Inca Trail – Day 1
Finally after being in Peru for almost six weeks it was time to go hike the Inca Trail and see Machu Picchu, one of the reasons I had come to Peru in the first place. On Tuesday night, the day before the trek started, the company I had booked with, Enigma, had a meeting to go over logistics and schedule. It was there that I met our guide, Erick, his assistant, Elbin, and the rest of the group. Our group was nine (the maximum size that Enigma takes is 12). In addition to a friend of mine who had flown from Houston to join the trip, there were two girls from Canada, two guys from Australia, a guy from Switzerland (who was living in Norway) and a couple from London (he was originally from South Africa and she was from Australia). Everyone was really great. Erick quickly went over our itinerary (which I will talk about day by day) and answered any questions that we had on how the trek would unfold. He then explained the logistics of the pickup the next morning which would be between 4:00-4:30 am. We were getting an early star because part of Erick’s approach to the trail. He likes to start early and walk a bit further on the first day in order to avoid the crowds.
The official start of the Inca Trail at "kilometer 82". Fresh and ready to go...
The Inca Trail is highly regulated. Every day the Peruvian government allows 500 people to start the four day hike to Machu Picchu. This number includes porters and tourists. In addition the amount of weight a porter can carry is regulated. There is a check point at the beginning of the trail and several along the trail to ensure that the regulations are being maintained. At the initial checkpoint, where the trail starts, usually there is a line to begin. By starting early we avoid some of that hassle. After the explaining the plan, making sure that we had all of the correct gear, and answering any questions the meeting was over and a few of us went to dinner together before going home to pack. (To read more about the Inca Trail : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Trail_to_Machu_Picchu )
I did not get to bed until 11pm so 3:30am, the time I planned to get up to be ready for a 4:00am pickup, came early. Nonetheless I was excited to go and waking up was not a problem. The bus showed up slightly after four and after two more stops to pick up the Canadian girls and the guys from Australia, we were off to kilometer 82 and the start of the Inca trail. The bus ride to the trail head was about two hours since we had to climb out of Cusco and head over to the Sacred Valley, past Urubamba and Ollantaytambu to Piscacucho to start the trek. Since I had already been to Urubamba part of the drive was familiar to me and even though it was dark I recognized when we were approaching Urubamba. We stayed on the main highway until close to Piscacusho and then turned off on a narrow dirt road eventually pulling into the yard of a small farmstead near the checkpoint. There we unloaded, met the porters, who immediately went about sorting and packing the gear, and settled down to a nice breakfast before starting the trek. While we ate and the porters got organized Erick went to the checkpoint to make sure that everything was set.
Sharing the trail with llamas. On the first part, which serves a local "highway" we passed cows, donkeys and horses, and people all heading into town.
At about 7:45am we were ready to start, but, unfortunately, not all of us. Apparently there was a problem with my ticket and it required coordination with Cusco and until that was finished I could not enter the trail. The group went ahead with Erick and Elbin stayed back with me to get the problem solved. I was a little worried because I was afraid that they were not going to get the issue resolved (for some reason I was registered as a student and I am not and that made a difference on my ticket somehow). I did not mind starting late since I knew I would catch up with the group sooner or later, but I had a few anxious moments as my imagination ran away with me and pictured myself heading, alone, back to Cusco on one of the many buses that were passing by dropping off other hikers for the trail. It took about two hours to solve the problem, apparently due to a signature that had to be hunted down from a missing-in-action director in Cusco. But finally, I could start the trail.
We went to the checkpoint and Elbin jumped us to the beginning of the line and we were off. The day had dawned bright and sunny with not a cloud in sight so it was a beautiful day for a hike. Even though the trip got off to a rough start it turned out to be a great experience because I had a guide to myself and I was able to practice my Spanish as Elbin and I spoke Spanish together the whole morning. Even though we had to walk at a faster pace than most others, it was quite comfortable for me, and he made sure I did not miss the two Inca ruins that we passed on our way up the mountain where we were to join the others for lunch. Luckily the trail at the beginning, according to Erick, was relatively flat. The first part of the trail is still in heavy use. There are many homesteads along this part of the trail and it serves as their highway into town. Consequently as we walked along we passed small homes and fields and several times on the trail passed people with donkeys or horses carrying goods or produce on their backs. Elbin explained to me that on certain days of the week the farmers head to town to the markets to sell their wares and buy what they need. There were other tour groups on the trail as well, those that had started earlier while I was waiting, but we passed them by.
First set of ruins encountered- the remains of a farming community. All around the Sacred Valley you can encounter terraces and other remains from the Inca builders.
It turns out that “relatively flat”, while accurate, still contains the word “relative”, which turned out to be a key hint as to what awaited us. The Inca trail, I was to find out, is not for the faint of heart. To describe the trail, in as few words as possible, the words “up” and “down” come to mind. Because that was the essence of the trail. It went up, up, up then down, down, down, then repeated. And it seems that the Inca’s motto was “switchbacks are for sissies” because when the trail went up, it went straight up in one long unbroken line of stairs. When it went down, same thing, a series of steps leading directly down. The Inca trail is not a dirt packed path, worn down by years of use, but rather an actual highway constructed of rather large stones, in many cases uneven, and composed of steps, also rather uneven, too numerous to count. We all found this out after lunch. After the relatively “easy” flat trek of the morning which was about 8-9km we were going to go up 700m (about 2000 feet) after lunch for another 6km or so. This was quite an ambitious day. Most trekking companies planned their first stop where we were lunching but Erick’s plan included getting us out ahead of the crowd. When we stopped for the night we were only going to have one other group at our campsite. It made for a rough day, but as we found out the benefits were huge later on in the hike.
The second set of ruins encountered in the morning- believed to be the remains of a military garrison. Erick, our guide, explained that rustic stonework was used for utilitarian building while the amazingly precise work (pictures later) were for temples and palaces.
Elbin and I caught up with the group just as they were sitting down to lunch. They had only arrived at the lunch site about 20 minutes earlier so we had really flown through the morning hike. (But as I said, it felt like a comfortable pace to me so they must have really taken their time!) Lunch was fantastic, as was all of the food that we were served by our Chef – Windell. (One of the reasons I picked this company was because they were supposed to have great food and they certainly lived up to expectations!!). Just a quick note about food since I am not going to go into detail about it later. Lunch and dinner always consisted of some kind of appetizer, followed by a soup, followed by a main course. Dinner also included a desert. Breakfast always had bread and jam and some other hot dish. Hot drinks were available at every meal including the tea that we had every day once reaching camp- basically snacks and drinks. We did not go hungry and had plenty of calories- and we needed them. It takes talent and creativity to make appetizing, semi-gourmet food on the trail and I have to think we must have had one of the best chefs in the area!!!
After lunch we set off for the challenging part of the hike. Little did we know how challenging it was going to be. Immediately we headed up, climbing the rough hewn rock stairs most of the time but occasionally getting a break and simply walking up an incline. The incline was easier because of the variety in the steps, some really tall, some short and the necessity of constantly having to evaluate how to approach the next step. The uphill went on forever-or seemed to. Thankfully having been in Cusco for over a month I was acclimatized to the altitude, but nonetheless I found myself huffing and puffing all the way up the slope. At a slow steady pace I could keep going but we had to rest often for those who were new to the altitude- we were climbing up to about 3500m (11000-ish feet). It was slow going and it ended up taking us between 4-4.5 hours to climb to the campsite, almost a kilometer an hour pace. A few people were getting touch of altitude sickness and that slowed them down a bit too. In addition the beautiful sunny day had disappeared and it had started to rain a bit. Not hard enough to be completely miserable but enough that we needed ponchos to stay dry. I think all of us were absolutely thrilled to get to camp and we felt a great feeling of accomplishment when we finally got there.
Typical scenery at the start of the trail and along the trail when you have sun and good weather.
There are established campsites along the Inca trail all with running water, several well defined areas for tents, and rudimentary toilets. Our porters having arrived first had everything set up and waiting for us. The tents were on the edge of the plateau and had a great view of the valley that we had just climbed out of. Even though it was cloudy we were above most of the clouds and you could see neighboring mountains poking through like icebergs. Despite the lack of sun it was beautiful and somewhat magical. Tea was ready but most of us were just interested in going to our tents and laying down for a bit before dinner. Dinner was only an hour later and even then several people, who were not feeling well yet, decided to skip dinner and sleep, which is probably the best medicine for altitude and re-energizing for the next day.
Another view along the trail. It is looking down a steep section.
Dinner was delicious and filling but we did not linger afterwards everyone was really tired and we knew the next day would be challenging as well as we had to clear two passes (although we were not climbing as much at once) to get to the next campsite SInce it was still drizzling a bit as well, it was not pleasant to just hang out in the dining tent. After a trip to the nearby toilet I headed for my tent and the dry and warmth of my sleeping bag. It was dark and that meant bedtime in the mountains.
View from camp.
Day 2 would be an early day with a 5:00am wake up call.
Awesome! I have a site we just started about 6 of us getting into backpacking. 2 of the members have been to Peru and climed the mountain you are going to!
Check us out an let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip
http://thebackpackingjournal.wordpress.com/
OMG! That looks so fun. Too bad about all the laws, but still. South America is beautiful.
What a great description – I can’t wait to get there. Your post have given me the motivation I needed today.
Wow, great pictures and info.
How much fun to do something so spectacular with such a culturally diverse group — I can only imagine the stories, perspectives, reactions, etc. BEAUTIFUL pix, too!
🙂
What an amazing adventure! I would totally love to do this trek. Fabuous post!
Kathy
Thanks for sharing these. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there Trekker. Trekking needs stamina, commitment, endurance and passion. Congratulations for getting Freshly Pressed plus lovely pictures too. I loved this Blog.
Ahh I’m so glad I came upon this- I’m going to Peru in a few weeks and hiking the Inca Trail! Love your pictures and explanations…I need to work on my climbing muscles!
I have to be honest, I haven’t yet read your post. I’ve been too busy just staring at the pictures. I set my novels in part in Peru, and have Machu Picchu featured as well. I spent COUNTLESS hours pouring over photographs of the region, just to get a feel. I’m super jealous, because I know being there is worlds different than reading about it (or staring at photographs). Totally AWESOME trip. Cheers!
Beautiful photographs!
Wow! Thank you for the great insight and play by play. My hike is starting April 17. I will keep following attentively.
One day I’ll get to Manchu Picchu, lovely pictures.
Have wanted to go to Macho picchu since a high school acquaintance moved to Peru a few years ago and posted pics on fb. So jealous of you right now! I hope I get the opportunity to get there one day.
This is so cool! My dad grew up in Peru/my parents were there on their honeymoon, I only hope I can go someday.
It is my dream to visit this place… ahhh one day. Possibly not until I retire which is probably at least 30 years off, but I am determined… one day! Thank you for sharing your amazing adventure.
Glad you are having a good time. My husband and I did the trail a few years ago – and each day only gets better although the food got a little more “lean” not as plentiful as day one! Did you pick up any Coco leaves when you were in town? It’s a must! Drink the Coco Tea when you can – and chew on the leaves if anyone has any – helps with altitude sickness and trust me – you won’t be tired! Have fun. Can’t wait to hear more.
Great post with interesting information. Amazing photos. Excellent work. Compliments, and greetings from north-east of Italy.
Sweet! The Inca Trail has been on my bucket list for years. Thanks for sharing, and I’m looking forward to the rest.
Hiking Machu Picchu is on our to-do list. Thanks for sharing your experience – very helpful.
This is one of my bucket list places. Very cool pics and congrats on being pressed.
OMG…. Thank you for bringing back memories… It has been 4 years ago that I went to Peru and experienced the trails and the way of life there… I remember the bus right up the mountain to to get to the top of Machu Picchu where the road was so narrow that when a bus coming down the road passed our bus on the way up we were literally on the edge and I felt our bus was going to fall of the side… But once on top and getting my passport stamp (it was just a memory stamp) and then taking the tour though the area and learning about the people who created it and how they lived gave me a new view on life…. After reading your blog I just had to go back to my photos on my computer of my trip there and remembering the amazing views from on top. Wonderful memories that I spent with my wife that I will cherish forever…
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and sharing such beautiful photos…
fantastic photos and i love those llamas.. oh well, dreaming of that someday that i get to travel to that place..
Wow. Looks like a great setting for a period movie. Thanks for the visual trip!
Great post, very good information and above all amazing pictures. congratulations
I love your blog!
And I would like to ask you a question, since you have been there.
Is there a way to the top without the hike? I gotta feeling that I cannot make that trek.
Thanks,
Wayne
There are day trips possible to Machu Picchu via the train that arrives into Aguas Calientes. From there you can take a bus to the entrance to Machu Picchu. You avoid the hike but will still have to deal with the numerous steps all over the site. It is worth the trip!!!
nice place
How crazy is this! I woke up this morning dreaming about Venezuela and some friends I made there in 1996 while studying in Mérida. I was wanting to go back and dreaming about all I wanted to do there. I have always wanted to visit Peru and hike this trail too…have a blast!
wonderful place
I did this about 2 years ago, best trip of my life! I love how they stamp your passport to get on to the trail! it’s a nice souvenir. The porters just blow my mind, don’t forget to tip! Great post.
Cusco itself is beautiful as well, there is no other place like it.
Live the dream! 🙂 Wonderful post and pictures!
Brilliant! Its on our list for next year. Meanwhile, we saw a part of the Inca Trail in Igapirca, Ecuadorjust a few days ago.
How did you come up with the idea for this? Very interesting!
I had never been to South America and wanted to take a long break from work. I have also wanted to see Machu Picchu so I got the idea to come to Cusco and do volunteer work and travel around the area. The Inca trail trip is the centerpiece of my vacation here.
The pics are very very beautiful. Wonderful place.
Beautiful pictures!
I heard about Incas in my childhood and since then I always wanted to visit Peru. And may be I will some day!! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing. On the Train Ride to Machu Picchu from Cuzco, we saw the beginning of the Inca Trail. At Machu Picchu, we walked to the end of the Inca Trail and looked forward towards the ruins to see the first glimpse of the massive ruins from the End of the Inca Trail.
You will have so much fun on your hike. Enjoy every step and every moment of it and don’t forget to chew on your Coco Leaves and drink your Coco Tea….it amazingly helps with the elevation.
When you get to the ruins, make sure you make time to see the sunset at the ruins. It is truly wonderful.
Looks like the llamas were setting the trail for you!
The difference between seeing photos of a place when researching it online and reading a blog with personal photos is that…, you feel the place through the experience of a real individual. Somehow, if only for a moment, their photos and stories transport you there and you even think to yourself “i can’t wait to go back”. Because momentarily, you were there.
Thanks for the trip!
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wow, what an experience! i’m hoping to make it to the inca trail one day…
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