.All Trips / Peru / South America

Trekking on the Original Inca Trail

00 Inca Trail

I’ve enjoyed hiking and walking all of my life. One of my most memorable treks was the Inca Trail in Peru. Hard to believe it’s been 25 years since my brother and I did that walk, and I’m glad I did it then because my worn knees would not be up to the task today.

The hike lasted four days and wound its way up and down and across the Andes, starting in a desert climate and ending in a cloud forest. Our highest altitude was 4200 m (13,800 ft), a level at which it’s quite cool even when so close to the equator.

The trail has a lot of ups and downs, and it’s hard work as the pitch is so steep it would make a modern trail-builder shudder.

Inca Trail, Peru

Inca Trail, Peru

What I was surprised to find out is that it is not until the 3rd day, after you summit Dead Woman’s Pass, that you actually begin to walk on the original Inca Trail — the stone trail laid hundreds of years ago. Until that point the trail was mostly dirt and more like a usual mountain walkway.

The Incas had actually created an extensive road network for foot traffic through the mountains, of which this is a small part. Much of the rest has been overgrown or lost through landslides and such.

Inca Trail, Peru

My brother on the Inca Trail, Peru

While the original trail is quite rough, it’s a wonder to behold. It’s a pedestrian highway created by millions of hand-placed rocks designed to create sure-footing and a clear path to speed the movement of Inca warriors through the Andes. The trail is wide enough for several soldiers abreast to move in formation through the mountains.

One of the fascinating aspects of the trek is that you often spot old Inca ruins along your journey. For example, the Tambo (old Inca military structure) is shown below:

Runkuraqay, Inca Trail

Runkuraqay, Inca Trail

Of course, camping along the way and approaching Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate on the last day are amazing memories, but those are stories for another day.

(Clock on thumbnail to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)

 

Tagged , , ,

Comments are closed.