Going to Urubamba
On April 26th we were picked up at 5:oo a.m. at our hotel in Cusco. The night before, Peru Treks had dropped off the duffle bags that the porter would use to carry our sleeping bag, clothes, etc We were given specific instructions in that the bags could weigh no more than six kilos. What a job that was, as the sleeping bag in the bag already weights three kilos. Since we could only access our duffles bags in the evening at our camp site, we also had to carry a day knapsack with our essentials, i.e., clothes (if it got cold, or rained) water (we drank up to three litres per day) and sunscreen, hats and walking sticks (which came in VERY, VERY, VERY handy).
Our bus picked up 16 trekkers in total (including ourselves) and picked up 22 porters and one cook in Urubamba. Urubamba is approximately one hour from Cusco.
The porters and cook are all from the Sacred Valley area, many of them from Pisac and most speak Quechua, the native language of their area. We had two guides, a guide who lead the group and an assistant guide who followed at the end of the group making certain that everyone was safe and no one was left behind.
We had breakfast at a restaurant in Ollanataytambo and bought walking sticks there. We then proceeded to km 82 which is the start of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This first day was supposedly to be an easy day we found out differently. Many trekkers later felt that this first day was the hardest. The hike was only 12 km. However, these km were not Ontario km. -- there were up and down and around and up and down.
During the hike we crossed the Vilcanota River and floowed the trail to the right of the river, going up very steeply. The trail consisted of stone steps that weaved back and forth as we climbed up. We passsed through a small village, the ruins of the Inca mountain fort high above the mouth of the Cusichaca River known as the ´happy bridge´.
Our guide, Juve, being a native of the Sacred Valley, provided us with much information in terms of history. It seems the Incas built a fort on the mountain when they conquered the area, because the site commanded an excellent view up and down the Urubamba Valley and controlled the entrance to the Cusichaca Valley.
Having climbed up for some time, we descented down to the Cusichaca River. While it would seem that descending is easier than climbing up, this is not the case, given the steepness of the slope down.
The sceney is quite breath-taking for example, seeing the snow-capped peak of Veronica MOuntain at some 5860m. off in the near distance. As we hiked along, we had an excellent view of the Inca ruins of Llactapata. Llactapata meaning the ´upper town´in Quechua and was first discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
This site was primarily an agricultural station used to supply Machu Picchu with maize, the staple crop of the Incas. This settlement consisted of over one hundred buildings, including five bthas, for workers and soldiers.
We proceeded along for some 7 km. (once again, not Ontario kms. but Incan kms.) following the left bank of the river up to a small (very small) village of Wayllabamba (at 3,000 m). This was the last place to buy snack and drinks.
We spent the night a Wayllabamba. On the Incan Trail, the government regulates where campsites can be set up. At our camp site, there were approximately four tour companies set up. Our conveniences included: squat toilets (reminisent of Morocco), cold water and very little privacy. Often the male porters would come into the women´s area because it was ´somewhat´cleaner (all relative) than the men´s, or perhaps, because it was faster. Did I mention -- no toilet paper -- luckily we brought our own as many others did also.
Our first day of hiking ended at approximately 5´:00 p.m. Supper was at 7:00 p.m. We have to say that the meals and service in terms of meals was excellent. We would have a starter course i.e., an avocado with tomato and cheese, soup, main dish and dessert and drink, i.e., coffee, coca tea. Our tents were roomy, our sleeping bags warm, despite the coldness of the night.
Our Guide was very diligent about informing us of the next day´s itinerary. However, he tended to downplay the degree of difficulty that would be encountered during the hike.
We woke up at 5:15 a.m. the next morning with room service to our tent consisting of coffee or tea. We had to pack up our belongings and have them out of the tent and be sitting for breakfast at 5:45 a.m. While this may seem easy to do, it is not when you are barely awake and looking for the flashlight to make certain you have packed everything. Thank goodness the breakfasts were worth scrambling for. By 6:30 a.m. we were on the trail.
The second day was to be the most gruelling day of all. We began by climbing up from Wayllabamba, following the left bank of the Llulluchayoc River for about one hour and coming to a samll bridge over the Huayruro River. A little further on we entered a cloud forest, passing a waterfall.
A fruther three-hour trek through steepening woods and amazing terrain brought us a meadown at some 3,680 m. Then, we began the climb to the first and highest pass the Trail called Dead Woman´s Pass at some 4,200 m. During this part of the trail, we were exposed to the Andean elements of first, scorching sun, and then, closer to the pass, freezing winds. At this point, we had climbed over our first mountain. Then we descended 800 m. to our second night´s campsite at Pacamayo.
While this trekking is gruelling given the stone steps and paths and the varying slopes and steepness of the paths, the altitude provided an additional element of difficulty at times. We were thankful that we had aclimatized ourselves having spent some time in Puno and the hiking in the Sacred Valley.
On Day three of the Inca Trail, we started the day by climbing up to the ruins of Runkuracay. Day 3 on the Incan Trail was the most spectacular. We were climbing and descending stone steps and pathways that were more than 90% Incan made, which meant the steps were smaller and easier to handle. These small, circular ruins occupied a position overlooking the Pacamayo valley below. Then we headed up again to 4,000 m. crossing our second mountain. Then we descended down steep steps. This section was particularly beautiful as the path crosses high stone embankments and steep drops.
Then we arrived at a ruin site called Sayacmarca. Sayacmarca means inaccessbile town, because the ruins are protected on three sides by cliffs. We saw other small ruins called Tambos which were used for weary travellers on their way to Machu Picchu. Then we headed in the CloudForest again filled with orchids, tree ferns and flowers. On our Trail, we passed a few more ruins and went thru an amazing rock tunnel that the Incans carved out of the cliff complete with steps. There were many birds including hummingbirds crossing our path as we made our way towards Winay Wayna to have lunch.
The Trail then climbed to the third pass at 3,700 m. going by the most impressive ruins of the Trail so far, called Phuyupatamarca. The name Phuyupatamarca means ´town in the clouds´. Next we descended a 1,000 or so steps (and our guide said that this was our easy day -- later we heard it was called the Gringo Killer) then another three hours of walking through cloud forest we arrived at Winay Wayna. Thank goodness as we went over our 3´rd pass and descended into beautiful cloud forest were the shade of the trees was a welcome respite.
As usual by the time we got to our lunch site, the porters had the dining tent set up and lunch ready. After another wonderful lunch we have a ceremony where the porters introduce themselves, tell us their age and marital status. From all the laughing I think some of them were pulling our legs when they said they had many wives. We then give the porterstheir tip and shake their hands. We won't be seeing most of the porters again because we are going to be spending the night in Aguas Calientes.
Winay Wayna is named after an orchid of the same name meaning forever young. Here we had lunch. Normally, we would have stayed here and prepared to wake up the next morning and walk up to the Sun Gate and entered Machu Picchu. Last month there was a landslide that blocked the normal route to Machu Picchu thru the Sun Gate, so we have to get there via Aguas Calientes. Two persons, who worked in the area of the landslide have disappeared.
Consequently, the alternate plan was to walk down into the town of Aguas Calientes i.e., back down the mountain and along the railway tracks into town took some three hours going at a neck-breaking speed. We descend down to the railway line which took about 2 hrs. of steady going and then we walk between the Urubamba River and the railway track for another 2 hrs. We are taken to a hostel with private bath and hot water! It must have been the thought of staying in a hostel versus a tent and having a shower that created this ´second wind´. We arrived in town 5:00 p.m.
We meet at a restaurant for supper with the Peru Trek cook doing all the cooking. Our guide tells us to be ready to have breakfast the next morning at 4:45 a.m. so that we can take a bus up to Machu Picchu before sunrise.
Our bus picked up 16 trekkers in total (including ourselves) and picked up 22 porters and one cook in Urubamba. Urubamba is approximately one hour from Cusco.The porters and cook are all from the Sacred Valley area, many of them from Pisac and most speak Quechua, the native language of their area. We had two guides, a guide who lead the group and an assistant guide who followed at the end of the group making certain that everyone was safe and no one was left behind.
We had breakfast at a restaurant in Ollanataytambo and bought walking sticks there. We then proceeded to km 82 which is the start of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This first day was supposedly to be an easy day we found out differently. Many trekkers later felt that this first day was the hardest. The hike was only 12 km. However, these km were not Ontario km. -- there were up and down and around and up and down.
During the hike we crossed the Vilcanota River and floowed the trail to the right of the river, going up very steeply. The trail consisted of stone steps that weaved back and forth as we climbed up. We passsed through a small village, the ruins of the Inca mountain fort high above the mouth of the Cusichaca River known as the ´happy bridge´.
Our guide, Juve, being a native of the Sacred Valley, provided us with much information in terms of history. It seems the Incas built a fort on the mountain when they conquered the area, because the site commanded an excellent view up and down the Urubamba Valley and controlled the entrance to the Cusichaca Valley.
Having climbed up for some time, we descented down to the Cusichaca River. While it would seem that descending is easier than climbing up, this is not the case, given the steepness of the slope down.
The sceney is quite breath-taking for example, seeing the snow-capped peak of Veronica MOuntain at some 5860m. off in the near distance. As we hiked along, we had an excellent view of the Inca ruins of Llactapata. Llactapata meaning the ´upper town´in Quechua and was first discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
This site was primarily an agricultural station used to supply Machu Picchu with maize, the staple crop of the Incas. This settlement consisted of over one hundred buildings, including five bthas, for workers and soldiers.
We proceeded along for some 7 km. (once again, not Ontario kms. but Incan kms.) following the left bank of the river up to a small (very small) village of Wayllabamba (at 3,000 m). This was the last place to buy snack and drinks.
We spent the night a Wayllabamba. On the Incan Trail, the government regulates where campsites can be set up. At our camp site, there were approximately four tour companies set up. Our conveniences included: squat toilets (reminisent of Morocco), cold water and very little privacy. Often the male porters would come into the women´s area because it was ´somewhat´cleaner (all relative) than the men´s, or perhaps, because it was faster. Did I mention -- no toilet paper -- luckily we brought our own as many others did also.
Our first day of hiking ended at approximately 5´:00 p.m. Supper was at 7:00 p.m. We have to say that the meals and service in terms of meals was excellent. We would have a starter course i.e., an avocado with tomato and cheese, soup, main dish and dessert and drink, i.e., coffee, coca tea. Our tents were roomy, our sleeping bags warm, despite the coldness of the night.
Our Guide was very diligent about informing us of the next day´s itinerary. However, he tended to downplay the degree of difficulty that would be encountered during the hike.
We woke up at 5:15 a.m. the next morning with room service to our tent consisting of coffee or tea. We had to pack up our belongings and have them out of the tent and be sitting for breakfast at 5:45 a.m. While this may seem easy to do, it is not when you are barely awake and looking for the flashlight to make certain you have packed everything. Thank goodness the breakfasts were worth scrambling for. By 6:30 a.m. we were on the trail.
The second day was to be the most gruelling day of all. We began by climbing up from Wayllabamba, following the left bank of the Llulluchayoc River for about one hour and coming to a samll bridge over the Huayruro River. A little further on we entered a cloud forest, passing a waterfall.
A fruther three-hour trek through steepening woods and amazing terrain brought us a meadown at some 3,680 m. Then, we began the climb to the first and highest pass the Trail called Dead Woman´s Pass at some 4,200 m. During this part of the trail, we were exposed to the Andean elements of first, scorching sun, and then, closer to the pass, freezing winds. At this point, we had climbed over our first mountain. Then we descended 800 m. to our second night´s campsite at Pacamayo.
While this trekking is gruelling given the stone steps and paths and the varying slopes and steepness of the paths, the altitude provided an additional element of difficulty at times. We were thankful that we had aclimatized ourselves having spent some time in Puno and the hiking in the Sacred Valley.
On Day three of the Inca Trail, we started the day by climbing up to the ruins of Runkuracay. Day 3 on the Incan Trail was the most spectacular. We were climbing and descending stone steps and pathways that were more than 90% Incan made, which meant the steps were smaller and easier to handle. These small, circular ruins occupied a position overlooking the Pacamayo valley below. Then we headed up again to 4,000 m. crossing our second mountain. Then we descended down steep steps. This section was particularly beautiful as the path crosses high stone embankments and steep drops.
Then we arrived at a ruin site called Sayacmarca. Sayacmarca means inaccessbile town, because the ruins are protected on three sides by cliffs. We saw other small ruins called Tambos which were used for weary travellers on their way to Machu Picchu. Then we headed in the CloudForest again filled with orchids, tree ferns and flowers. On our Trail, we passed a few more ruins and went thru an amazing rock tunnel that the Incans carved out of the cliff complete with steps. There were many birds including hummingbirds crossing our path as we made our way towards Winay Wayna to have lunch.
The Trail then climbed to the third pass at 3,700 m. going by the most impressive ruins of the Trail so far, called Phuyupatamarca. The name Phuyupatamarca means ´town in the clouds´. Next we descended a 1,000 or so steps (and our guide said that this was our easy day -- later we heard it was called the Gringo Killer) then another three hours of walking through cloud forest we arrived at Winay Wayna. Thank goodness as we went over our 3´rd pass and descended into beautiful cloud forest were the shade of the trees was a welcome respite.
As usual by the time we got to our lunch site, the porters had the dining tent set up and lunch ready. After another wonderful lunch we have a ceremony where the porters introduce themselves, tell us their age and marital status. From all the laughing I think some of them were pulling our legs when they said they had many wives. We then give the porterstheir tip and shake their hands. We won't be seeing most of the porters again because we are going to be spending the night in Aguas Calientes.
Winay Wayna is named after an orchid of the same name meaning forever young. Here we had lunch. Normally, we would have stayed here and prepared to wake up the next morning and walk up to the Sun Gate and entered Machu Picchu. Last month there was a landslide that blocked the normal route to Machu Picchu thru the Sun Gate, so we have to get there via Aguas Calientes. Two persons, who worked in the area of the landslide have disappeared.
Consequently, the alternate plan was to walk down into the town of Aguas Calientes i.e., back down the mountain and along the railway tracks into town took some three hours going at a neck-breaking speed. We descend down to the railway line which took about 2 hrs. of steady going and then we walk between the Urubamba River and the railway track for another 2 hrs. We are taken to a hostel with private bath and hot water! It must have been the thought of staying in a hostel versus a tent and having a shower that created this ´second wind´. We arrived in town 5:00 p.m.
We meet at a restaurant for supper with the Peru Trek cook doing all the cooking. Our guide tells us to be ready to have breakfast the next morning at 4:45 a.m. so that we can take a bus up to Machu Picchu before sunrise.
posted by S. Reiblin at 10:50 PM
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