On Inca Paths to Machu Picchu

After three days of the Lares Trek, it was now time for us to continue with the two-day Inca Trail, which actually takes 4 days, but for us, only the last and most beautiful stage, including the Sun Gate and of course the highlight Machu Picchu, was planned. We were picked up by our new guide at 5:30 in the morning and taken to the train station, as the comfortable Inkaexpress train was supposed to take us to our starting point. Unfortunately, the large panoramic windows were completely fogged up, so we didn't get much of the beautiful view.

Halfway through the journey, the train stopped in the middle of the jungle. This stage of the Inca Trail is located in the high rainforest, just like Machu Picchu itself. This was also something new for us, as we had previously seen the higher altitudes with sparser vegetation, and now the green abundance and the warmth were quite pleasant. Here we also got to know our new hiking companions, because of course, other people had booked this popular stage as well, but that was a grateful change for us. In total, there were 11 of us plus two guides: five Americans, two English women, an Egyptian couple, and us. We had good conversations, but it quickly became apparent that we were more experienced hikers and after some time we formed the vanguard with our cheerful main guide.

The weather was at its sunniest, allowing us to enjoy the breathtaking views of the lush green mountains, valleys, and the Urubamba River down below. We liked the varied path through beautiful nature, crossing bridges, passing various ancient Inca ruins and waterfalls. Numerous colorful exotic flowers and plants greeted us from all sides, and the old Inca trail with its original rough stones and numerous steps had a special charm.

At the ruins of Wiñay Wayna with its large Inca-style terraces, we had to climb a really steep staircase, but then we were rewarded with a great lunch prepared by one of the camping chefs from our tour operator's team, as one of the base camps for the classic Inca Trail with tents is located here. Afterwards, we continued for a bit before reaching the much-anticipated Sun Gate (Intipunktu, elevation 2,720m), which offered the first breathtaking view of Machu Picchu. What a sight! Machu Picchu: the sunken Inca city nestled in the mountains at cloud level, hidden in the jungle and now explored by us. We thought we would be somewhat disappointed by all the tourist crowds, but it turned out to be the right decision to hike a part of the Inca Trail and see Machu Picchu in the quieter afternoon. After taking numerous photos, we finally descended into the Inca city. We would explore the extensive complex more thoroughly the next morning, but for now, we enjoyed Machu Picchu a bit in the beautiful sunshine. Afterwards, we took a bus to the nearest town of Aguas Calientes and had a cozy dinner with our group before going to bed early.

Early the next day, we took one of the earliest buses back up to Machu Picchu at around five o'clock since everyone wants to admire the sunrise in the ruins, and it's accordingly crowded at that time. Unfortunately, the cloudy sky denied us the sight of a sunrise, but we had good weather the day before, and at least it stayed dry for the time being. Our guide gave us an extensive two-hour tour of the complex, telling us numerous interesting historical facts and how certain areas were used and which temple was dedicated to whom. It is amazing how well everything is preserved, even though there have been some reconstructions in certain places (other similar Inca sites were completely destroyed by the Spaniards). And how the huge stone blocks were transported to this height in the first place - without much technological assistance - is nothing short of a miracle. The Incas were truly amazing engineers. After two hours, it was time for our group to say goodbye for now, as we had set ourselves the challenge of another hike. We wanted to climb the Machu Picchu Montaña (Mountain), which can be booked separately from the entrance ticket and has a specific time slot for the ascent. Another couple from our group had the same plan, and the others returned to leisurely strolling through Aguas Calientes.

When we saw the quite distant peak of the mountain, we already wondered if it was really a good idea after four days of hiking, but our ambition took over, and the desire for a perfect view of Machu Picchu drove us to climb the first steps with all our might. I had actually read that the ascent was rather leisurely but long. That turned out to be wrong. It felt like thousands of steps and made us quite out of breath. To make matters worse, dramatic clouds moved in, and while you were still rewarded with a nice view down below on the first half, everything gradually disappeared into the fog. To top it all off, it started raining heavily, and the seemingly endless stone steps became very slippery. Oh man, this was worse than the rest we had hiked so far, but we thought that if we had already made it to 4,700m, then a small mountain like this wouldn't bring us to our knees. Panting and completely exhausted, we finally reached the top, which we had fought for with our last bit of strength. But there was no view waiting to reward our effort. We had a great meal and took a photo of the sign at the viewpoint (the only photo opportunity available), and then we braved the wind and rain on our way back down.

When we joined the rest of the group at the restaurant at the end of the day, we learned that the other couple had given up halfway (unfortunately, we weren't that smart). Instead, we were greeted with a hearty meal and applause from our beloved hiking group. The essence of it all is that this five-day trek was more than worth it, and after four days of good weather, it was about time to have some bad weather as well. Machu Picchu can definitely be crossed off the imaginary bucket list.