Machu Picchu + the Inca Trail, Peru

PERU Page 2/4:

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Peru Index 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 :
Page 1: Overview / Cuzco / The Wari People / Inca Conquest / Moray / Salt Pans at Salinas / Lares Trek / Fujimori, Toledo, & the Economy
Page 2 (this page): Inca Trail to Machu Picchu ~ Page 3: Cordillera Blanca: Trekking Season & Climate / Chavin / Santa Cruz Trek / Inca Legacies
Page 4: Cordillera Huayhuash: Altitude Acclimatization / Climate/ Touching the Void / Amazon Source

Machu Picchu:

Spaniards passed in the river valley below but never discovered Machu Picchu, which is on a ridge at about 8200 feet (2500 meters) elevation. In 1983, UNESCO listed the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu as a World Heritage Site.

Machu Picchu, Peru
Above: Machu Picchu (panorama stitched from 5 images).

Left: Rainbow over llama grazing in agricultural terraces at Machu Picchu.

Below right: rainbow over thatched-roof huts at Machu Picchu.

Above: Machu Picchu (panorama stitched from 3 images).

Left: Patches of sun spotlight Machu Picchu, as seen from atop Huayna Picchu.

Above right: Ladyslipper Orchid at the Pueblo Hotel gardens, Aguas Calientes.

Below right: Wild Begonia flower, on the Inca Trail, at Machu Picchu.
Begonia flower, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Peru

Below: Machu Picchu spotlit, as seen from atop Huayna Picchu (which is climbed via a very steep & exposed stairway).
Machu Picchu, as seen from atop Huayna Picchu

Hummingbirds of Peru.

Slipperwort, or Snapdragon (calceolaria crenata), along the Inca Trail at Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu
Left: #03PER-15-29-MachuPicchu.

Below right: #00PER-15-35-Huayna-Picchu.
Machu Picchu

Below: a rain shower sprinkles Machu Picchu:
Rain storm breaking over Machu Picchu, Peru

Restored Inca Trail bridge at Machu Picchu, Peru
Left: Restored Inca bridge on an unused portion of the Inca Trail at Machu Picchu.

Below right: exploring a corridor in the restored ruins of Machu Picchu:

Below: Terraces of Machu Picchu:

Machu Picchu panorama, Peru
Machu Picchu panorama stitched from 7 photos by Carol Dempsey.

Below: the Machu Picchu train stops at Aguas Calientes.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu:

Trekking is the most rewarding way to reach Machu Picchu. You can also take the train to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you can easily bus to Machu Picchu (or walk for 1 to 1.5 hours).

We chose to trek 32 miles in four days, ascending a total of 8600 feet. A bus took us from Cuzco to the end of the road in the Urubamba Valley at Chilca (railroad kilometer 82), where we met our porters and began walking with day packs. Starting at 7700 feet elevation, we trekked as high as 13,770 feet, before descending on the fourth day to the sacred Inca city of Machu Picchu (8200 feet), where we caught the bus down to Aguas Calientes. Spaniards passed in the river valley below but never discovered Machu Picchu.
The Peru National Institute of Natural Resources requires overnight trekkers on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu to hire a guide (about $60 or more per day) plus a $50 entrance fee.

Inca Trail starts at this bridge over Urubamba River (7700 feet elevation), railroad kilometer 82
The Inca Trail began for us at this bridge over the Urubamba River (7700 feet elevation) at railroad kilometer 82.

A porter with a heavy load on the Inca Trail.

Mo at Dead Woman's Pass (13,770 feet).

Inca Trail: Group portrait on Dead Woman's Pass (13,770 feet).

Inca ruins at Sayac Marca, Peru

Left: Inca ruins at Sayac Marca.

Below right: On the trek, we ate fresh and healthy gourmet lunches.

Gourmet lunch on the Inca Trail, Peru

Inca Trail flute serenade

Our multi-talented guide Wilbert attracted us higher with his Andean flute. He played several more instruments, spoke 8 languages, earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from a Peruvian university, and had a playful sense of humor.

alpine plant, Peru
The spines of this alpine plant may discourage hungry animals.

Our porters for the Inca Trail pose at the Inca ruins of Intipata
Above: Our Peruvian support team poses at our third and last camp on the Inca Trail, in the ruins of Intipata: 22 porters, 2 cooks, and 2 guides supported our group of 12 trekkers. They thanked us for the work, all the more sincerely due to current high unemployment in Peru. Our guide Wilbert translated their native Quechua language for us.

Colorful rugs for sale in Aguas Calientes.

Carved and decorated Andean plates for sale, Aguas Calientes, Peru

Carved decorated Andean plates and bowls for sale, in Aguas Calientes, the service town for Machu Picchu.

PERU Page 2/4: The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

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