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OVERVIEW
The Lost City of Machu Picchu is without a doubt the
most recognizable symbol of Inca Civilization and
knowledge. "The Inca Trail ", as it is known now, was
the Royal Highway that led pilgrims and officials of the
Empire to the Sacred City of the Incas.
INCA TRAIL TO MACHUPICCHU
Machu Picchu …The very name evokes images of a fabulous
lost city, hidden deep in the jungles of Peru. Most
people who visit Peru take a trip to this site, and they
usually
travel there by train from Cuzco , a
wonderful journey by the banks of the Urubamba River, a
tributary of the Amazon, passing beneath towering
mountains and through misty cloud forest. However, there
is another way of reaching the site, and that is by
hiking the Inca Trail over the mountains for four days,
finally descending into the lost city from the Sun Gate
at the end of the fourth day.
To
make a four-day trek, begin at the village of Chilca, 45
kms from Machu Picchu. You’ll have to pay a fee to join
a group, which will consist of up to about 16 people,
plus
tour leader and trek guide and a 30-strong team of
porters and cooks. Your guide will have completed the
trek many times before and will most likely be a
competent authority on the plants, animals, Inca ruins
and other items of interest which you will be seeing for
the first time.
The
route follows the Vilcanota River, another name for the
Urubamba, sometimes by its banks and sometimes on
precipitous paths high above its course. Your guide will
allow you frequent stops to acclimatize to the altitude
and catch your breaths, and will point out to you the
various cactuses, bromelia, fuschia, broom and other
plants that you would not otherwise have noticed. You’ll
be captivated by the magnificent scenery all around you.
Far below in the valley, the river courses its way over
white-water rapids, while opposite, you can clearly see
the terraced mountain sides, and will no doubt marvel at
how the ancient farmers could manage to cultivate what
seems to be no more than narrow strips of land on sheer
mountain faces. Most of the trekking on this first day
will be on undulating ground with a few very steep
ascents.
You’ll arrive at a high ridge late that afternoon and
catch your first glimpse of an Inca ruin, Llactapata,
far below you at this point, though still at a
respectful altitude of 2,700m, catching the rays of the
afternoon sun. This site, like most others, is situated
on a steep slope, and makes extensive use of terracing,
both to prevent erosion and for cultivation. All around
you, the mountains rise to staggering heights, sometimes
shrouded in cloud, other times, clear and starkly
outlined against a deep blue sky. The snow-capped
Nevado Veronica will be in your view for the first two
days. At over 5,000m, it is one of the highest mountains
in the region. Your first campsite is nearby, and you’ll
arrive there, exhausted from the effects of the
altitude. However, the magnificent team of porters will
have arrived ahead of you and set everything up: your
sleeping tents, the dining tent and toilet tent, and
will have prepared a snack for you. They also hand out
basins of hot water to wash with, for which you’ll be
extremely grateful! They’ll then set out to cook your
first evening meal, which you’ll be almost too tired to
eat. You may even catch a glimpse of a condor that
evening, gliding silently overhead.
The
porters are fantastic. They carry absolutely everything
in 25kg packs on their backs! After you set out each
day, they’ll soon catch up and pass you out, even with
their much heavier loads. On the downhill stretches,
they’ll pass you running, in flimsy flip-flops made from
old car tyres, finding no difficulty whatsoever on the
narrow, uneven, steep steps, which will have no mercy on
your knees, even in your trekking boots!
As
there are only about 12 daylight hours in the Tropics,
lasting from about 5.30 am to 5.30 pm, everyone gets up
early to take advantage of the light, so still sleepy
and not fully rested, you’ll be up at sunrise each
morning to start the day’s trek.
The
second day is mostly uphill, as you’ll be heading
towards the highest pass, which you’ll reach the
following day. You’ll stop for a break at Huayllabamba,
the last village on the trail, while you gaze with
trepidation at the track winding steeply uphill ahead of
you. At your lunch break, you may be lucky to meet a
herd of llamas passing by, carrying packs on their
backs. These proud-looking animals, with colourful
ribbons in their ears, are quite curious, and will stop
to stare at you, and obligingly pose for your cameras.
From
here, there’s a 400m climb to your next campsite at
Llulluchapampa at 3,760m. The going is steep and you’ll
be glad to arrive. Far above you lies the pass you have
to tackle the next morning, the “Dead Woman’s Pass”,
which at 4,200m, is the highest point of the trek. This
pass is named for the shape of the mountain to one side,
which looks like the silhouette of a reclining woman.
The temperature falls swiftly once night has fallen, and
you’ll be just about warm enough in your sleeping bags.
The
most challenging day is the third, where you have to
climb about 500m from your campsite to the pass, first
thing in the morning. Due to the exertion of the
previous day, and the increasing effects of altitude,
this 500m will take a few hours to climb, at a very slow
pace. Even the porters will slow down! The effort of
putting one foot in front of the other really takes its
toll and you’ll have to stop for frequent rests. It’s a
tradition on the trek that those who arrive first will
sit at the pass and shout encouragement to those
approaching. Great cheering greets each person who
eventually arrives and joins those already in place.
Quite a few groups will have set out that morning, so
the pass could be a fairly crowded place by the time you
arrive there!
After
a rest and a group photo, you’ll descend almost as far
as you’ve risen, on a steep flight of steps, have a
snack and then ascend to the next set of ruins, a small
oval-shaped site called Runcuracay, used as a resting
place by the Inca travelers. Another ascent and
descent will bring you to the Sayaqmarca ruins on a
rocky promontory, which are accessed by a narrow
stairway. At this height, the weather is constantly
changing, and swirling mist fills the valley below and
blots out the sight of the mountains for a while, only
to lift again a few minutes later, and allow you a view
back over the steep paths you have already taken.
Altogether that day, there will be three steep ascents
and two descents, before you arrive at your campsite,
totally exhausted. You’ll be asleep early that evening!
The
last day starts out with a traditional early morning
wake-up call to watch the sunrise over Nevado Salcantay
which, at over 6,700m, is the highest mountain in the
region. Your path then plunges 900m on narrow, steep,
slippery steps, into the dense humid forest. Far below
you, you can see one of the most well-preserved ruins,
Wiñay Wayna, meaning “forever young”, named after a
lovely orchid.
You
are now on the far side of Machu Picchu mountain, in the
realm of the rain forest, and the beginnings of the
Amazon jungle. Huge, iridesdcent butterflies, tiny
hummingbirds and furry caterpillars will be your
companions on this stretch, as well as an array of
beautiful orchids and other unusual plants. By
lunchtime, you’ll have reached Wiñay Wayna and can spend
some time exploring it. You’ll enter it at one of its
highest points and won’t fail to be amazed at how the
ancient builders had constructed the site on such a
steep slope, incorporating a series of descending pools,
where water would have cascaded from one to the other.
They had also built terracing used for cultivation, and
dwellings with gable ends, set out in neat rows.
Excitement mounts after lunch as you’ll know by then
that you’re reaching the “Intipunku”, or Sun Gate, a
notch in the mountain, where you arrive at
mid-afternoon. This gives you your first view of Machu
Picchu in the distance, not the classic postcard view
unfortunately, but a much wider view taking in modern
buildings and a winding road. However, as you descend,
the modern intrusions disappear from sight, and the
classic view spreads before your eyes. If the day is
clear, the panorama will be fantastic. You’ll feel
privileged to be there, to be actually viewing a place
you’ve read about, and seen in pictures and on TV so
many times. Walk down through the site, and leave the
tour for the next day. That evening, in the town of
Aguas Calientes or “Hot Waters”, you’ll want to
celebrate reaching the end of your journey by taking
advantage of the hot mineral baths to soak away the
aches and pains of the trek in an open-air hot pool.
Next
morning take your tour around the city of Machu Picchu ,
which is really quite a huge site. Your guide will point
out to you the main buildings and temples, as well as
the amazing stonework, consisting of megalithic blocks
cut and shaped so precisely, and fitted together so
tightly, that it would be impossible to insert even a
knife blade between them in places. You’ll also have
some free time to explore by yourselves, or to climb the
peak in the background, Huayna Picchu, before heading
back to Cuzco , or whatever your next destination will
be.
Although this trail is extremely popular, and can at
times be overcrowded, it is a most wonderful experience,
and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with an
interest in the ancient past and the challenge of the
mountains, and who wouldn’t be intimidated by the
effects of high altitude.
As the new permit system (just 500 persons are permitted
to enter to the Inca trail per day and includes
visitors, porters, cooks, and guides.) then reservations
must be done in advance.
MACHUPICCHU RUINS
One
of the most popular archeological sites of the world,
and therefore, the most visited attraction in Peru. The
Citadel of Machu Picchu (in Quechua [an Andean language]
= Old Mountain) is known throughout the world for its
amazing ruins and its unusual location on a high
mountain overlooking the mighty currents of the Urubamba
river.
Even
today nobody has been able to solve the mystery how the
builders and designers managed to transport the huge
blocks of limestone to the top of the mountain required
for the construction of the city. |
