I was going off the grid for 4 days. There was nothing I could do about rearranging my travel plans, so I lived in the moment and had an incredibly wonderful experience hiking the Inca Trail. The Inca Trail, high in the Andes Mountains, is a 31 mile hike on the original road that led to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. I had the option of a 20 minute bus ride up the side of the mountain, but where's the adventure in that?
Day 1: The official check in was at 10am, and we were on our way. The starting altitude was 8790 ft. The altitude would pose an issue to any hiker even natives of the Sacred Valley. The solution was to chew coca leaves or drink coca de mate tea--and lots of it! Day 1 climb was not too bad, but we did cover a lot of ground, about 9 miles. We saw our first Inca ruins and learned a lot about the Inca way of life in these high up communities. We reached camp that evening at 5pm at an altitude of 10, 824 ft. Day 1 was a long, very hot, tiring day, but we knew that Day 2 would really be the hardest. Most of the camp was asleep by 8:30pm ready for an early day to come.
Day 2: We were on the trail at 6:30am preparing to hike 11 hours, 10 miles, at altitudes dropping to 9840 ft and rising to the highest at 13, 776 ft. at the top of Dead Woman's Pass. That is exactly what I felt like when we reached it before noon. Not only were the distance, the altitude, and the incline challenging, the actual trail was trying. The trail is in ruins from the original stone path. Very uneven path with many, many, many uneven steps. It will wear on the ankles and the knees. Going up you exert so much energy and find yourself with heavy breath. Downhill was easier on the lungs, but brutal on the knees and ankles. Day 2 was a feat. There were moments I was moved forward only by sheer will. I was spent when I finally arrived at camp that evening, literally very proud of the ground I had covered. Day 2 was the example of why I wanted to do this. The trek. The trip to Peru by myself. To test my limits and see what I was capable of.
Day 3:We set off a little later today and had a much easier trail to cover. Our starting altitude was 12300 ft. The decline was not as sharp, but very uncomfortable on the knees after yesterday. It was a pleasant day. We stopped at a few ruins and had the opportunity to really enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. What an incredibly beautiful place these mountains are. It is amazing how the Incas created such a powerful civilization in such an inhospitable place on the sides of these high, high mountains. We arrived to Day 3s camp early, for lunch. This camp also offered showers and beer. I had both. I deserved them. Still an early night. Machu Picchu awaited at sunrise.
Day 4: We started our hike at 4:30am. In order to watch the sun rise on Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate, we had to. It was an easy hike (except the portion of the trail where I was climbing stairs so steep with my hands and feet). Everyone was moving quickly, feeling the urgency to "get there." At 6am we reached our destination. Marveling at that sight made all of the struggle worth every minute. I would not have wanted it any other way. The bus riders were robbed of something special. We spent a few hours with our guide touring Machu Picchu. The knowledge and the craftsmanship of this civilization was unmatched. The Spanish never found Machu Picchu hidden high in the mountains. And yet it's still such a mystery that it simply disappeared...
Machu Picchu was "discovered" by Hiram Bingham 100 years ago. Although the natives knew it existed, it was long hidden under the forest. Sidenote: Hiram Bingham, a Yale professor and anthropologist, was the basis of the character Indiana Jones. It only took 6 years to uncover the massive citadel and the miles and miles of road, but he also had thousands of local men working to uncover the remains.
Day 1: The official check in was at 10am, and we were on our way. The starting altitude was 8790 ft. The altitude would pose an issue to any hiker even natives of the Sacred Valley. The solution was to chew coca leaves or drink coca de mate tea--and lots of it! Day 1 climb was not too bad, but we did cover a lot of ground, about 9 miles. We saw our first Inca ruins and learned a lot about the Inca way of life in these high up communities. We reached camp that evening at 5pm at an altitude of 10, 824 ft. Day 1 was a long, very hot, tiring day, but we knew that Day 2 would really be the hardest. Most of the camp was asleep by 8:30pm ready for an early day to come.
Day 2: We were on the trail at 6:30am preparing to hike 11 hours, 10 miles, at altitudes dropping to 9840 ft and rising to the highest at 13, 776 ft. at the top of Dead Woman's Pass. That is exactly what I felt like when we reached it before noon. Not only were the distance, the altitude, and the incline challenging, the actual trail was trying. The trail is in ruins from the original stone path. Very uneven path with many, many, many uneven steps. It will wear on the ankles and the knees. Going up you exert so much energy and find yourself with heavy breath. Downhill was easier on the lungs, but brutal on the knees and ankles. Day 2 was a feat. There were moments I was moved forward only by sheer will. I was spent when I finally arrived at camp that evening, literally very proud of the ground I had covered. Day 2 was the example of why I wanted to do this. The trek. The trip to Peru by myself. To test my limits and see what I was capable of.
Day 3:We set off a little later today and had a much easier trail to cover. Our starting altitude was 12300 ft. The decline was not as sharp, but very uncomfortable on the knees after yesterday. It was a pleasant day. We stopped at a few ruins and had the opportunity to really enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. What an incredibly beautiful place these mountains are. It is amazing how the Incas created such a powerful civilization in such an inhospitable place on the sides of these high, high mountains. We arrived to Day 3s camp early, for lunch. This camp also offered showers and beer. I had both. I deserved them. Still an early night. Machu Picchu awaited at sunrise.
Day 4: We started our hike at 4:30am. In order to watch the sun rise on Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate, we had to. It was an easy hike (except the portion of the trail where I was climbing stairs so steep with my hands and feet). Everyone was moving quickly, feeling the urgency to "get there." At 6am we reached our destination. Marveling at that sight made all of the struggle worth every minute. I would not have wanted it any other way. The bus riders were robbed of something special. We spent a few hours with our guide touring Machu Picchu. The knowledge and the craftsmanship of this civilization was unmatched. The Spanish never found Machu Picchu hidden high in the mountains. And yet it's still such a mystery that it simply disappeared...
Machu Picchu was "discovered" by Hiram Bingham 100 years ago. Although the natives knew it existed, it was long hidden under the forest. Sidenote: Hiram Bingham, a Yale professor and anthropologist, was the basis of the character Indiana Jones. It only took 6 years to uncover the massive citadel and the miles and miles of road, but he also had thousands of local men working to uncover the remains.
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