Inca Trailed

We write (a mother of a blog so be warned) after the successful completion of the Inca trail, a journey that ranks as the highlight of our three months on the road thus far. While in our last blog we noted that we were less than excited about the prospect of 4 days trekking at altitude, we´re both so glad we booked it in and paid a ridiculous price to do so in January, well before we´d had an opportunity to read in any detail what was actually involved.

For those interested, the trail covers 45 kilometres, starting at 2,600m, climbing through three mountain passes, the highest at 4,200m, before ending in Machu Picchu 4 days later at 2,400m. We were joined in our group by 10 others, comprising a couple of Aussies (Keith & Jen) who´d married a week earlier in Sydney, and a group of 8 (7 Americans and a bonza Irish lass) that had been volunteering in a local community in the week preceding.

Accompanying we 12 gringos was a supporting cast of 20 (15 porters, 2 guides, 2 chefs and a waiter). So with $4 walking sticks purchased, we set out on the first day´s efforts, a 12km trek with the sun on our faces and wind at our backs.


The backbone of any trek on the Inca trail are the local porters who carry everything needed for camping along the trail, all the gear that a trekker doesn´t need during the day, and their own gear for the four days. Regulations mean they can ONLY carry 20kgs of communal gear + 5kgs of their own personal gear. In support of our group of 12, we had 18 (15 porters, 2 chefs and the wiater) generally 5 foot nothing Peruvian men lugging the gear ahead of us.


These men are farmers when not on the trail, and complete the trail at least once a week during high season in order to bring much needed income into their local community. Wearing 4 year old Romanesque sandals with all the orthotic support of a pair of Nomads or Bata Bullets, these guys race ahead of the tour group with everything (tents, food, gas bottles, table and chairs) strapped to their backs with rope and wrapped in tarpaulin (no sign of 70 litre capacity MacPacs here). We were even passed by one porter craddling 6 eggs in the palm of his hand, in addition to the 25kgs strapped to his back!


A couple of hours up the trail, a couple of porters would be waiting with a cup of tea, while another group are further ahead, setting up a temporary campsite to serve lunch. At the end of each day, a fully established campsite would be waiting for us, along with a porter to serve hot water for rinsing the face and a cup of Coca Tea to help with the altitude sickness. These guys are machines and, despite the rigours of the job, are permanently smiling with their prominent Peruvian cheek bones leading the charge.



The second day of the trail is the toughest, with 10kms of trekking primarily uphill through ´Dead Woman´s Pass´ at 4,200 metres. Passing llamas en route, we celebrated reaching the top in Edmund Hillary style by unfurling the New Zealand flag. Only half the height of Everest, but taller than Aoraki Mount Cook so, like the Warriors, we´ll take a victory where we can get it.



The trail itself is largely ´paved´ by slabs of rock cut by the Inca´s in building the trail, while uphill sections have rather high steps cut into the the stone base. While on the trail, we were treated to some pretty impressive feeds. The two chefs, kitted out in impeccable uniforms (see earlier photo), brewed up some fantastic meals including fried trout, alpaca steaks, apple turnovers and pancakes.

The third day, the longest (16km), was great, taking in a series of ruins while skirting the ridgeline with magnificient views in all directions. Our final night was celebrated with a hot shower, a few beers, and presentation of some tips to the hired help. Mat was given the call up to make a speech in Spanish which seemed to make some sense, before a beer induced haka by Mat and the honourable Kiwi Keith (Strayian) had the Peruvian porters replying with their own song and dance.







The final morning began at 4am with a 5 km race to the Sungate which sits above Machu Picchu. From here we were able to take in the sunrise over the mountains and get our first taste of the destination, the lost city of the Inca´s - Machu Picchu. In a moment of total hilarity, we were greeted at the Sungate by a Kiwi from another tour group with a lispth from Hamiltron who had some how received news that morning on the Americas Cup result - ¨Keeweeth lotht the Cup today by two thecondths. I´m abtholutely gutted! Thought the boyth would do it thith time¨.


Built in the 1400´s, Machu Picchu sits atop a mountain ridge with seemingly vertical drops to the valley below. The city was abandoned in the 1500´s before the Spanish could find it and have their way with it. Today, the ruins are maintained in largely the same state they were found in 1911 (minus the enroaching jungle), and are truly magnificient and by far the best of the 20 or so we´ve seen in the past few months.




Following a tour of the ruins, the challenge was offered to climb Wayna Picchu, the angular mountain topped with ruins that lies behind Machu Picchu. You only live once, so Mat tackled the 500m near vertical climb to the top, armed with some Gangsta Rap on the iPod to drive tired legs. Advised that it would take atleast 45 minutes to climb, Mat powered up in 28 minutes before unveiling the Kiwi flag again! The descent was a little slower as a couple of German´s felt the effects of vertigo on a particularly hairy piece of Inca craftsmanship in the form of some unnatuarally narrow stairs with nasty drops to each side.


We celebrated the completion of the trail with our newly married Australian friends Keith and Jen in the nearby town of Aqua Calientes (warm waters). What better way to forget tired legs than by downing a few 1 litre crate bottles of Cusqueña, the local drop, before continuing the celebrations on the train back to Cuzco.


Now back in Cuzco, we head further south towards Bolivia. Our journey south has however hit a small road bump in the form of a teachers strike. While a teachers strike wouldn´t normally deal a blow to travel plans, we´re dealing with what appears to be the militant wing of the Peruvian PPTA. Upset with low wages, they´ve commandeered a section of the highway between Cuzco and Puno (our destination), forcing all bus companies to cancel buses in that direction. Even private tour buses are suspended as these teachers are, as far as can be deduced in pigeon Spanish, highly emotional and well armed!

Word on the street is that the road will be re-opened on the 12th, just the 6 days from now. We´re therefore planning to take a much longer route this evening back to Arequipa and on to Puno where Lake Titicaca (heh heh!) and then Bolivia await us.

Congratulations to Mozza (just the 28 years of life and 13 years since anyone saw your pins!) and Jamie (Youngbuck) for your recent birthdays.