Machu Picchu — Adventure along the Inca Trail
The place where you have to go in Peru, magical place, outstanding experience, a wonder of the world… Descriptions of Machu Picchu from people who were there and of course a fixed point for us on our Peru trip. So much can be revealed, our expectations were exceeded, but first things first…
Our journey begins on Friday (2022) very early at 03:15 am. Pick up at 04:00 and transfer to Ollantaytambo train station about 2 hours drive from Cusco. Time to get some sleep, we have about 16km of hiking ahead of us today. Arriving at the train station at around 5:30 a.m., there is already a lot of activity, the first market stands are already selling various souvenirs and drinks as well as face shield masks (yes face shield on the train — you can overdo it…). After yesterday’s briefing we are already well prepared for what awaits us, the train is part two of the approach to Machu Picchu. Our guide for the next two days is called Efrain and he skillfully guides us to the right wagon.
It’s dawn and the day is slowly showing through the sun as we chug through the scenic Sacred Valley. Our PeruRail train line is well equipped with comfortable seats and great windows, so the approximately 60-minute train journey flies by. Our exit point is the so-called kilometer 104 at 2100 meters (but well below the 3,400 of Cusco ;)), where we start our hike at the ruins of Chachabamba. The first section of the route takes us around 3 hours along the narrow Inca Trail to an altitude of 2,650 meters. Efrain tells us a lot of background information about the construction of the trail, plants and animals of the region. But also political (like the current situation in Peru and Europe) and the times around Covid are topics. The entertaining first part ends with the wonderful sight of Wiñay Wayna.
In Quechua (main dialect of the indigenous population and descendants of the Incas), Wiñay Wayna means something like “forever young” and to this day it is not 100% clear what the exact purpose of the facility is. A common theory is that it was an administrative center for agricultural products and also the warehouse for potatoes, grain etc. (read more Wiñaywayna Inca Trail). Impressive for us was definitely how these terraces and stone constructions were built in this escarpment, a good foretaste of what was to come…
On the way towards the Inca Sun Gate we stop again and again to let the impressions sink in, waterfalls, orchids and (unfortunately) also a snake appear on the way. The trail finally takes us to the Inca Sun Gate (Intipunku) after a lunchtime snack (organized by the tour operator) and around 5 hours of walking. The last few meters up steep stairs, then we see the destination of our hike for the first time, we look at Machu Picchu from the east. The weather is very kind to us, despite the rainy season we only have a short drizzle and from the sun gate we can see the entire area of this magical place. Our guide Efrain is also enthusiastic about the perspective and takes photos for himself. By the way, we are alone, because apart from a US couple with a guide and a Spanish couple, it is very quiet on the trail. Incidentally, in order to be able to do the Inca Trail, which can be done in many different ways, you always need a guide. We have recorded more on organizational topics and backgrounds in a separate article.
After intensive gathering of impressions (& photos) we finally go “down” the last few kilometers (from 2720 to 2430 HM) in the direction of Machu Picchu. We stroll past the walls of this impressive area to the bus station. The time has not yet come, admission is on the program for tomorrow, everything (necessarily) planned and scheduled very precisely. We have almost 16 kilometers in our legs when we take the bus down to Machupicchu town, the “place” at Machu Picchu. We check into the hotel there for the night, organized as part of the Inca Trail tour and meet up with Efrain for dinner after some rest and a soothing shower. After a good meal and an exchange of plans for the next day, we go to bed. Day 1 brought really great impressions and tomorrow is the highlight of the Inca Trail tour.
05:30 off to the bus, today it’s finally time. We take the second bus of the day (yes, they leave from 5:30 a.m. in buses with 30 seats…) and climb the approximately 400 meters up to Machu Picchu. Efrain, our guide, walks with us to the entrance where a small line has already formed. On normal “after” Covid days, around 3000 people come up here, or in other words 100 buses (!). A huge number, but still harmless considering the 8000(!) people in the “before” Covid time during the high season. We step into this wonder of the world shortly after 06:00. Efrain takes a lot of time along the route (there are 4 paths you can take) to give us a lot of background on the creation and use of this 35,000m2 area.
Granite stones that are perfectly worked, functional waterways and ideally oriented buildings, as far as sunlight is concerned, it is impressive and somehow you can feel that there is a special spirit here. The complex most likely served as a spiritual center due to the number of temples, but there are also a large number of buildings and terraces, which also indicate a lot of agricultural cultivation. The construction lasted decades (or almost 100 years) and was started by Emperor Pachacuted. The Spanish conquistadors never discovered these (fortunately for posterity) and so it was left to a US researcher Hiram Bingham and 11-year-old local boy Pablito Alvarenz to make this site public, almost 400 years after it was created! More facts about the historical. Who built Machu Picchu?
We hiked about 3 hours over the facility, the number of pictures has probably cracked the 100 mark ;-). What was always felt was a special aura and power surrounding these sites. At 09:00 we went to the second program point, namely the ascent of Machu Picchu Mountain, one of two mountains directly adjacent to the area (the second is Huayna Picchu with 2700m altitude). The 3060 meter high mountain has around 1600 stairs and is one of the vantage points of the Inca complex. For a sweaty 1.5 hours we meander up the sometimes slippery steps, which was a challenge given the high humidity and over 20 degrees. However, the arrival and the wide view at the summit made up for it and offered a fantastic interplay of (fog) clouds and sun with a 360 degree view of the impressive surroundings. A place to stay and just enjoy.
After a one-hour descent, we decided to pay again for the bus down (30 minutes for 12 dollars is sporty, but unfortunately nothing is cheap here…) to save us the 400 HM back to Machupicchu town. Arrived on site, of course, we got the stamp for our passport and went to a well-deserved lunch with a panorama of the Urubamba River, which had caused the destruction of some rails and roads here in the village just under 2 months ago and is still tearing through it today valley pulls. At around 3:00 p.m. we finally went back the same way as yesterday, first by train, then by the minibus of the travel company. Together with some “graduates” of the 4-day hike of the Inca Trail we finally reached Cusco around 7:00 p.m. We said goodbye to our extremely competent and personable guide Efrain and ended this incredible day with a hot shower and a great meal.
Important: There are three classic trails to the Inca Trail apart of the short Inca Trail (4 day Inca Trail, 5 day Inca Trail, 7 day Inca Trail Salkantay), but there is a trail that you can do in 3 days. This trail is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 3 days. It is starting from km 82 and finishing in Machu Picchu in third day. But everyday you will require to walk 10 and 12 hrs. challenging thuth!!
Short Inca Trail extra information.
Takeaway: It should be noted that despite the cost and hassle, we would recommend this experience to anyone planning to visit Peru. From our point of view it is 100% worth it!
Moment of happiness: Working out the 360 degree view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate as well as from Machu Picchu Mountain is a very special moment. If you are then rewarded with deserted and great weather, it leaves you almost speechless in amazement at the wonder of the world.
Alternative treks to the Inca Trail
If the Inca Trail tours are sold out, we can recommend you to do the alternative treks to the Machu Picchu. These treks are not similar to the Inca Trail, but it has the most beautiful scenic trail.
If you would like to book online your tickets, visit: Machu Picchu tickets 2022–2023 or you can do the Machu Picchu tours from Cusco
