Huanyana Picchu
Is that a smile?
Daniel & Ismael
View of Machu Picchu from the top of Huanyana Picchu
Ismael trying really hard to smile having made it to the top? 😉
Huanyana Picchu
Huanyana Picchu done!
The last day of the trail began early. We woke at 3am in an effort to make it to the checkpoint before it opened at 5.30 and be at Machu Picchu before it became overrun with thousands of tourists later in the day. The trek to the Sun Gate (where we would get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu) should have been an easy hour and Machu Picchu an even easier hour from there. The numerous uphill stretches towards the Sun Gate certainly were not easy for those of us who had been ill the night before!
Reaching the Sun Gate and finally seeing Machu Picchu triggered feelings of both elation and relief. We sat on the ground with our legs dangling of the edge of the cliff peacefully staring at it for some time, enjoying having finally arrived. It wasn’t just four days I had been waiting to reach here, it was more like 15 years.
Thankfully the next part of the journey really was easy and along the way we caught the famous postcard picture views. Once in Macchu Picchu, Simon walked us through some of the various areas many of which were constructed in the shape of creatures sacred to the Incas such as the condor, snake and puma. Midway through the tour we spotted a pair of powered paragliders flying around above the site much to the envy of us all below. Somewhat hilariously people (including our guides) lost all interest in the ruins and began trying to photograph the gliders. There were a couple of site security staff running around, walkie talkies on fire, looking around at the other tourists and smiling helplessly about the gliders way above.
Although I had originally planned to climb Huayna Picchu, when the time came I decided against it. My stomach was simply not up to a steep one hour upward hike and I didn’t want to risk feeling worse than I already did, given that we were still a long way from the end of the day. Ismael the conqueror however decided he was up to it. He and Daniel (two of the original four who had tickets) stormed their way to the top and back down again! By the end of it Ismael wasn’t feeling so good either. He had kept the stomach bug at bay until now and I was glad for having skipped it.
We all caught the 12.30 bus to Aguas Calientes where we all attempted to have lunch. Some were more successful than others. Most of the group had to head back towards Cusco that afternoon. Ismael and I were staying in Aguas Calientes for the night which turned out well since neither of us were in good shape for the long journey back. We headed to the hostel, showered for the first time since leaving Cusco and then slept for a full 16 hours!
Day five: Aguas Calientes – Cusco
Trains run right through the main central street in town
Main Square
Main Squre
Main street
Rio Kanuta (Rio Urubamba upstream)
We woke at around 8.30am, too late to hit the hot springs but with no regrets (we had been told by Ruben that they became crowded and unpleasant after around 7.30am). Ismael had powered up over night and was feeling himself again, I was not. We had a relaxing day before our train, playing some pool, having a wander around the tiny town and then headed back.
On the way back to Cusco we saw some of the others we had done the trail with and heard new reports of stomach issues. Once back in Cusco we had an hour before we were due to meet the rest of the group for our last drinks together. In that time we managed to find a nicer hostel, see a doctor and go to the pharmacy! All in all a pretty productive and enjoyable evening.
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