The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Hey there! As you may have read in my other posts, during my visit to Peru, I volunteered and I explored the city of Cusco. Now, it is time for me to finish my stories about Peru, and what better way to do so than to tell you about my experience hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!
So, let’s start with a little bit of background. The Inca Trail is a network of ancient trails that were first used by the people of the Inca empire. Many of these trails are still used by people today, and these areas are now protected. The most popular trek is the 4-day Inca Trail, and it starts at kilometer 82. In an effort to prevent degradation and to preserve the integrity of the land, people can still hike the Inca Trail, but not without a guide. Besides keeping people on the trails, guides and porters benefit in all sorts of ways. They prevent litter on the trails, and they also teach those who walk the trail about the history of the Incas.
Did you know that the Incas had no written language? If they ever needed to send a message to someone, they used things called quipus, which consisted of a variety of strings with knots tied into them. This was among the many things I learned on my trek.
So, my dad, my mom, Bridgette, and I planned our trip with a company called Llama Path. We had an amazing guide and some really awesome porters, and they made our experience as memorable and educational as possible. We did the 4 day trail, so we began our journey at kilometer 82. The path we took was about 26 miles (45 kilometers). We ended up finishing in 3 days, so that we could spend the whole fourth day exploring Machu Picchu.
The crew all packed up and ready to go.
The first day was cloudy, and this day was fairly easy compared to the rest. We stopped for lunch when it began to rain, and we were greeted by some stray dogs that became our friends for the moment. Our lunch was delicious, and it was nice to sit under a shelter from the rain. Luckily, the rain stopped shortly after we had lunch, and we stayed dry as we marched on. We made our way uphill for the rest of the day, and we stopped in Ayapata for the night. We had a delicious dinner, and we had hot tea before bed (which was amazing, and I don’t even like tea). There is nothing quite like camping in the mountains, especially when you know you’re going to see something grand at the end of it all.
When we woke up the next morning, we packed our things, and started on what was the most difficult day by far. We hiked a very steep uphill, and we were already at high altitude. I, having lived my whole life up until then at 51 feet above sea level, was struggling quite a bit as we got higher. When we stopped for lunch, I was pretty exhausted. I sat down and caught my breath. We took a break in the meadow next to our lunch spot, but eventually we marched on. This climb was especially difficult, but nonetheless, we made it to the top of Dead Woman’s Pass.
Dead Woman’s Pass is at an altitude of 13,779 feet (4250 meters) above sea level, and it sure felt like it, since we were above the clouds. Though it was very windy at the top, we decided to hang out for a while to take in the view looking down on where we had just come from.
Izzie doing her favorite pose in the meadow.
Izzie acting like a dead woman on Dead Woman’s Pass.
Even though that climb was hard, we needed to keep on keeping on until we got to our campsite. We ended up descending before getting to another climb, and we saw a few Inca sites along the way. One of these was a lookout post for the Incas, as it looked over a valley that was on the way to Machu Picchu. Anything that was headed towards Machu Picchu could be seen here, and they could take action immediately.
Sitting at the lookout site, admiring the view.
A good look at the lookout structure.
After stopping briefly at this site, we made our way across a valley to our campsite. When we arrived, we ate dinner, drank more delicious tea, and I roamed around a bit. There were a few alpacas at the campsite, which may or may not have followed me around, but that’s beside the point. We slept in our tents at the base of a cliff face, and it was breathtaking.
My two alpaca followers looking at the camera.
The tent I shared with Bridgette.
The awesome view I got to wake up to.
A good look at our campsite.
The next morning we woke up, and this was going to be our last day on the trail. We left the campsite with a little extra spring in our step, since we were all so excited to get to Machu Picchu. We saw another Inca site on the way there, and stopped to take a look.
It was covered lightly in clouds, and it was quite a site to see. Our guide told us all about it, and afterwards, we pressed on to reach Machu Picchu. The last site we had to reach before that was the Sun Gate.
My dad and I looking down on a cloud-blanketed Inca site.
We marched on, impatiently. Eventually, we approached the Sun Gate, and turned the corner. There it was, in all its glory: Machu Picchu.
It was long-awaited, and it is one of the most amazing feelings to look upon that historic beauty. As we approached it, my dad and I had no words, but we had a lot of emotions. Some of these were feelings of happiness, luckiness, and thankfulness. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity.
Machu Picchu as we approached from the trail.
Izzie with a bird’s eye view of Machu Picchu.
Walking through a land that I knew was once an entire people’s civilization was a feeling like no other. It was beautiful, and peaceful, and different than anything else. Though walking through the civilization was awesome, I decided to also climb Huayna Picchu, the mountain that looks down on Machu Picchu. It was a very steep climb, with lots of steep cliffs (just my style), so if you’re afraid of heights, maybe this one isn’t for you. However, once I got to the top, there was a great view to be had.
Izzie sitting on a cliff, as usual.
Overall, hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was an experience I will never forget. If ever given the opportunity, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. If you’re thinking about hiking the Inca Trail, I would tell you that you should absolutely do it if you have the means. If you have any questions about my experience with the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, then feel free to ask! I will always feel lucky to have witnessed the history of this civilization.
