Inca Trail 26 March to 29 March 2008
WOW! It really is very hard to know what to write. I must admit, I was expecting it to be a bit of a walk, some difficult bits, not much to see but ruins with Macchu Picchu as the big prize at the end that I wasn´t really interested in.
Well, I was wrong on most of that!
The walk is amazing, especially as we were lucky to have fine weather all the way. There are outstanding views of mountains, rivers, forests, birds, more flowers than you can shake a western australian at, and different sorts of ruins along the way.
Our walk was made so much better by our guide, Alvaro, who knew all the official stuff, but added his own interpretations to things, that often sounded more plausible than people like Hiram Bingham who exposed Macchu Picchu (MP) to the outside. I must admit I built up a probably unfair picture of Hiram Bingham as an arrogant thief. More research needed.
Not much of the walk was all that hard (as you said Chris) but the last 400m up Dead Woman´s Pass was difficult - more below.
Day 1 - Bus to start and about 12km walk.
The bus was interesting as it climbed up the hills of Cusco and we could see what life was like at 7am with school kids already going to school. Then we descended into a valley passed the town of Uramba (?) where they grow lots of crops and seems like quite a big place. Basically were were going in to the Sacred Valley, and we were glad we had not done tours there from Cusco, as then we´d just be going a second time! Further on to Ollantaytambo which is a small place with a lovely central square and very narrow streets off it and Inca ruins on the surrounding nearby hills. We didn´t visit the ruins but Alvaro told us about them and what they probably were. After that we went along a VERY narrow road, heading for the start of the track at km82. This road was so narrow that often the bus had to backup for ages to let another bus or car or truck pass coming the other way. Finally we arrived, got water, took photos, and headed off over the train line and the bridge over the Urumbaba River to the start of the track. Alvaro stopped on the other side and talked to us about several of the plants and how they were used for various natural medicines, and finally we started walking.
There were many cactuses, usually of the ear-shaped type, with orange prickly pear fruit, which we tried down the track - and SO many flowers of different types and colours. The track was a bit up and down but fairly easy. At regular intervals along the way we passed villages, of maybe only a few houses, where they sold water, lollies and other things, but would only take coins. Alvaro knew all the names of the plants and flowers and what they were used for (if anything). He had been guiding for 10 years, and often does back-to-back trips (his poor knees and back).
We were carrying a day pack, I think Eva´s weighed 3kg and mine 6.5kg (a lot of both was water). The rest of our stuff, all the food, tents, sleeping bags, mats, gas bottles etc was carried by porters. The were unbelievable and now that they were regulated were limited to 30kg each. From behind they looked like a load on short legs. They often preferred to wear sandals (so they said) and usually just bundled all the stuff into a blanket thing and carried it on their backs. As if THAT wasn´t amazing enough, when it came to downhill they usually ran. When it came to uphill they were always faster than anybody.
Our first campsite was at Wayllabamba in a small grassy area behind a mud brick low walled structure. There was a toilet there as well.
Our group was a group of 4, but in the evening we shared with another group of 11 or so that we ate with and camped with, and ideal combination.
The food was 4 star, really. Lots of meat, veggies, rice, soup, salad, dessert, tea coffee. When we would arrive at camp there were washing bowls with soap for each of us and a smiling porter to give us a towel to wipe our hands. There was more food than you could stuff into a hungry Ben and each breakfast, lunch and dinner was innovative and different. So good.
Along the track Alvaro told us lots of things, saying the Inca Trail was used by important people only and there were other tracks for townsfolk. I cannot remember the names of all the places but at one point we came over a grassy knoll and there below us nestled in the curve of the river was a lovely looking ruin with its terraces that housed about 150 people (Llactapata?).
We also stopped in a farmhouse and saw guinea pigs running around in the kitchen (they really are dumb animals) with chooks in the yard and kitchen too.
As the evening got darker, sitting in our tent we looked down a classic v shaped green valley with snow capped mountains in the distance slowly being consumed by high cloud, and we thought, yes, this was a good thing to do.
Day 2 - Dead Womans Pass
This was to be the hardest day, and I guess it was, but not too bad. We woke at 5:15am as it was better to walk in the cool, and we were formally introduced to the porters before breakfast. Oh yes, the wakeup method is to bring around boiling water, a selection of teas (coffee, choc) to get you going. This day was difficult due to the steep climb up and steep descent, but more because the pass is at 4200m and you start from about 3000m, then you have the descent to about 3600m after.
We finally got going at 7:15am when you go through a checkpoint (5 mins from camp) and we each walked at our own pace as some people need to rest at different points. The walk usually takes between 3 and 5 hours we were told. It rises slowly at first through some forest, following a river, then into more dense forest before coming out above the tree line I suppose and keeps going up, up (but not away). There were many people on the track, but many were resting, and regularly you had to make way for the porters who were faster than anyone and carrying a heavy load. We saw many flowers and mosses and a couple of hummingbirds.
Eva liked to take a couple of short breaks, but I only stopped to regain my breath (closer to the top) as I find if I take a break, my muscles refuse to start up again! We did the walk together though, and only at one point did I wait for Eva as I wanted to point out the snow capped mountains behind us. It was strange that at the beginning Eva found it hard to get going and at the end (the last 400m) she was VERY strong and I was getting stuffed. It is the only part of the walk that I have sweated as much as an hour long hard squash game. The trail surface varied from uneven rocks, uneven steps (some very big) to smooth dirt (not much of that). I usually walked zig-zag up, looking for the lowest point in the step to go up.
We made it up to Dead womans pass in 2 and three quarters hours - not a race, but it was more than an hour before another of our extended group got there. It was quite cold up there, and we gave an offering to the mountain of 3 coca leaves and three stones that we´d carried from camp. We stayed about 30 mins looking at the view and the others struggling to get up. The view was spectacular, and I hope I´ll get to put up some photos soon to show you.
After eating some of our scroggin, we headed down the steep descent towards our camp at Pacaymayu - the best campsite of the trail. We took it VERY slow, not so much because of my knees which were pretty stuffed, but because there were SO many flowers! Also, we´d stop and watch as the porters came down, running from rock to rock. I just could not believe it!
We arrived in camp at 11:45, and it would be over 2 hours before the next of our extended group did, and 4 hours before we were all together. The campsites cater for about 150 people and this one was on a small river and was on different levels. Our tents were setup at the lowest level, and while lying in the tent we looked out to a beautiful valley that had clouds swirling up to the very high mountains at the back. The scene would change every 5 mins, and it was so peaceful there, especially early on when there were hardly any people there.
When we arrived, we were pretty stuffed, and just lay in our tent for a few mins to relax, and a porter brought us a refreshing drink - they are SO good (have I told you that?). We saw so many birds, washed a bit in one of the smaller streams and relaxed. At night after the again amazing 5 star dinner, we came out and saw the milky way and so many stars on the moonless night. It was a strange feeling being in a "foreign" place and seeing the southern cross!
That night the snoring in the next door tent did not disturb us as we were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the stream and the scream of our muscles.
Day 3 - long day but easy
Today was to be a long day but not too much climbing as we went though another pass but much lower than Dead Woman. Starting at 6am for wakeup TIT (tea in tent) to have breakfast and walk 18km with a rise of 200m, fall of 200m, slight rise then a descent of 1000m and lots of Inca ruins along the way. We saw messenger way-stations as well as ceremonial places, water temples where the water is channelled to where they want it, many trapezoidal niches for idols or mummies and a path that lead into the jungle to where the Incas went when they abandoned Macchu Picchu. It was interesting, and informative. We saw many orchids and a lake as well. It was a good day but it was long. We passed through a cool damp bamboo forest with lots of mosses and orchids. I think we really liked the forested bits, and the mountain views best. Alvaro told us lots of history about the Incas, the Quechuans, the Spanish invaders and more. It was all very interesting, but I have not retained very much of it (a lot is in my diary, and maybe one day I´ll read more, but I doubt it).
At the end of this day my knees were really stuffed as I knew they would be going downhill that much. It was fun watching the porters again too.
The last campsite had a brick building and music, hot showers, lights, beer, strippers, shops (OK, not strippers). We didn´t like it much, and preferred the camping in the wild, but the hot shower was good.
Day 4 Sun Gate.
The Sun Gate is a small collection of Inca ruins (like a few walls) that sits on a ridge and at the winter solstice, the sun rises here and shines through a window in the Sun Temple in Macchu Picchu itself.
We woke at 3:40am (no TIT this morning), packed bags, got ready, had breakfast and went to line up at 5am at the control point that opens at 5:30, so we could be one of the early groups to walk the 2 hours or so to the sun gate and get the first view of MP. Our group was running a bit late, but we got going at 5:45. The track is fairly narrow and daylight was just starting and it was not possible to overtake people, but by not having a rest, we eventually got very near the front. There were some very steep stairs, but mainly it was a pretty even path. I was still waking up, but did see some ferns, mosses, flowers on the way.
Again the day was clear and when we got to the Sun Gate it was a thrill to see MP below us - I didn´t think it would be. Within 5 or 10 mins of getting there, the fog rose and you could not see anything! Then 10 mins later it was clear again. Amazing.
We walked 1 or 2 hours (can´t remember) to MP and Alvaro took us on a 2 hour tour of the site. I won´t try to reproduce it here but it was very interesting, esp. his (and others) theories that the many terraces there were not for food, but were for gardens. When Bingham arrived in 1911, lead by local farmers, there were people living there as farmers and growing crops. As a side, when he "discovered" the sun temple, there was a note on a rock from a Peruvian explorer some few years earlier - but Yale still has the treasures.
The weather changed to the worse in the mid-morning, so we did not climb the small hill behind MP called Waynapicchu, but went back into town (Aguas Calientes) and relaxed.
We climbed Waynapicchu and went over the top to the temple of the moon and grand cave, but that´s for next time.
Well, I was wrong on most of that!
The walk is amazing, especially as we were lucky to have fine weather all the way. There are outstanding views of mountains, rivers, forests, birds, more flowers than you can shake a western australian at, and different sorts of ruins along the way.
Our walk was made so much better by our guide, Alvaro, who knew all the official stuff, but added his own interpretations to things, that often sounded more plausible than people like Hiram Bingham who exposed Macchu Picchu (MP) to the outside. I must admit I built up a probably unfair picture of Hiram Bingham as an arrogant thief. More research needed.
Not much of the walk was all that hard (as you said Chris) but the last 400m up Dead Woman´s Pass was difficult - more below.
Day 1 - Bus to start and about 12km walk.
The bus was interesting as it climbed up the hills of Cusco and we could see what life was like at 7am with school kids already going to school. Then we descended into a valley passed the town of Uramba (?) where they grow lots of crops and seems like quite a big place. Basically were were going in to the Sacred Valley, and we were glad we had not done tours there from Cusco, as then we´d just be going a second time! Further on to Ollantaytambo which is a small place with a lovely central square and very narrow streets off it and Inca ruins on the surrounding nearby hills. We didn´t visit the ruins but Alvaro told us about them and what they probably were. After that we went along a VERY narrow road, heading for the start of the track at km82. This road was so narrow that often the bus had to backup for ages to let another bus or car or truck pass coming the other way. Finally we arrived, got water, took photos, and headed off over the train line and the bridge over the Urumbaba River to the start of the track. Alvaro stopped on the other side and talked to us about several of the plants and how they were used for various natural medicines, and finally we started walking.
There were many cactuses, usually of the ear-shaped type, with orange prickly pear fruit, which we tried down the track - and SO many flowers of different types and colours. The track was a bit up and down but fairly easy. At regular intervals along the way we passed villages, of maybe only a few houses, where they sold water, lollies and other things, but would only take coins. Alvaro knew all the names of the plants and flowers and what they were used for (if anything). He had been guiding for 10 years, and often does back-to-back trips (his poor knees and back).
We were carrying a day pack, I think Eva´s weighed 3kg and mine 6.5kg (a lot of both was water). The rest of our stuff, all the food, tents, sleeping bags, mats, gas bottles etc was carried by porters. The were unbelievable and now that they were regulated were limited to 30kg each. From behind they looked like a load on short legs. They often preferred to wear sandals (so they said) and usually just bundled all the stuff into a blanket thing and carried it on their backs. As if THAT wasn´t amazing enough, when it came to downhill they usually ran. When it came to uphill they were always faster than anybody.
Our first campsite was at Wayllabamba in a small grassy area behind a mud brick low walled structure. There was a toilet there as well.
Our group was a group of 4, but in the evening we shared with another group of 11 or so that we ate with and camped with, and ideal combination.
The food was 4 star, really. Lots of meat, veggies, rice, soup, salad, dessert, tea coffee. When we would arrive at camp there were washing bowls with soap for each of us and a smiling porter to give us a towel to wipe our hands. There was more food than you could stuff into a hungry Ben and each breakfast, lunch and dinner was innovative and different. So good.
Along the track Alvaro told us lots of things, saying the Inca Trail was used by important people only and there were other tracks for townsfolk. I cannot remember the names of all the places but at one point we came over a grassy knoll and there below us nestled in the curve of the river was a lovely looking ruin with its terraces that housed about 150 people (Llactapata?).
We also stopped in a farmhouse and saw guinea pigs running around in the kitchen (they really are dumb animals) with chooks in the yard and kitchen too.
As the evening got darker, sitting in our tent we looked down a classic v shaped green valley with snow capped mountains in the distance slowly being consumed by high cloud, and we thought, yes, this was a good thing to do.
Day 2 - Dead Womans Pass
This was to be the hardest day, and I guess it was, but not too bad. We woke at 5:15am as it was better to walk in the cool, and we were formally introduced to the porters before breakfast. Oh yes, the wakeup method is to bring around boiling water, a selection of teas (coffee, choc) to get you going. This day was difficult due to the steep climb up and steep descent, but more because the pass is at 4200m and you start from about 3000m, then you have the descent to about 3600m after.
We finally got going at 7:15am when you go through a checkpoint (5 mins from camp) and we each walked at our own pace as some people need to rest at different points. The walk usually takes between 3 and 5 hours we were told. It rises slowly at first through some forest, following a river, then into more dense forest before coming out above the tree line I suppose and keeps going up, up (but not away). There were many people on the track, but many were resting, and regularly you had to make way for the porters who were faster than anyone and carrying a heavy load. We saw many flowers and mosses and a couple of hummingbirds.
Eva liked to take a couple of short breaks, but I only stopped to regain my breath (closer to the top) as I find if I take a break, my muscles refuse to start up again! We did the walk together though, and only at one point did I wait for Eva as I wanted to point out the snow capped mountains behind us. It was strange that at the beginning Eva found it hard to get going and at the end (the last 400m) she was VERY strong and I was getting stuffed. It is the only part of the walk that I have sweated as much as an hour long hard squash game. The trail surface varied from uneven rocks, uneven steps (some very big) to smooth dirt (not much of that). I usually walked zig-zag up, looking for the lowest point in the step to go up.
We made it up to Dead womans pass in 2 and three quarters hours - not a race, but it was more than an hour before another of our extended group got there. It was quite cold up there, and we gave an offering to the mountain of 3 coca leaves and three stones that we´d carried from camp. We stayed about 30 mins looking at the view and the others struggling to get up. The view was spectacular, and I hope I´ll get to put up some photos soon to show you.
After eating some of our scroggin, we headed down the steep descent towards our camp at Pacaymayu - the best campsite of the trail. We took it VERY slow, not so much because of my knees which were pretty stuffed, but because there were SO many flowers! Also, we´d stop and watch as the porters came down, running from rock to rock. I just could not believe it!
We arrived in camp at 11:45, and it would be over 2 hours before the next of our extended group did, and 4 hours before we were all together. The campsites cater for about 150 people and this one was on a small river and was on different levels. Our tents were setup at the lowest level, and while lying in the tent we looked out to a beautiful valley that had clouds swirling up to the very high mountains at the back. The scene would change every 5 mins, and it was so peaceful there, especially early on when there were hardly any people there.
When we arrived, we were pretty stuffed, and just lay in our tent for a few mins to relax, and a porter brought us a refreshing drink - they are SO good (have I told you that?). We saw so many birds, washed a bit in one of the smaller streams and relaxed. At night after the again amazing 5 star dinner, we came out and saw the milky way and so many stars on the moonless night. It was a strange feeling being in a "foreign" place and seeing the southern cross!
That night the snoring in the next door tent did not disturb us as we were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the stream and the scream of our muscles.
Day 3 - long day but easy
Today was to be a long day but not too much climbing as we went though another pass but much lower than Dead Woman. Starting at 6am for wakeup TIT (tea in tent) to have breakfast and walk 18km with a rise of 200m, fall of 200m, slight rise then a descent of 1000m and lots of Inca ruins along the way. We saw messenger way-stations as well as ceremonial places, water temples where the water is channelled to where they want it, many trapezoidal niches for idols or mummies and a path that lead into the jungle to where the Incas went when they abandoned Macchu Picchu. It was interesting, and informative. We saw many orchids and a lake as well. It was a good day but it was long. We passed through a cool damp bamboo forest with lots of mosses and orchids. I think we really liked the forested bits, and the mountain views best. Alvaro told us lots of history about the Incas, the Quechuans, the Spanish invaders and more. It was all very interesting, but I have not retained very much of it (a lot is in my diary, and maybe one day I´ll read more, but I doubt it).
At the end of this day my knees were really stuffed as I knew they would be going downhill that much. It was fun watching the porters again too.
The last campsite had a brick building and music, hot showers, lights, beer, strippers, shops (OK, not strippers). We didn´t like it much, and preferred the camping in the wild, but the hot shower was good.
Day 4 Sun Gate.
The Sun Gate is a small collection of Inca ruins (like a few walls) that sits on a ridge and at the winter solstice, the sun rises here and shines through a window in the Sun Temple in Macchu Picchu itself.
We woke at 3:40am (no TIT this morning), packed bags, got ready, had breakfast and went to line up at 5am at the control point that opens at 5:30, so we could be one of the early groups to walk the 2 hours or so to the sun gate and get the first view of MP. Our group was running a bit late, but we got going at 5:45. The track is fairly narrow and daylight was just starting and it was not possible to overtake people, but by not having a rest, we eventually got very near the front. There were some very steep stairs, but mainly it was a pretty even path. I was still waking up, but did see some ferns, mosses, flowers on the way.
Again the day was clear and when we got to the Sun Gate it was a thrill to see MP below us - I didn´t think it would be. Within 5 or 10 mins of getting there, the fog rose and you could not see anything! Then 10 mins later it was clear again. Amazing.
We walked 1 or 2 hours (can´t remember) to MP and Alvaro took us on a 2 hour tour of the site. I won´t try to reproduce it here but it was very interesting, esp. his (and others) theories that the many terraces there were not for food, but were for gardens. When Bingham arrived in 1911, lead by local farmers, there were people living there as farmers and growing crops. As a side, when he "discovered" the sun temple, there was a note on a rock from a Peruvian explorer some few years earlier - but Yale still has the treasures.
The weather changed to the worse in the mid-morning, so we did not climb the small hill behind MP called Waynapicchu, but went back into town (Aguas Calientes) and relaxed.
We climbed Waynapicchu and went over the top to the temple of the moon and grand cave, but that´s for next time.
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