The Inca Trail is the most popular trek in which to reach the famous Machu Picchu ruins. So popular that you have to book months in advance due to the 500 a day limit on the trail (200 of which are travelers, the rest porters). The popularity also means they can charge about triple the price of other treks such as the Salkantay trek. We had been recommended Peru Treks by my friend Mel which made life easier as there are a number of different companies to choose from, which meant we were saved the trouble of having to do any research for ourselves.
Our private bus collected us at about 4:30am and we clambered onto it bleary eyed and were then happy to catch a few more winks before our breakfast destination of Ollantaytambo. At breakfast we learnt that our group consisted of 2 Americans (a couple in their 40s), 4 Australians (1 couple & 2 cousins), 2 Ecuadorean/Americans (mother & daughter), 3 English (2 friends & 1/2 of a couple), 1 Scottish (the other half of the couple), 1 Iranian (a guy about 50) and of course 2 Kiwis, then our two guides Yanet and Saul. As about 80% of our group were our age we were pretty happy with the group's makeup. During breakfast we also learnt that the majority of our group had hired extra porters to carry 6kg each of gear for them. Something we had decided NOT to do so I was starting to get a bit nervous that we would be struggling to lug our own bedrolls and sleeping bags while everyone else would just be carrying their leisurely day packs for the next four days.
After breakfast and a fairly hairy bus ride across some bridges that most councils in the world would be closing down in a heartbeat, we were at KM 82 where we were to begin our trek. After a quick group shot we were on our way. Immediately we were in awe of the porters who were putting our bags to shame with their enormous loads they were carrying on their backs, the bags almost the size of them, being of such small stature in this part of the world.
Our first day of trekking was a total of just over 12km and was the easy day with nice undulating terrain and a few ruins to take in along the way. We were all pretty excited at lunch when we were served a starter of guacamole & a wonton chip, followed by soup, then a main of meat, veges and rice. Definitely a sign of good things to come!
The terrain itself was fairly dry and uninteresting to begin with but after a few stop offs including the Llactapata ruins, we were soon feeling pretty amped about what sights we had to come in the days ahead of us. Snow capped mountains, green hillsides, ancient ruins and clear blue skies are pretty damn hard to beat!
We reached our first campsite, Wayllabamba by about 4pm to find all our tents set up ready for us and the porters applauding us for our "efforts". It felt slightly patronizing considering their load they had all carried compared to the rest of us and the 12km had certainly felt like a walk in the park. We were all feeling pretty nervous about the next day though which is the "challenging" day with a 1,200m ascent first thing in the morning.
After a few rounds of asshole, (with a great new rule called 'revolution' which we will be bringing back to NZ with us) and another yummy dinner in our bellies, everyone was ready to hit the hay in preparation for our big ascent in the morning.
After a wake up call with a hot drink being delivered to our tents, we packed up and had another great meal (in the scheme of camping) before heading on our way to tackle the "challenging" day ahead of us. With the promise of a second breakfast at the about the 3/4 mark of the climb, us yougins charged up the hill in record time. I was hurting a bit more than usual with the extra 2.5kg of sleeping bag weighing me down but Jimmy was amazing considering the size of his pack which didn't seem to slow him down at all. He's a champ, that boy!
Having to wait for the slower ones in our group was a bit painful as the sun hadn't come out yet at our second breakfast spot so we were all jumping around in an attempt to stay warm and willing the sun to reach us. Once we had enjoyed more food, we continued on to tackle the last and hardest section of the climb. Again the young crowd made it up well ahead of the others but this time it was a welcome interlude as we got to enjoy the beautiful view, this time in full sunshine. This first pass had us sitting at an impressive 4,215 meters above sea level and is referred to as the Dead Woman's Pass - which is said to look like a woman lying on her back. This was the highest point of the whole trek so we were feeling pretty happy to have got that out of the way without anywhere near as much difficulty as what we had mentally prepared ourselves for. We were certainly feeling grateful for having done the Colca Canyon as training though.
After the first pass it was a leisurely stroll down the hill for about 20 mins until we reached our campsite at Pacaymayu by about 1:30. After some lunch and soaking up some sun in the last of the sunshine, it was inside the dinner tent for a good long round of asshole and laughs with everyone. We had definitely lucked out with our group as the people you are trekking with can certainly make or break your experience and everyone got along so well so the evening flew by, before we knew it, yet another delicious meal was being presented before us. Glamping at its best.
That evening we were introduced to all the wonderful porters who were doing such an incredible job provided us with the comforts of our trek such as carrying and setting up the tents, carrying our food and of course cooking for us. In total there were 21 of them, all men, ranging from 25 to 55 years old. It was a humbling experience hearing what they all carry (approximately 20kg of gear each) but also made us pleased we had chosen Peru Treks as they are meant to be one of the best companies in terms of what they pay their porters.
Day 3 is referred to as the "unforgettable" day and by the end of it we could appreciate why. It's the longest day, covering terrain that is undulating and you are quickly engulfed in lush bush and passing by beautiful ruins such as Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyutamarca. The icing on the cake was being able to enjoy the incredible views out across the valley to Salkantay Mountain whose snow capped peak towers over the rest of the surrounding mountains at an impressive 6,300m.
The last part of day 3 is where you get to enjoy what is referred to as the "gringo killer stairs", which consists of a 3,000 stair descent to the last ruins before the campsite, Wiñaywayna. Being mentally prepared for some seriously sore knees, we were pleasantly surprised to reach the bottom of them a lot faster than we thought, and also were rewarded with what was the most impressive ruin site we had seen so far. The terraces and perfection that the Incas were so well known for were especially incredible here so we enjoyed taking them all in before making our way down to the campsite below before losing the last of the light for the day. The slower members of our group weren't so lucky, with the younger Ecuadorian girl being quite sick so having to take things very slowly. They arrived probably 1.5 hours after us and this time the applaud the porters (and the rest of us) gave her was well deserved.
More cards were enjoyed by the group and then we had the fun of collecting all the tips together for the porters and presenting them to the group. Always a bit of an awkward experience but one that has to be done. It really was an early night for us that night as our wake up call in the morning was for 3:30am in order for the porters to be able to catch the 5:30am train from Aguas Calientes and for us to be able to get to the Sun Gate in time for sunrise. There was a definite buzz among the group as we headed off to our tents, knowing the big day had finally arrived where we were going to have the opportunity to visit one of the seven wonders of the world in only a few hours time.
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