The Inca Trail

What a perfect ending to our trip.


We ended up with a great group of 16 trekkers from around the world (Colorado, Norway, England, Australia, and Holland). Amazingly, Peru Treks assigned us 19 porters, two cooks, and two guides. We had quite the entourage and were one of the biggest groups we saw on the Inca Trail.


We quickly realized why our group needed so many porters... the food. The service on the trail was kind of incredible. We had hot, 4-course lunches and dinners each day and they brought around hot coffee and tea to our tents to wake us up in the mornings. Each meal was prepared and presented as if we were in a gourmet restaurant, not in a tent in the middle of a Peruvian hike. We also had extra porters because 12 out of the 16 of us hired personal porters to carry their gear, but Clint and I were tough (and cheap... mostly cheap) and carried our own.

(This porter holds the record for the fastest
time on the Inca Trail, which he set when they
still held races on it: 3 hrs and 50 mins for the
greuling, high-altitude, 26-mile trail)

The first day we only hiked about 4 hours, but got to see our first Inca ruin. It was an acclimation day and the hike was not very hard. We played cards at the campsite with new friends and watched the clouds clear from enormous moutains at sunset. It was pretty spectacular.


The second day was the hardest. We woke up at 5 a.m. and started hiking by 6:00. The trail rose 3,900 feet to ¨Dead Woman`s Pass,¨and it was brutal with our packs on. It started to rain before we reached the summit and we got soaked during the entire descent.

(An Inca tunnel during the descent.)

(There were beautiful flowers all along
the trail. We passed through nearly ten
ecosystems over four days.)

The rain cleared before we woke up on day three, but our muscles were still sore. This was the longest day, but also one of the best. We summited two smaller passes and saw three other Inca ruins. Each one was more impressive than the last and we were increasingly anxious to see Machu Picchu. At the very end of the day, we spent two hours going downhill. The Incas built amazing staircases through the mountains, but they are painful on sore muscles. The third campsite was like a small city. It is the closest campsite to Machu Picchu, so all the tour companies spend the last night there and there is even a restaurant and hot showers.

(A view of ruins from the trail)

(Evil staircase)

All in all, we got very lucky with weather (although it`s rainy season here, too) and only got rained on that one afternoon. The final day, there were clouds and fog as we woke at 4 a.m. and began our descent to Machu Picchu. Clint was so nervous that we would have no view of Machu Picchu--and he was right... but only for a moment. We arrived just above the ancient city around 6:30 a.m. and watched the clouds lift from Machu Picchu into a sunny, beautiful morning.


Machu Picchu lives up to its reputation as one of the 7 Wonders of the World. The science and skill used in construction (especially since the Incas never discovered the wheel) is mind-boggling. The ruins resemble a small city, complete with a school, three temples, agricultural terraces, housing, and water fountains.


So much is still unknown, but recently scientists have discovered huge corrolations between the buildings and astronomy (especially solstices and equinoxes). We encourage everyone to see it for themselves; it is inexplicable.

(The view from Wayna Picchu, the steep
mountain behind Machu Picchu. It is
fun going up and scary coming down.)

-Clint and Ashley

End of Huaraz

I wanted to include a couple of final Huaraz stories and photos before the big Inca Trail post.

When we stayed at the eco-lodge, we had incredible views and access to a nice hike the the national forest. The hike was interesting because we met local people along the way and witnessed a natural cow death, which was actually quite disturbing but an interesting aspect of rural Peruvian life nonetheless. Wet met new friends at the lodge and together we volunteered with local school children on Thanksgiving day. This was really a highlight for me. They practiced math, reading, and puzzles with us; we practiced Spanish with them.

(National Park Hike)

(View from the Lazy Dog Inn)

(Volunteering)

When we got back to Huaraz from the Lazy Dog Inn, we serendipitously met a young Dutch guy who runs a sustainable tourism agency in Huaraz. He was planning a tour with some friends (actually in honor of our Huaraz Spanish teacher`s birthday) to visit some interesting sights outside of town--and he invited us to join him.

The first stop was to see these giant flowers that grow in a certian area of the national park. They live about 40 years and only bloom once, so only a few were blooming and only at the very top of the plants. But their sheer size was unbelievable. Another great thing about this area are all the hummingbirds that feed on the flowers.

Another stop was a supposed dinosaur track fossil, but I`m skeptical. The tracks just looked too perfect to be real...


And finally, we went on one last hike that ended up being another adventure. We were supposed to end up at a beautiful lake at the top of this waterfall, but the trail was just too dangerous. Clint and I were happy to back back down to safety and enjoy the waterfall itself.

Huaraz and the rain

After two weeks in Huaraz we have now arrived in Cusco and the sacred valley of the Incas. Tomorrow we embark on the Inca Trail and finish in Machu Pichu, one of the 7 wonders of the world. We are so excited and have been enjoying our time in this town so far.
We thought we would take a minute and talk about the culture of Peru. The fact that we have witnessed some culture has been a little bit of a change. Argentina was a blast but the sad reality is almost all of their native people were killed and the land was settled by European decendendents so there is not a lot of original foods, clothes, housing, language, and traditions. Peru is the exact opposite. We quickly noticed how wonderful many of the women´s clothes are. The more traditional women take a lot of pride in thier dress. They wear knitted leggings, brightly colored skirts, festive bright colored shirts, and nice upright hats, almost like a taller, more compact cowboy hat. The food is really good. There are lots of fresh vegetables, rice, and meat with great sauces and flavors. There is a native language of Quechua, which is still spoken in small mountain villages. The other difference we have noticed is that there is much more poverty here. Many buildings are unfinished, water is undrinkable and contaminated, hostel kitchens don`t even have sinks or ovens, and the streets are full of sad people, animals, and smells. The quality of life here is definitely different.
In Huaraz, we had planned on taking an 8-day backpacking trip after our Santa Cruz trip, but we realized that 8 days of hiking, eating, and sleeping in the rain sounded like no fun. This caused a lot of unexpected down-time, which, combined with missing Thanksgiving, led to our first bout of homesickness. Travelling is fun when there is always something to do, but lots of free time can make you miss friends, family, and the comforts of home. We did make the most of the free time with Spanish lessons, a two-day stay at an eco-lodge, time with new friends, and three day-hikes.
We need to sign off and pack for the big Inca Trail adventure. We are so excited and will post photos and stories in about 5 days when we return.