21 - 24 January 2012
A dream realised.....4 days/ 3 nights leading to one of the most important of the Inca sites, Machu Picchu...
We were in Cusco for 3 days before - height 3400m - trying to acclimatize before the walk as it goes to 4215m at Dead Womans Pass.
Day 1
Hostel pick up around 6am and drove with others in group to Ollantaymbo - a mixed group of 4 Argentinean chicas, 2 Germans (mother 70, and daughter), 2 French, and 3 Aussies including myself.... Paid $400US - others paid anything from $340 US - $500 US. Some booked a few days ago but it is January and the rainy season and they close the Trail in February due to maintenance and rains...
Day starts with quite a good climb up then flat....this pattern goes on all day. Stop for lunch and it was a 2 course hot meal - we were amazed...... I think they knew that the last hour of the day - around 4pm was going to be hard going so we were fed for it. Cooks set up cooks tent and made merienda or pre-dinner snack then a 3 course dinner - soup followed by trout as the main course then dessert.
Day 2 - this is the hardest day as it is all up and we plod along for 6km of uphill to Dead Women's Pass then 4km down to about 3000m - it rained at times so we all had ponchos on and off .....hot lunch and a rest and we started again going up for 2kms to 3780m and down for 3kms to our site - we were buggered......it was a good days walking and other groups had stopped where we had lunch but we were glad to have done the last part so that the next day was easier, well sort of......
Day 3 Start the day with 4 kms up again - stairs, stairs and more stairs......then alternating flat and down for 7kms. Inca site at Winaywayna meaning FOREVER YOUNG - I love it!!! Tired and knee sore but feel good......Scenery along the way beautiful and varied - through bush, rainforest, beautiful plants and many with medicinal value....Nike, our guide, knew a lot about the flora so that made it so interesting as well.....
Rain through most of the night.....
Day 4 - This is the last day and in order to get to Machu Picchu we have to go through Park gate early so we are up at 3am to have breakfast then reached park gate at 4am and we were the FIRST group there. While we waited for it to open at 5:30am more and more arrived and there were literally hundreds there by the time it opened....
Walked or raced to the SunGate - well until there were more steps which slowed me down but I was about 4th there in our group - not bad for an old girl.....the guide told me I was AMAZING so that made me feel even better and forget my aching quads and calves........The view at the Sun Gate was terrific - but I was surprised by MachuPicchu - I thought it would be much bigger.......that was from the height and it is pretty big when you are there......Wanya Picchu is the mountain behind and it makes an amazing backdrop as it looks like an Inca chief face on it's side.
Took a tour of the site and felt the magical Inca energy all around and especially on the astronomical rock - if you put your hand close to it you can feel the energy.....quite amazing ......
The final treat at the end was Aguas Calientes and the Hot Baths - great for the aching calves and quads....
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A dream realised.....4 days/ 3 nights leading to one of the most important of the Inca sites, Machu Picchu...
We were in Cusco for 3 days before - height 3400m - trying to acclimatize before the walk as it goes to 4215m at Dead Womans Pass.
Day 1
Hostel pick up around 6am and drove with others in group to Ollantaymbo - a mixed group of 4 Argentinean chicas, 2 Germans (mother 70, and daughter), 2 French, and 3 Aussies including myself.... Paid $400US - others paid anything from $340 US - $500 US. Some booked a few days ago but it is January and the rainy season and they close the Trail in February due to maintenance and rains...
Day starts with quite a good climb up then flat....this pattern goes on all day. Stop for lunch and it was a 2 course hot meal - we were amazed...... I think they knew that the last hour of the day - around 4pm was going to be hard going so we were fed for it. Cooks set up cooks tent and made merienda or pre-dinner snack then a 3 course dinner - soup followed by trout as the main course then dessert.
Day 2 - this is the hardest day as it is all up and we plod along for 6km of uphill to Dead Women's Pass then 4km down to about 3000m - it rained at times so we all had ponchos on and off .....hot lunch and a rest and we started again going up for 2kms to 3780m and down for 3kms to our site - we were buggered......it was a good days walking and other groups had stopped where we had lunch but we were glad to have done the last part so that the next day was easier, well sort of......
Day 3 Start the day with 4 kms up again - stairs, stairs and more stairs......then alternating flat and down for 7kms. Inca site at Winaywayna meaning FOREVER YOUNG - I love it!!! Tired and knee sore but feel good......Scenery along the way beautiful and varied - through bush, rainforest, beautiful plants and many with medicinal value....Nike, our guide, knew a lot about the flora so that made it so interesting as well.....
Rain through most of the night.....
Day 4 - This is the last day and in order to get to Machu Picchu we have to go through Park gate early so we are up at 3am to have breakfast then reached park gate at 4am and we were the FIRST group there. While we waited for it to open at 5:30am more and more arrived and there were literally hundreds there by the time it opened....
Walked or raced to the SunGate - well until there were more steps which slowed me down but I was about 4th there in our group - not bad for an old girl.....the guide told me I was AMAZING so that made me feel even better and forget my aching quads and calves........The view at the Sun Gate was terrific - but I was surprised by MachuPicchu - I thought it would be much bigger.......that was from the height and it is pretty big when you are there......Wanya Picchu is the mountain behind and it makes an amazing backdrop as it looks like an Inca chief face on it's side.
Took a tour of the site and felt the magical Inca energy all around and especially on the astronomical rock - if you put your hand close to it you can feel the energy.....quite amazing ......
The final treat at the end was Aguas Calientes and the Hot Baths - great for the aching calves and quads....
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