Exploring Machu Picchu

Lush forests, snow-capped mountains, and a lost city are just a few things you see when exploring Peru. A couple weeks ago my family packed up our things to experience life along the Inca Trail for four memorable days. 

Day 1: All about the "Inca Flat"

We woke up before the crack of dawn to drive from the center of Cusco to our starting place. I couldn't tell if I was nervous, excited or a little bit of both. Our guides kept assuring the group today was the easiest day, and that it was "Inca flat" the whole time. That term is deceiving because today's trail was definitely not flat. Instead, it was steady up and down the whole time.

As our legs and lungs were struggling with the new elevation and exercise, (the start of the trail is about 9,000 feet) porters would run past us up the mountain. Porters are the men who are hired by the travel company to help carry belongings, tents, and food for the trip. They do at least four treks a month this way, and here I am struggling with just my body weight to carry.

Although Machu Picchu is the most famous Inca site, there are hundreds of other ruins to explore throughout Peru and South America.

Our first glimpse at Inca ruins on the trail!

We were able to stop at these ruins, Llactapata for a while to learn about the Incas and rest for a while. From there we continued several more hours uphill to our campsite, and I was finally starting to get into my groove. Connor and I were the first to arrive at the campsite at the end of the day, and I was proud of myself for making it the first day! One day down, only three more to go!

Everywhere you look the view is incredible!

Day 2: The Real Challenge

Today is the day that everyone cautions you about. We are going to hike over two passes and travel a total of  16 kilometers. Saying I was nervous for day two would be an understatement, considering we already did a steady incline on our "flat" day. However there was no turning back now, and I was ready for the challenge!

We started walking as the sun rose and continued for hours on end going up steep, cobbled stairs to our first peak, Dead Woman's Pass. (the name itself is so intimidating!)

A beautiful waterfall we found along the trail

Our guides let us walk at our own pace and my brother Connor and I ended up ahead of the group and totally missed the rest stop. I guess we were too deep in conversation and focused on the destination ahead of us and walked right past it. We didn't see the building until we were 40 minutes up the mountain and saw the building from below. We were supposed to regroup there, but there was no way we were going back down the mountain again!

We finally reunited with the group after waiting along the trail for a little while and reached the top of Dead Woman's Pass. One of the hardest parts of the trek was the high elevation, and I could not take as deep of breaths as I was used to at home. Today was definitely a challenge, but the feeling once you reach the top of a pass is worth every step!

As you can see, we were pretty excited to reach the top!

 We had picturesque views on both sides of the mountain, and could see deep in the valley where we were just a couple hours before. It was breathtaking! But as the clouds rolled in we knew we had to continue on our trek to avoid the rain. After all, we had another mountain we had to summit before sunset.

The rest of the day was just as beautiful as the morning, and we reached the second summit without a problem. We did run into a little bit of rain coming down, which added to the already difficult challenge of going downhill.

Downhill is the absolute worst and can be hard on the joints. This was the hardest part for me because each step was uneven and slick from the rain. We had to be a lot more cautious, but good company made the walk down a lot more fun!

After what seemed like ages of walking downhill, we turned the corner and got a glimpse of our campsite. It was the best feeling knowing that I survived and made it to the campsite. This sounds pretty cheesy but in that moment I felt like I could do just about anything!

Day 3: Breathtaking Scenery

Today was supposed to be another "easy" day, with gentle up and downhill all day long. I don't think I would call any of this trek easy, but if you compare day three to day two, today will be a piece of cake. 

We started climbing uphill throughout the morning through tunnels and forests to reach a lookout. Here we could see Mount Victoria (one of the largest glaciers in Peru) and Urubamba River in the valley. 

Every moment on our trail did not disappoint, it was all stunning!

Here is a look at the glacier before the clouds came in

This was what our trail looked like today. I felt like I was in a fairy tale!

It was crazy how fast the clouds came in, and soon we were surrounded by a blanket of white clouds. We continued onwards to the third pass and an archaeological site, Phuyupatamarca. 

The site had huge terraces hugging the mountainside and some buildings below. We were also visited by some llamas! 

Our guides were very informative and taught us a lot about the Incas. The Incas did not have a written language, so all we know about them is passed on through oral history. Even without writing, they were able to accomplish so much as a society through science and mathematics. I have so much respect for the Incas!

We got to our campsite by lunchtime, and were able to spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring another archaeological site, Wiñay Wayna or "forever young." We explored the endless terraces and buildings left by the Incas. 

We walked down thousands of steps today

Day 4: Machu Picchu in its glory!

Today is the day we have all been waiting for! We finally are approaching Machu Picchu. We woke up at 3:30 and almost ran down the trail to get to the Sun Gate by sunrise. The Sun Gate is where we will first see Machu Picchu.

Everyone did incredible on our last morning hike, and I'd say we made it up in record time. Today also had one of the hardest stretches of the trail, nicknamed the "monkey steps." These steps were almost vertical, and you had to use your hands to get up over this wall. 

We made it to Machu Picchu before sunrise, and it was incredible! There are no words to describe how unbelievable crossing the gate was and seeing the city for the first time. 

The rest of our morning and afternoon was spent wandering the magnificent city. It was worth every step and every aching muscle to experience the Inca trail, and it was an unforgettable experience. Now off to the next adventure!