Peru Part 5 - Inca Trail from Km 104 to Machu Picchu

 The morning started early with a bus collecting me from my hotel in Cusco at 4:00 am. We had to be in Ollantaytambo for the train which departs at 6:30 am. The entire drive was in the dark until we were arriving at the train station. The train trip would be about 90 minutes and we would be disembarking at an unofficial stop to begin our hike on the Inca Trail. The train ride was very scenic. I enjoyed it very much. I was ready to start the hike though. 2 years of training and planning and I was finally here! 

The first two miles are the hardest. The morning sun is shining on the trail, and at that altitude it is intense. This is also the steepest part of the trail gaining over 1700 feet in elevation. It will still increase another 1225 ft, but will not be as sharply inclined and will be in the shade. The Sun made the day feel much warmer than what it actually was. That made the hike on the second mile a bit harder for me. I do not like hiking in the heat. I just slowed my pace down a bit and paused to take pictures frequently. I paced myself between the lead group and the last stragglers. That worked well in my favor as I often had the trail to myself. I do love hiking in solitude. At about the 2.5 mile mark is where we stop for a lunch break. It is also near the Waywayna ruins. We hiked up to it and spent about an hour exploring that area before heading back to our lunch spot. The ruins are in a beautiful scenic area with a waterfall and steep hillsides. I can imagine what a beautiful place it was to live for the Incas. 

I did this trek with Alpaca Expeditions (I highly recommend). They bring chefs on the trek, dining tents, and real dishes and cutlery. They are great at cooking for special dietary requests, we had a few vegans in the group and gluten free eaters. It was not a problem and there were many options to chose from, all freshly prepared. A very enjoyable meal. Our break was over all too soon and we were back on the trail. The next stop would be the Sun Gate where we would get our first sight of Machu Picchu. 

The portion heading down to the Sun Gate was and up and down hike. I found it to be quite easy, it was mostly in the shade which helped. I stayed with the lead group the whole way. I think I surprised a few people after being a bit slow that morning. The group guide kept checking on me to make sure I was okay. I guess he thought maybe I was pushing myself too hard, but I kept reassuring him that I was doing great and really was enjoying myself. The altitude on this hike has a total gain of 3038 feet. But stays below the 9000 foot elevation. It was around 7 miles in length with the side hikes and exploring we did a long the way.

I loved the hike and I am really happy with my decision to limit myself to doing this instead of the 4 day 26 mile trek. If you are in good physical shape and want to do a bit more than just see Machu Picchu without taking on the full Inca trail I highly recommend you to do the 2 day excursion. 

Now for those pictures!

Peru Part 4 - Rainbow Mountain

 I chose Sunday March 29th to go to Rainbow Mountain. I was originally looking to book it with Alpaca Expeditions (the same company I chose for the Inca Trail). They were quite a bit more expensive $160 versus American Inca Trail (the company associated with Maximo Nivel) they had discounted trips there for volunteers for $45.00. This included round trip bus transport, breakfast and lunch, and a guide for the hike up. Big savings, but not nearly the level of service that Alpaca Expeditions offers. But for a short day trip it was fine.

The drive heads out of Cusco up into the high Andes of Peru. The drive up was beautiful as we drove higher in elevation. The highest peak in the Peruvian Andes is visible by the time we reached the trail-head for Rainbow Mountain. The starting elevation is just under 15,000 feet, and depending on which viewpoint you stop at it will be between 16,200 - 16,500 feet. We started the morning in Cusco which sits at 11,000 feet. so it was a 4000 foot gain just on the drive.

I started the hike out strong. I was feeling great for the first mile going up. But once I hit about 15,250  feet in elevation I suddenly felt like someone just sucked all the air out of my lungs. The hike then became a struggle. I had to pause about every ten feet to catch my breathe and let my heart rate drop a bit. Getting to the top was not looking promising. Now quite a few people ride a horse up the trail stopping just before the final incline. I really hadn't wanted to do that , but with still just over a mile to go I knew that was the only way I would get there. So the guide flagged down a horse and guide and for about $8 I rode the next mile up to the stairs that take you to the lookout. I felt a bit defeated. But I did get to the top. 

It was packed up at the lookouts. I really wasn't feeling like dealing with the crowds at this point so I took the required photos then headed back down, I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the view and the colors of the mountain were much duller that what is pictured online. It was also not as large or majestic as the photos would lead you to believe. 

I had originally planned on hiking the Red Valley route for the return. I was still struggling to breath so I skipped it and headed down. It didn't take long on the return before I was breathing easier and feeling better. I was disappointed with the hike itself except for the beautiful scenery on the way up. That and the drive did make the day worthwhile for the $45 that it cost. 

I honestly think that most people struggle to some extent on this hike. It is a huge altitude gain on the drive up and the body just does not have any time to adjust. I had hoped with having been in Cusco for a week I would have been better able to cope. It shows me though that I will need to take my time and acclimation days when I hike EBC trail if I want to be successful. I will be living at 8000+ feet prior to the trek for two months and hope to go hiking every weekend weather permitting. 

So here are a few pictures from the trip to Rainbow Mountain...

 Looking up towards the lookout points.

 The Valley on the drive up.

 Lots of llamas.

The highest peaks in Peru are visible on the hike.

 Breakfast stop on the way up and lunch on the return trip. 

 Rainbow Mountain.