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The Inca Trail
While the Incas were renowned as road builders, it must be noted that many of their lines of communication were not what travelers from other lands are used to. Since they did not possess wheeled vehicles, the Incas were not constrained to the shallow gradients of river valleys. Furthermore, the Incas preferred to stick to the hillsides and ridgelines, where they could better appreciate the stunning mountain scenery which were central to their religion and culture. Altogether, they created over 15,000 miles of trails to administer their far-flung empire; however, there is one particular route which has gained fame as the "Inca Trail".
This "classic" course starts some 50 miles northwest of Cuzco, at one of the stops along the railway line to Machu Picchu.				While local peasants never stopped using this trail over the centuries, archaeologists did not begin studying it until 1941. The Inca Trail stretches about 45 km (28 miles) through the "Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu", a Peruvian national park established in 1981.

		Many sections of the road feature carefully-hewn stairs and original paving stones.
The Inca Trail ranges from less than 2,500 m (8,200 ft) to 4,200 m (13,800 ft) in elevation, traversing a wide variety of microclimates.
				For years, the increasingly-heavy tourist traffic along this route remained poorly regulated, which took its toll on the trail itself and the surrounding flora and fauna.
		In 2002, the Peruvian authorities instituted new restrictions to better preserve the trail.
Nowadays, no more than 500 people may set out on the trail each day, and they must be accompanied by licensed guides. In practice, fewer than half this number are tourists, while the majority are porters carrying supplies for the journey. In addition, the trail is closed down for maintenance each February.
We managed to secure spots for a four-day hike in early October 2007, sponsored by Peru Treks & Adventure. Our friends, Cathy and Gary, joined us as part of a 14-person group, led by two Peruvian guides, Marcelino and Naomi; an excellent cook; and over two dozen porters. We were in for the adventure of a lifetime!

More Inca Trail Links
Inca Trail "altitude map" The Inca Trail in pictures	Hiking the Inca Trail Run the Inca Trail!	Inca Adventures Inca Trail Machupicchu

Day 1: Piscacucho to Wayllabamba
	Our first day on the Inca Trail actually began early in the morning back in Cuzco, as we boarded chartered busses bound for Ollantaytambo, where we stopped for breakfast. Along the way, we picked up many of our porters in the small village of Chinchero, in the Sacred Valley. Finally, we arrived at the end of the road (literally), the village of Piscacucho, at Kilometer 82 on the Cuzco-Machu Picchu railway, 2,570 m (8,430 ft) above sea level.
	After assembling our gear, and checking our passports and tickets at the entry control point, we crossed over the Urubamba River and embarked on our four-day adventure along the Inca Trail.

		The first day's journey was a relatively easy 12 km (7.5 miles) hike, with a vertical gain of only 400 m (1,300 ft) — an average grade of 3%.
				Of course, when hiking at such high altitudes, "relatively easy" isn't nearly as simple as it sounds.
Also, the "average grade" obscures the fact that the trails constantly rises and falls with the mountainous terrain.
Thankfully, the porters who accompanied our group transported all the tents, food, and cooking supplies, and packed out all our trash along the way.

Many of us also hired a personal porter to tote our sleeping bag, bed roll, and surplus gear — up to 6 kg (13 lbs). Still, we were each responsible for carrying our own water, clothes, and whatever else we couldn't do without.

Inca ruins at Q'anabamba, across the river (and railroad tracks) from the Inca Trail

We began our trek by shadowing the Urubamba River as far as Llactapata, then followed the Cusichaca towards its source. We stopped for lunch at a campground along the river, before pressing on to Wayllabamba.

	Although the rainy season had officially begun, we enjoyed beautiful weather throughout the day — right up until us laggards were caught in a rain shower just short of camp!

Day 2: Wayllabamba to Paqaymayo
Wayllabamba is the final village on the trail — last chance to buy bottled water or hire additional porters. We availed ourselves of both opportunities before hitting the trail on the second day.
		By this point, our group had already settled into a routine. Each morning, we woke up early to eat breakfast and freshen up at the public restrooms, which featured toilets and sinks with (cold, non-potable) running water.
				As soon as we set off on the trail, the porters quickly broke down the campsite. Before long, they would pass us by, racing to the next campground to have lunch ready for us.
In the evening, we would arrive in camp to find that the porters had again beat us there, having already set up our tents and begun preparing our dinner.
Amazingly, each meal featured a different menu, including desert! While alcoholic beverages were discouraged, we always had plenty of hot water for coca tea, a folk remedy for altitude sickness.




The second day was probably the most challenging on the trail — but also the most rewarding. Our route took us up the valley of Llulluchapampa creek, which flows into the Cusichaca at Wayllabamba.

After a snack at Yuncachimpa ("Three Rocks"), we plunged into a forest along the banks of the Llulluchapampa.

We stopped at Llullucha campground for lunch, within sight of the mountain pass to which we would soon be headed.

By this point, we had climbed about 750 m (2,460 ft) over the course of 6 km (3.7 miles) — an average grade of over 12%.

		The trail got even harder after lunch, as we ascended another 450 m (1,476 ft) over the next 3 km (1.9 miles) — a 15% grade.

	The air became increasingly thin as we trudged our way upward, until at last we reached the highest point on the trail: Abra Warmiwañuska ("Dead Woman's Pass") at 4,200 m (13,800 ft) above sea level.

Considering the grueling climb to the top, and the lack of oxygen on the way, it's easy to imagine how this pass got its name!			However, the name actually refers to the profile of prone female figure some see in the curve of the ridgeline.

		Our joy at the top was tempered by the chill in the air, and the long way we still had to go before reaching camp.

It was all downhill from here — over the next 3 km, we descended more than 600 m (1,968 ft), a knee-jarring 20% slope.				Unfortunately, our small "party of five" (including our guide, Naomi) were still on the trail after dark.
Our slow pace throughout the afternoon meant that we were left to hike the last kilometer or so by flashlight, negotiating the irregular stone stairs accompanied by porters sent back to rescue us!

Day 3: Paqaymayo to Wiñaywayna
	Our third day on the trail was also the longest — we would cover at least 15 km (9.3 miles) before it was all over, hiking through two more mountain passes and exploring spectacular Inca ruins along the way.

	The day began with an invigorating ascent to the ruins of Runkuraqay, an Incan "tambo" (way station) overlooking the Paqaymayo valley.

	After climbing another kilometer or so, we reached the Inca Trail's second pass, at 3,950 m (12,956 ft) above sea level.

		After the pass, the trail descends steadily for several kilometers, providing some relief to our weary muscles and joints. Along the way, we were treated to an amazing variety of orchids and other flora.


	Eventually, a pair of Inca ruins came into view on either side of the route: Sayaqmarka, situated high on the ridge overlooking the trail, and Qonchamarca, nestled in the valley below.



	It wasn't much longer before we reached Chaquiqocha campground, where we met up with our Peru Treks group for our last lunch together on the Inca Trail.

	From here, the trail begins to climb again, heading first through a 20-meter (66-foot) tunnel carved by the Incas through the hillside, and then towards the third and final pass above Phuyupatamarka (3,580 m / 11,742 ft).

		These ruins — by far the most spectacular we'd encountered along the trail so far — were discovered in 1915 by Hiram Bingham, the American archaeologist who stumbled across Machu Picchu four years earlier.
				He originally dubbed the ruins "Qoriwayrachina", a Quechua word which means "where wind was used to refine gold".

However, this name had already been applied to a different archaeological site, near the starting point of the Inca Trail.
In 1941, Hungarian-born anthropologist Paul Fejos led another expedition to the ruins, which he renamed Phuyupatamarka ("Town Above the Clouds") — a reference to the mists which often roll in from the Urubamba valley below.

	Below the ruins, the trail begins a steep descent along a series of Inca stairs, some of which are carved out of solid rock. Soon the ruins of Wiñaywayna come into view, a sure sign that the camp can't be far beyond.

	Unfortunately, our small band of slowpokes was again caught on the trail after dark, so we had to painstakingly inch our way down the slippery slope to Wiñaywayna campground, where we rejoined our comrades.

Day 4: Wiñaywayna to Machu Picchu
Wiñaywayna is the rallying point for hikers heading to Machu Picchu, the last campground before our ultimate destination — now a mere 6 km (3.7 miles) away. Some tour operators offer an abbreviated Inca Trail trek beginning at the Kilometer 104 railroad stop, hiking up from the Urubamba valley to join us on the trail here.
	Wiñaywayna, which means "Forever Young" in the Quechua language, is named for an indigenous orchid species which blooms year-round. This is an apt name for the nearby campground, which offers hot showers to grungy hikers after several days in the wilderness! We also celebrated the birthday of our guide, Naomi, complete with a cake which the cook whipped up on the spot.

	Our group set out before dawn the following morning, hoping to catch the rising sun at Intipunku, the "Sun Gate" above Machu Picchu. As usual, we soon fell behind the others, taking our time to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

... and so, after more than three days on the Inca Trail, we reached the end of the road:

Machu Picchu!

This page was first published 1 January 2008, and last updated 17 August 2008.