Peru

Tristan wanted to tick off hiking to Machu Picchu while in South America for the first time so from Colombia we spent a day in transit to then arrive in Cusco, Peru. As soon as we landed I could feel the effect of the altitude as Cusco is at 3,399m. We spent a day exploring the city and buying any last-minute things we needed for the hike. The last time I was here was in July 2012 and it was really interesting to have memories come back as we walked around Cusco Main Square and San Pedro Central Market.

Inca Quarry Trail – Day 1 

The first day is always a slow start on these hikes. We were picked up at 7am and whisked off to their office to store any luggage we wouldn’t be taking. It was then a 2hr drive out to the trailhead but first we made a quick stop at a place called Naupa Iglesia, also known as the stargate to make an offering for our hike and begin to learn about the Inca history and traditions. We then continued on to the Socma Valley where the hike started. We started at 10am and spent the next 2.5hrs hike up through the valley, stopping at Perolniyoc waterfall and some Inca Ruins before continuing on to camp for lunch and a chilled afternoon in Korimarca Village.

The day was tough, especially with the girls first taste of hiking an incline at altitude. I took Keoni’s bag and carried it on my front and Tristan followed suit with Amber but we all made it to camp quicker than anticipated and in high spirits.

Inca Quarry Trail – Day 2

I know the girls were nervous about day 2 as our guide Leo had painted a pretty gruelling day ahead with 4hrs of continuous ascent to the highest mountain pass and then still a lot of kilometres to follow. We’d eaten a hearty lunch and dinner the day before and wrapped up against the single digit cold overnight and had woken to a clear crisp morning sunrise in the mountains that took our breaths away. We had a quick breakfast not long after sunrise with lots of jokes about the group’s unpleasant toilet habits in the small camp toilet.

A little later start than hoped for as we left camp at 6:50am, climbing up through Korimarca Village, and beginning our ascent proper into the valley and first mountain pass. We’d re-distributed Keoni’s daypack and stuffed most of the weight either in her duffel to be carried by the porters or in my day pack as I was carrying all of my belongings rather than give anything to the porters to put on the horses. We ascended a lot quicker than expected and at under two hours, we were at the final push up the mountain pass. The rolling greens of the valley and surround mountaintops were stunning to behold, and I was feeling fresh and full of energy so decided to break off to the east and head straight up the steep face to our right to the mountaintop rather than continue on straight and then up the sloping pass in front of us. I convinced Tristan to come with and the guide also wanted a piece of the action, and we all took off while Keoni and Amber headed on straight. My heartrate was maxing out and my breathing coming in hard as I pushed myself up well over 4,000m in altitude, Trist coming in not far behind and Leo bounding off ahead off us.

The push up the mountain was hard but incredibly beautiful as the view continued to open up around us in every direction and we gazed across other valleys and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. This kind of feeling, the hard push of my body against the mountain and the rush of the fresh cold air as I take in incredible views always fills my heart with joy. I’d hike and run these rolling mountaintops every day if I could. We finally made the top, dripping with sweat and gasping for breath but also grinning like kids at the accomplishment. We could see down onto the switchbacks below and the tiny ant-sized dots that were Keoni and Amber making their way up to the mountain pass. We took in the views at the top, learning about the mountains around us and the sacred valley below us before we took off at a loping run along the flat ridgeline between mountains, and down to the pass where Keoni and Amber waited.

This was the first of this kind of experience for Keoni and Amber and they were blown away by the beauty laid out before them. We ate, laughed, took photos and congratulated each other on completing the first mountain pass of the day well ahead of time. Onwards we continued, threading our way along the high mountains, some slight ups and downs but mostly flat now we’d come up on top. We ate up the miles, even with a couple of stops to eat some sugared nuts we’d bought from the market in Cusco and our other snacks for the day, drink water and take photos. We were so ahead of time we reached the normal spot for lunch just after 9am and opted to have lunch at out final camp spot which at this rate we’d reach by early afternoon.

The final couple of hours of hiking saw us come down from the mountains through a set of steep gravelly switchbacks in a ravine facing Ollaytambo town. This was the toughest part with the steep descent and loose gravel underfoot. After a good hour of this, we’d come to some more flat as we crossed the face of the backside of the mountains and ended up at an Inca Ruin known as the Mountain Gate. Its sometimes called the Sun Gate but this isn’t the same Sun Gate as the one on the Inca Trail. This one faces a high snow-capped mountain peak in the mountain range beyond. We stopped here for a bit before making the final 20min into camp to relax and wait for lunch. This camp site high above Ollantaytambo town at about 3,600m let us watch the sunset over the sacred valley and the town light up as evening hit.

Inca Quarry Trail – Day 3

The clouds had swept in overnight and so we decided not to hike back up to the Mountain Gate for sunrise the next morning. Instead we had a slow start to the day and then made our way down the remainder of the mountain, stopping at more Inca ruins and the Inca Quarry to learn about some of the fascinating flora, fauna and Inca History of the Area. The 2hrs 40min and 4.86km down the mountain saw us arrive at the lunch spot at 10:30am where we helped cook some food in a traditional ground oven. From there it was another hour down into town for a rest at a restaurant and then Tristan and I hiked another hour to some Inca ruins on the opposite side of the valley which we’d just come down. We had dinner at the restaurant and then got on the train to Aguas Calientes town for Machu Picchu tomorrow.

Inca Quarry Trail – Day 4

A noisy night in a hotel right next to the train track was nonetheless very welcome as it let us have a proper scrub in a real shower after three days on the trail. Trist had eaten something to upset his stomach and had been on the toilet since about midnight, managing the flow from both ends. Like a real trooper he popped some stop-it pills early morning and later did a big vomit before getting on the bus up to Machu Picchu. I recall last time I was here, Megan and I walked up the steps before sunrise instead of taking the bus, we were crazy! In we went, taking some photos, exploring the ruins and learning about the sacred place. Tristan and I had tickets to climb Huayna Picchu but he was feeling too rough. I left them in a café out the front and off I went to race up and down the mountain, recalling how much more dangerous it was last time I was here. We finished a little before midday in Machu Picchu and made our way back to Aguas Calientes for lunch and a very slow afternoon before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo and then a private bus back to Cusco. Time from entering Huayna Picchu to exiting: 1hr 01min.

Once back in Cusco we had one more full day to do some final shopping, eating and sunset drinks overlooking the city before another full day of transit on to Cancun, Mexico. All in all, Peru is an amazing place. The food and culture awing us all and putting it on the list of places to return to and explore further.