Inca Trail Day 1

Monday we started our hike to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail. We were up at 5:00 to be picked up at the hostel at 5:30. Mom, Mike, Nathan, Tyson, Dave, Rox, and I were going on the hike, as Dad didn’t figure his knee would hold up and is taking the train to meet us there. We left Cusco at 6:00 and headed down the Sacred Valley to the town of Ollantaytambo (2,750m) where we had breakfast and bought some poles and ponchos to have on the trail. We continued on the bus until we made it to km 82 at Piscacucho (2,600m) where the road ends. We got all packed up, sent some goods with our porters and headed off.

In total there are 16 of us on the trek, with 2 guides, Eddy and Carlos. We started hiking at 10:50am. My bag weighed in at 28.4lbs before I added my sweater and base layer, so it began with a bit of effort, but the scenery is absolutely spectacular.

We walked and worked our way up to overlooking the site of Llactapata, which is at the fork of the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley, and the Kusichaca Stream.

Carlos told us about some of this Incan history as we overlooked the site before making our way down to Tarachayok (2,765m) for lunch. We showed up into camp and there was a great big tent already set up, and all the porters applauded for us (it kinda felt good, but also a little like they were mocking us). They had tables and stools and everything for us, it was a little cramped, but quite amazing.

For lunch we had avocado salad, chicken cilantro soup, garlic toast, trout, rice, vegetables, and potatoes with cheese. Absolutely incredible. It was a lot of food and was a little tough to get going right after eating. We kept going up the trail and the scenery was just so spectacular.

After another couple of breaks we made it to our campsite for the night in Wayllabamba (3,100m), which is the last community along the trail. We had our camp set up in a person’s yard, on the grass, and it is quite nice.

We got to meet all of our porters; all 22 of them!

After all the great introductions, we watched some of a soccer game from the “balcony level” from where we are staying. Some crib was played prior to being called in to dinner, and it was quite good. We had chicken, vegetable quiche, and rice with pumpkin sauce, with warm jelly for dessert. It was delicious.

Then there was some more crib and headed off the bed about 9:00 for our early start for day 2. Day 1, the “easy” day was done with 500m elevation gain and 14km through the trail.