The Inca Trail
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| We start the Inca Trail at kilometer 82 |
Last week Andrea and I started what used to be a sacred pilgrimage, in the Inca times, towards Machu Picchu by way of the ancient Inca Trail. This narrow road through the Andes from Cusco to Machu Picchu, was reserved for only the nobility of the Inca civilization. Last week we were able to follow in the footsteps of the nobility of the ancient civilization of the Incas.
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| Inca ruins on the river Urubamba, and train to Machu Picchu |
We started the journey to Machu Picchu from kilometer 82, and hiked the last 42.5 km of the pilgrimage. The first day was a long but not too difficult 16 km hike. We quickly past Inca ruins visible on the other side of the Rio Urubamba. The site which was not on the Inca Trail was believed to house weary travelers on the way to Machu Picchu. As we continued our walk we made our way through small Quechau settlements.
8 km into our pilgrimage we came across Llactapata. Llactapata is a site that is said was a "resting place and roadside shrine" for the high class Inca travelers on there way to Machu Picchu. It's farming terraces were most likely used to provide food for Machu Picchu, which would have been transported by llamas. The site also may have hosted military for the militaristic civilization.
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| View of Llactapata |
After lunch we started to receive some heavy rain. Rain gear and ponchos were put on as we started to climb up hill to our first campsite. We hiked the last 300 m up to Ayapata where we camped on night 1, our porters were already setting camp. They make amazing time on the trail, each carrying 27kg (60 lbs) on there shoulders. Each day they would run past us with all their weight. Incredible.
Day 1: 16 km, 600 m up.
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| Fog shrouded mountains, seen from our campsite |
We woke up the first morning to the site of beautiful lush, fog shrouded peaks of the Andes. A view that was obscured by rain and cloud from the previous eve.
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| Glimpse of sun at Dead Womens Pass, elevation 4215 m |
We set out on day 2 of the Inca Trail. We all knew that today would be tough. Our trail today took us past "Dead Womans Pass", 1000 m above our current campsite. This would be followed by a steep and quick 700 m drop, and another 400 m climb followed by another 400 m drop.
It did not take long after we left for our porters to dismantle the campsite and run by us on the grueling uphill with all their weight. They would be waiting for us on the other side of the pass with lunch ready. An amazing feat of strength and endurance.
As we forced ourselves up to the peak of the pass there was a celebratory moment emphasized by a moment of clarity in the fog that gave us a clear view of the amazing sites around us. And then it was gone, signalling us to move on before the rain hit, making the steep stairs down even more treacherous. At lunch we waited for our group to show up before leaving for our next campsite. With one member very sick, and for times being carried by our guide, and with another member struggling on the uphill in the altitude (at 4300 m a short walk can feel like a marathon). With the hours counting down, and a member still missing our group split up. We needed to get to the next site before dark. Some faster members waited for
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| Hiking to the second pass of the day |
the last member. Just before dusk we reached the next Inca site, Sayacmarca. Our campsite was close and dusk was coming. A hundred steep steps took us to the Inca site which literally means "Inaccessible Town". The site is surrounded by cliffs and is quite inaccessible other then by going up the 100 steps.
Another half an hour brought us to our next campsite, and the view was covered by clouds, and it soon began to rain. Although those who had waited at lunch had reached the site before dusk, our last member was still out there.
Well into the night, pouring rain, our final member, and guide finally arrived to the cheers of the team. The dark rainy trek down the thousands of steps would have been tough and treacherous. We were excited for their arrival.
Day 2: 12 km, 1500m up, and 1100m down.
The third day of our trek brought us upon 2 Inca sites both very large and unique. The first site, Intipata,"Town of the Sun" was laden with farming terraces, used as an agricultural site for Machu Picchu, also likely had a strategic military function as well. An amazing view! It also boasted llamas which were pretty playful. Why does the llama want to kiss me? I guess I'm just that good looking...(Andrea here, he goaded the starving llama with apples the animal was desperate). Before leaving a glance up at the ruins showed the silhouette of one very black llama, standing amongst the ruins watching our group descend to our last campsite.
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| Sayacmarca, "Inaccessible Town" |
One last short day hike brought us to another large set of ruins, Winay Huayna. The site whose name means "forever young" in Quechua, will have housed many Inca people and been used to produce food for Machu Picchu. This site boasted some very unique and ingenious bath houses. As dusk hit we headed back to camp to prepare for the final day.
Day 3: 9km, and a drop of 1 km.
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| Intipata, "Town of the Sun" |
The final day would start at 3 am. There would be a queue of groups waiting at the guard house to enter the final stage of our pilgrimage. As we woke up we quickly got ready, downed breakfast and headed out to the guard station.
The camps around us still slept as we stole through the night to secure our spot, to be the first group which would mean the first group to see Machu Picchu through the sun gate. A short walk secured our place in the queue as well as allowed us to have shelter as the rain poured down on those who started to
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| Winay Huayna, "Forever Young" |
trickle in behind us. Now we wait for the ranger to open the gates for the final leg. Despite the lack of sleep there was an energy in the groups as they waited.
At 5:30 am the gates were opened, and our group set a quick pace fueled by adrenaline down the narrow path towards the sun gate a short 3 km away.
As we arrived at the sun gate, designed to allow the sun to rise directly through the gate and into machu picchu during the summer solstice, our pilgrimage to Machu Picchu had come to an end. We had completed the 40 km section of the Inca Trail that we set out on. Machu Picchu was just 2.5 km from the sun gate.
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| Fog shrouded view from the sun gate |
Normally we would have walked through the sun gate to a beautiful view of the sacred Machu Picchu but at this time of year the mountains are shrouded with fog in the morning. So we descended the last stairs, and down the last 2.5 km to enter the city. We had completed the holy pilgrimage taken only by the upper class of the Incas, to the sacred city of Machu Picchu.
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| Machu Freaking Picchu! |
As we explored the city, the fog burned off. We had one more leg to our journey and the view would be the clearest view we have had during the whole trek. Huayna Picchu. Only 1500 more narrow stairs cut straight up into the mountain (going down these would prove tougher then going up) stood in our way of getting to the inca site built into the mountain overlooking Machu Picchu with a 360 degree view of the breathtaking Andes. We had arrived, our last breathtaking view on the Inca trail was the best one.
Incredible.
After thorough exploration it was time to catch our train back home. Upon reflecting on our journey, I can't help but to have a deep appreciation for the Inca people who would take this journey through the mountains, all the way, not just 42.5 km, and for the incredibly organized set up of the Inca people. It was only incredible luck and bad circumstances that allowed the Spanish people to conquer the Incas.
