The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu- where to begin? Two of THE iconic activities and attractions of the entire South American continent, they are MUST SEE’s on any traveler’s list when touring Peru. I had been looking forward to the 4 day trek and my visit to the citadel in the sky ever since booking the trip waaayyyy back in May. Finally, almost 5 months later, I found myself sitting in the lobby of my hostel in Cusco- the capital city of the Inca Empire- waiting for my trekking company to pick me up. Yes it was early (6am), and sure, the Beatles cover band that played at the hostel the night before had kept me up significantly later than I had intended, but still, I was ready to hit the trail…
Day 1: Day 1 was an easy introduction to the Inca Trail. After a 3 hour bus ride and a quick stop off in the small town of Ollantaytambo for breakfast and last-minute supplies, the bus drove our group of 16 along a winding trail to a country outpost. We gathered our gear, sorted out sleeping bags and other camping essentials, and then headed to the first checkpoint of the Inca Trail. Once we had all shown our passports and had our permits stamped, we set off along the rocky track, our guides Edwin and Jimmy leading the way. It was pretty easy going that first day- a little up, a little down- ‘Peruvian Flat’ as the locals like to call it… We saw a couple of Inca sites from a distance, had an amazing lunch, and then hiked up to our first campsite. We got in pretty late in the afternoon, and the valley got COLD once the sun went behind the mountains. I was glad when hot tea was served, and then a huge dinner a bit later on. We were all very pleasantly surprised by the food- it was DELICIOUS, and there was lots of it… After having our fill, it was one more cup of tea before quickly crawling into our warm sleeping bags- a 5am wake-up call and the massive climb up to Dead Woman’s Pass was looming just over the horizon on Day 2 of the Inca Trail…
Day 2: Day 2 is commonly acknowledged as being the most difficult day of the Inca Trail- mainly because the first section of trail heads straight up to an altitude of 4,200m, finally reaching it’s pinnacle at Dead Woman’s Pass. A daunting sight when first climbing out of your tent at 5am. After a hearty breakfast, we shouldered our packs and set off on the long hike up to the pass. Fortunately, it was a perfect day for hiking- no rain, cool temps, and a bit overcast, which helped keep the sun from roasting us as we ascended the trail. Slow and steady was the mantra, and as our group made its way up the mountain side, discussion and banter became scarce as the air thinned out. We stopped several times for water and rest, each time peeking back down the trail to see the valley opening up below. It was INCREDIBLE- the scenery, as well as how far we had climbed in that morning… Insane. Eventually, we made it to the pass, running the final few steps in celebration. It had turned into a gorgeous day, and the view from the pass was awesome. Photos, videos, a few moments to take it all in (and catch your breath…), and then it was time for the long hike down the other side of the pass. Knees knocking, quads shaking, step after seemingly-unending Inca Step, we made our way down into the valley and made camp by around 130pm. And just as well, as it started raining about 20 minutes later- unfortunately for those that were still up on the trail. I couldn’t imagine how slippery the rocks would’ve been with that rain coming down- it would’ve been significantly more difficult, and much more dangerous as well. Still, the rest of the crew made it down safely, and to their credit, they all had smiles on when they made it to the dining tent. A late lunch, a few hands of cards, and before we knew it, it was time for dinner, and then off to bed. We raised a toast of a locally made warm rum drink, and then all headed off to bed, happy and EXHAUSTED from the long day on the trail.
Day 3: Day 3 was pretty difficult as well- as any stretch of trail nicknamed ‘The Gringo Killer’ would be… We were up at 5am again, and knew we had a full day of hiking to make it to the final campsite before our arrival at Machu Picchu the following day. Once again, we had a hearty breakfast, and then headed out onto the trail. The first section was pretty much straight up the side of the mountain- we had seen the path the previous afternoon, and knew that the hard work would come straight away in the morning. Again, slowly but surely, we made our way up through the cloud forest and on through the second pass of the Inca Trail. After a brief rest and a lesson on the ceremonial method of chewing traditional coca leaves, we were off once again, plunging down the other side of the pass and into the valley below. It was a GREAT day of hiking- incredible views, amazing Inca sites, ever-changing foliage and landscape- just a beautiful day of hiking, and probably my favorite day on the trail. We had lunch on a peak of another mountain, followed by a brief ceremony in which we got to meet all of the local porters that were assisting us along the trail. Some of them were in their 60s(!), carrying MASSIVE packs full of food, tents, sleeping bags, and other camping equipment along the trail for us. If not for them, hiking the Inca Trail would be impossible… We thanked them all, and after a few group photos, were back on the trail. We hit a few impressive Inca sites in the afternoon, one of which we had completely to ourselves. It was incredible- once again, I found myself trying to imagine what these places would’ve been like at the peak of their civilization, but as always, it was impossible. Just impossible to fathom how these places were built, and what they looked like in their prime… After a few hours of soaking in the scenery, we made out way down to the final campsite, had an early dinner, and headed to bed. It was a 330am wake up for the final stretch up to Machu Picchu, and we all wanted to make sure we were rested up for our visit.
Day 4: Day 4 started out well before 330am for our group… It was raining- HARD- all night long, with cracks of thunder rumbling through the valley, and flashes of lightning illuminating the inside of the tent. Needless to say, sleep wasn’t that easy to find, and before we knew it, the porters were knocking on the tents, trying to coax us out into the downpour- not an easy task. Still, we knew we had to get going, so we donned the rain gear, broke out the backpack covers, and climbed out into the soggy darkness. We had a quick breakfast in the Dining Tent, and then had to file down to the final checkpoint, which we then realized didn’t even open until 530am… We had to stand there, in the rain, in the dark, for over an hour, before even being able to start the final stretch of trail.. I’m still not sure why they do things that way, but needless to say, we were not very happy standing there in the rain… Nevertheless, we WERE on our way to Machu Picchu, and the sky was brightening up. Thankfully, the rain stopped, and as the line began to pass through the checkpoint, we were all anxious to get up the trail. Once our group had passed through, it was a free-for-all trying to get up the final 3 kilometers to the Sun Gate, where we would get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Honestly, I think that was the most difficult section of the Inca Trail for me, solely because of the PACE at which we were climbing the trail. A couple of girls in our group were pretty avid hikers, so we filed in behind them, and made our way past the two or three other groups that had been in front of us in line at the checkpoint. Finally- panting for air, dripping with sweat, and begging for water- we made it to the Sun Gate, and like THAT- everything else just faded away. We had MADE IT- there was Machu Picchu, the fabled Inca citadel, spread out on the peaks below us. There was a light mist hanging in the valley, giving the place a mystical feel typical and unique to such historic sites. It literally took our breath away… We had to sit and marvel for a few moments, but as more people began to arrive, we realized that we needed to get a few pictures in before the hoards of other trekkers overran the Sun Gate. It wasn’t long before that became reality, and our group started the long trek down into the city.
The morning went all too quickly- first we had to check our big backpacks, and then we began our guided tour of Machu Picchu. Edwin explained much of the architecture and symbolism of the site, but the crazy thing about Machu Picchu is that most of what we ‘know’ about it is actually just theory- there is no written record of the site, the Spanish Conquistadores never found it, and it went largely unnoticed until Hiram Bingham ‘discovered’ the site in 1911. Since then, the site has remained shrouded in mystery, as there is no definite answer to what it’s purpose was, who lived there, and why or when it was abandoned. The only clues lie in the exquisitely carved and crafted stonework of many of the building, which was typically reserved for royal palaces and places of religious activities in other Inca sites. Regardless of the mystery, the place is INCREDIBLE- a massive city of stone impossibly built on the peak of a mountain. As other places of such magnitude- words cannot describe…
After our tour, we had a couple of hours of free time to wander around the ruins, check out places that weren’t on the tour, and rub shoulders (quite literally) with the thousands of other tourists at the site. Unfortunately, we were all pretty exhausted from the long night of rain and the EARLY morning, so it took a tremendous effort to hike around the site. Still- for most of the group, this was their only day at Machu Picchu, and they had to make the most of it. Finally, we had to make our way to the buses and down the mountain to the town of Aguas Calientes below- our sending-off lunch was set for 2pm, and those heading back to Cusco had to be on the train by 630p. A huge pizza, several well-earned beers, a few final rounds of cards, and then it was time for me to say goodbye to the rest of the group- I had booked a bed in a hostel for a night in Aguas Calientes and a return to Machu Picchu the next day. I knew a dead-tired half-day at the site would not be enough to do all the exploring I wanted to do. I said my goodbyes, found my hostel, had a quick bite to eat, and then hit the sack. I knew I had a LOT to see the next day, and my legs needed some rest before one last visit to Machu Picchu.
Day 5: I got up around 8am, had breakfast, and then caught the bus back up the mountain to the entrance gates of Machu Picchu. I had booked a ticket to climb the neighboring peak of Huayna Picchu at 10am, so had about an hour or so to wander around the site before starting the climb. Huayna Picchu was AWESOME, well worth the effort of the climb. Getting to the peak provides unique views of Machu Picchu, and a great view of the valley and surrounding areas as well. True, my legs were feeling it, but again, it was well worth it. That was just the beginning of my day- I was DETERMINED to do everything I possibly could while at the site. To be honest, I think I saw EVERY stone, temple, cavern, and terrace there was to be seen at Machu Picchu that day. Climb Huayna Picchu? Check! Climb down the back side of Huayna Picchu to see the Temple of the Moon and the Grand Caverna? Check! Climb back UP the massive staircase to the summit of Huayna Picchu? Check! Climb the smaller peak of Huchuy Picchu? Check! Hike up ALL of the terraces and around to the impressive Inca Bridge? Check! Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor, the Casa del Inca, The Observatory, Temple of the Three Windows, the Royal Baths- CHECK! Honestly, by the time 5pm rolled around, I was the most exhausted I have been in a LONG time- but it was that magical kind of contented, elated, well-earned exhaustion. I snapped a few final photos, and said my final farewell to the citadel of Machu Picchu. I fell asleep on the winding bus ride back down to town, had a quick shower and a bite to eat, and then it was time for the train back to Cusco.
Hike the Inca Trail and visit Machu Picchu- CHECK!!! Another AMAZING adventure for the The Backpack Professor…
For more information on hiking the Inca Trail, visiting Machu Picchu, and traveling through Perú, click here.
For more on The Backpack Professor’s travels through Perú, click here.
