Inca Trail

The day started by driving from Urubamba to catch the train at Ollantaytambo. The train followed the banks of the Urubamba river and then stopped at KM104 to let off just the four of us and our guide Pepe. Our hike started as we crossed the river. Soon we came to Chachabamba, an Inca gatehouse and religious site.

The trail steadily climbed following the side of the steep valley of the Urubamba. To start it was fairly open but later became cloud forest with more cover. About half way along the trail we came to Wiñay Wayna, a large area of Incan terraces and buildings, built on a very steep hill with a lot of steep steps! Not much further along was the checkpoint where the longer Inca Trail joins, and where we had lunch.

Two hours later we climbed the last few steps and arrived at Inti Punku - the Sun Gate. This is an Inca control point guarding access to Machu Picchu. From here we suddenly looked down over an almost deserted Machu Picchu, still a one hour walk away. It was an emotional moment, the more so given the problems some of us faced to do this hike. The setting of Machu Picchu in the mountains more than justified the effort and cost to get this far. We walked down the rough stone trail to Machu Picchu as it started to rain for the first time that day, and we caught one of the last buses to take us into Aguas Calientes for the night.

Peru2017 5D3 4633 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4636 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4640 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4641 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4643 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4644 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4652 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4653 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4657 2000 We leave the train and start the trail
Peru2017 5D3 4665 2000 Chachabamba Chachabamba Peru2017 5D3 4672 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4673 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4674 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4675 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4678 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4682 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4683-Pano 3000
Peru2017 5D3 4688 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4689 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4694 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4695 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4711 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4712 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4716 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4719 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4726 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4732 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4739 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4742 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4743 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4749 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4750 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4751 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4752 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4755 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4757 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4758 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4759 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4764-Pano 3000 Local porters from the 4-day hike start the treck back down a short-cut to the railway. Trail check point Peru2017 5D3 4772 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4774 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4776 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4777 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4780 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4782 2000
Peru2017 5D3 4783 2000 Peru2017 P 20170123 153047 2000 Jpeg A taratula wasp Peru2017 5D3 4786 2000 View from the Sun Gate. The zig-zag road is used for the 20 minute bus trip up and down the mountain.
View from the Sun Gate. View from the Sun Gate. View from the Sun Gate. We made it! View from the Sun Gate.
View from the Sun Gate. View from the Sun Gate. Vermillion bromeliad growing on the rock face. View from the Sun Gate. The Sun Gate View from the Sun Gate.
Peru2017 5D3 4808 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4810 2000 Peru2017 5D3 4811 2000 The trail down from the Sun Gate to Machu Picchu Peru2017 5D3 4814 2000
Llamas greet our arriveal at Machu Picchu The hike Some stats on the hike from my GPS