Here's my bottom-line message on the Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu: Anyone can do it, and everyone should try it at some point in their life. The historic trail from Cusco Peru to Machu Picchu is absolutely beautiful, full of Incan ruins, and worth the time and effort to get to city of Machu Picchu under your own power at sunrise. It sounds pretty intimidating on paper; 30 miles over 4 days at elevations up to 13000 feet, but in reality, it's just a lot of putting one foot in front of the other....over and over and over and over again. There is more than enough time built into the schedule for even the slowest of hikers, and as long as you leave yourself a couple of days in Cusco before the hike to acclimate to the elevation, you should be fine. Throw in plentiful and hearty food prepared by the porters everyday and 8pm bedtimes and there are times on the hike that feel pretty relaxing -- not the hike up to 13000 feet, but other times. Other than the fact that the group I was in was a lot of fun and made the hard bits easier, I don't have much else to say about the hike that the pictures can't present better, except "The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - add it to your life list."
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| On of the 7 or 8 Incan ruins we passed on the hike |
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| Setting up for the first night's camping |
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| Looking down at the trail from the highest point on the trail, Dead Woman Pass |
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| And how it felt to finally make it up there |
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| The views of the Andes were stunning all 4 days |
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| The porters, taking a break. Most of them were carrying at least twice as much as any of the hikers...and jogging the trail |
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| Feeling like we were on the roof of the world |
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| Finally made it! Looking down on the city just after sunrise on day 4 |
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| A viscacha - kind of like an Andean bunny-rat. Or similar to a chinchilla, if you want something that sounds cuter |
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| A picture perfect day at Machu Picchu |
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