Peru - Hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu!

The morning sun broke through the dissipating clouds to illuminate the ancient Inca citadel impossibly perched atop the Andean peak.

We were at Intipunku, the famed sun gate where trekkers get a first glimpse of the fabled Inca city of Machu Picchu. It would take another hour to reach the city, the culmination of a 4 day, 39 km trek along the ancient route laid by the Incas which winds it's way up and down the Andes, snaking over 3 mountain passes which has collectively been dubbed the Inca trail.

The Inca trail had lived in my head for decades, ever since I read about how the explorer Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu on my birthday, 24th July 1911.

He had travelled to Peru in search of the lost city of Vilcabamba, the refuge the Incas had retreated to in an effort to evade the Spanish conquistadores. As he clambered up the steep slope covered in cloud forest alongside his local guide he was initially sceptical. He knew that there were many rumours of Incan ruins dotted all around the forests and mountain peaks and while he was told that there were ruins high above, it was unlikely to be the city he was looking for. He was right, this wasn't Vilcabamba but what he would discover, led by a young Peruvian boy to the final site, covered in centuries old jungle, would ultimately be the greatest discovery of his life.

Now the Inca trail is the number one attraction in all of South America and in order to preserve it the daily numbers allowed to trek it are limited so booking well in advance is vital to secure a permit.

 Our trek started relatively gently along the shores of the Urabamba river before a steep, lung busting climb before stopping for lunch. As we sat around taking deep breaths while our camp staff prepared lunch, our guide reassuringly told us that once you can handle that initial climb there's no doubt that you'll handle the rest of the trek. Well that's comforting!

Not long after we resumed our hike we came to the ancient Incan outpost of Llactapata, strategically positioned with unobstructed views in both directions of the valley. Our campsite that night was just magnificent with unrivalled views of the snowcapped Nevado Veronica in the distance, the setting sun brilliantly illuminating it's perfect peak.

The following morning we crossed the Rio Llullucha before climbing steeply through the woodlands on the river's flank, navigating our way around Llama's which conveniently blocked our path.

After lunch we reached the highest point of the trek, at 4200 metres Warmiwanusca, also known as Dead Woman's Pass left us gasping for air but the jubilation at reaching the mist clad summit was worth every step. We continued our trek down the other side, descending step by knee jarring step through the clouds that enveloped us until we reached our campsite at Paq'amayo.

The next day was simply incredible as we worked our way ever closer to our destination. The views were spectacular, vast mountain ranges overlooking mountain top lakes, waterfalls cascading down the Andean slopes, magnificent Inca ruins at Sayaqmarka and Phuyupatamarka, Inca tunnels carved through the mountain itself and finally Winay Wayna, a spectacular Inca ruin just 500 metres from our campsite and affectionately known as Mini Machu Picchu. If this is Mini Machu Picchu, how spectacular is the site itself?

We woke that final morning before dawn so that we could get to the sun gate in time for sunrise and that remarkable first view of Machu Picchu. At that point we were just an hour from the famous Inca citadel and the adrenaline rush propelled us all the way to the end. As we reached Machu Picchu we suddenly found ourselves amongst a throng of perfectly attired day trippers because if you don't wish to hike the Inca trail there’s the option of doing a day trip by taking the train from the former Incan capital of Cuzco via the nearby town of Aguas Calientes.

As I stood at the precipice of the famous city I contemplated whether my decision to hike rather than day tripping was the best choice and I began to recollect on the previous few days.

The views, the experience, the achievement in trekking the ancient route, seeing ancient Inca sites that are simply off limits to day trippers. The insight we got in to the ancient Incan Empire by traversing their landscape and seeing their strategic outposts was just priceless.

Would I do the day trip in hindsight? Absolutely not!

 Would you like to see the number one sight in South America on an Incan adventure? Get in touch, let's make it happen.