Nick & Jenni’s Wanderings

From Cusco we took a 3 hours bus to Saywite, near Cachora – the bus journey was interesting, in that the bus didn’t really like going up hill & kept breaking down, we were just grateful we were only heading 3 hours down the road rather than the 20 or so to Lima that it was supposed to be doing…I wonder if it ever made it!From Saywite we took a taxi with two American guys also planning to trek to Aguas Calientes down the twisting road to Cachora.  We had half intended to spend the night there, but after hanging around a mans house for 20 mins whilst he tried to hire us mulas, we decided to head off.  It was about 3pm at this time…doesn’t sound too late but the sun goes down early in Peru – it is pitch black by 6pm here (it rises early too!) We decided against hiring pack animals, it got complicated with having to feed the man who comes with them & we decided it would be easier by ourselves.

So we headed off.

Day One: Cachora to Chikiska (Km 19)

The path from Cachora was fairly obvious (once we’d “paid” a little girl in caramelos to point us in the right direction) and I was surprised to begin with as the first two hours to  Capuliyoc was generally uphill, I had thought that the first day was down hill…

At the pass at Capuliyoc we could see the path down to Rio Apurimac zig-zagging below us, it was certainly down hill from there!  It was also around 5pm and darkness wasn’t far off.  We met a local bring his mulas back up, who said there was a campsite about an hour away, we’d also heard that there was a campsite at km 16, we were at km 11.5, so didn’t have too far to go…

…or so we thought, we got to km 16 in the pitch black and couldn’t see a thing.  There were lights on at a house about 50m above us, from which someone was shouting “mas abajo” (lower), so lower we went along the path…no obvious campsite. We knew there was also supposed to be a campsite at km 19, so once we’d past km 17 that was where we were heading!

Luckily the campsite was obvious, right on the trail, and we had the tent up by about 8.30pm…tired having had to walk for 2 hours by headlamp. If there had been (a) water and (b) a flatish place to put a tent we would have camped wild, but flat places on this trek are few and far between.  Luckily the trail is wide and well made (only one nearly slipping down the mountain moment).

Day Two: Chikiska to Choquequirao Campsite (Km 32)

Off and walking by 7.30am, down to Rio Apurimac and the bridge (about an hour of downhill).  From there, 1550m, it is a climb up to Choquequirao.  Boy is it a climb.  The first two hours up to Santa Rosa weren’t too bad, but from there we had to climb 800m in 4 kms – I don’t think we’ve ever walked a km so slowly before.  The km markers, although useful at times, were pure tourture…it doesn’t help that someone has also marked intermediate metres, so when you’ve been walking up hill for 15 mins and only see 45 painted on a rock you know you’ve only walked 450m.  Marampata (at around 2900m and at km 28) was a very welcome relief. 

Thankfully the two American guys were struggling as much as we were…why didn’t we hire a mula to carry our things? From there we got our first glimsp of Choquequirao, with a flatish path for the next 3 km to the campsite (although some evil person did put in a couple of ups & downs). 

We rolled into camp at around 4.30pm exhausted, determined to eat as much food as possible over the next 24 hours to make our packs as light as possible!

Day Three: Choquequirao

A “rest” day in the ruins of Choquequirao – known as Machu Picchu’s Sacred Sister.  These ruins are said to be more extensive than Machu Picchu, but with fewer ruins, the only difference being that only 30-35% of the ruins have been uncovered.  “Rest” in that it is a good half and hour uphill from the campsite to the ruins at 3000m, and then a day wandering around them, without large pack, yes, but still hard work! 

About 8 other people visited the ruins the day we were there – all have to walk in – no bus up the steep valley walls here. 

They are impressive and so tranquil, with an added excitement of the llamas del sol, which we believe we only discovered in 2003.  We weren’t supposed to go and visit them, a no entry sign being by the path, but having read about them, we had to see them for ourselves.  So with the two American guys we sneaked off down – they were impressive – llamas on precarious terraces perched high on a mountain.

Day Four: Choquequirao to Rio Blanco

A 6.30am start, and up to the ruins again for one final look at 3300m before crossing a path into our next valley. From here it was down, down, down to 1900m and the river floor. 

We passed another set of ruins on the way down – Pinchinyoc – which were in the process of being renovated as we walked passed, so we didn’t stop to explore as they were covered with workers.

Walking down to Rio Blanco was like walking into a furnace – it seemed to get a degree hotter every meter we dropped.  We had half intended to climb up to Maizal (3000m) that afternoon, but we were both exhausted, so instead we set up camp by the river and had a relaxing afternoon by the river – trying to get into a manmade pool near the campsite, but the water was far too cold!

Day Five: Rio Blanco to Maizal

A short day today, 3 hours up 1200m to Maizal.  This side of the river was very different to the other – which was dry and scorched in the heat, this was lush and green and provided us with welcome shade from the sun.

At Maizal we spent the afternoon admiring the view and being attacked by the pigglets, who were after the maize that the woman who owns the campsite had given us.  We had thought to push on, but couldn’t ascertain whether there was a campsite further up the pass and didn’t fancy the 8 hour walk to Yanama, where we knew we would be able to camp.

Instead, we marvelled in the fact that you are a good couple of days walk from the nearest road and you can still buy a beer – we didn’t – but the fanta went down well!! As a kind of a payment for camping in their field.

At around 4pm, we were shocked to see about 10 mulas turn up, we had expected to be on our own.  From then, until we went to bed around 7.30pm (a late night for us) various tents and people turned up.  We have no idea how many people there were, but we had managed to get ourselves into the melay of two guided groups.

Day Six: Maizal to Alta Yanama

An early start again today sees us up and walking by 6am – knowing that Yanama is a way off and not wanting to get caught up with the guided groups and their mulas.

From Maizal it was a five hour climb up to the Abra Victoria pass at 4200m.  We started in frost and the path was quite muddy in parts, but for the last couple of hours we were on an old inca trail – which was paved and contained quiet a few steep steps.

We were pleased with ourselves as we made the pass (just) before the first group (five mulas and four men to get three tourists round – we felt quite smug with just ourselves and our two backpacks).

The views were stunning – snow capped mountains surrounding deep valleys.

From there it was downhill all the way – again the valley was different with lupin-type tress and old abandoned mines. We got to Yanama at around 2pm and, having spoken to some locals, decided it was best to push on up the valley for a couple of hours.

We managed to buy some eggs to supplement our dinner and headed on up.  We weren’t really sure what to expect – and as it got closer to 5pm and we got more and more tired we decided to camp wild. 

We were at 4150m and it got quite cold when the sun went down – but we had great views of the snowcapped mountains and their glaciers – we went to sleep hoping that the cows and horses we’d spied nearby didn’t come and investigate the tent during the night.

Day Seven: Alta Yanama to Colpapampa Hot Springs

It turned out the that guided group that had passed us at Abra Victoria and camped wild just above us, so we weren’t in the wrong – the locals the previous day had said there were lots of places to camp, so I guess it was ok!

From our campsite it was a good couple of hours climb up to 4850m and the Yanama pass.  It seemed liked a good idea to stop there for a while and in the end we got the stove out & made ourselves a cup of coffee – won’t get the sort of view we had at Starbucks (but the coffee doesn’t taste of iodine/water purifiers there!)

The descent down to Totora (c. 2 hours from the pass) was fairly painless, although falling over whilst crossing the river at Totora and breaking my third walking pole wasn’t such a good look!

We had intended to camp at a house in Colpapampa (c. 2 hours from Totora), but missed the turning – up – to the campsite.  Instead we headed steeply down and crossed a river and headed on for 30 minutes, before realising that where we had crossed the river was infact the alternative campsite by the hot spring and so had to back track for another 30 mins. 

We had intended to have a lazy hour and a half before sun down, but because of our error we didn’t have time to laze around in the sun, not getting back to the campsite until 5pm. Which put us both in a bad mood. However, we headed over a wobbly bridge and a very welcome (if not slightly exposed) hot, natural, shower – which lightened the mood somewhat – it is amazing what a hair wash can do!

Day Eight: Colpapampa Hot Spring to Llactapata

Headed off at 7am, we were now on the Salkantay trek – which is becoming a popular alternative to the inca trail – and there were kiosks every 30 mins or so to buy gaseosas and the like from as we headed to La Playa.

It didn’t take us long – probably about 3 hours – where we were told by a local we had finished and there was a bus (i.e. truck) to Hidroelectrica, but we didn’t opt for the easy option.  We wanted to walk out. This involved a climb up to Llactapata (also known as Patallacta and different to the one on the inca trail) – where we wanted to camp that evening.

The climb (once a helpful local had pointed us in the direction of the path) was harder than we expected.  We didn’t have to climb much, but it was at lower altitude and it was like walking in an oven.  There were also a lot of false corners where we thought we’d made the pass only to find we still had to climb some more.

Ten minutes down from the pass we “stummbled” across some newly excavated ruins – from there it was another 15 minutes down to the campsite – with great views out over to Machu Picchu perched high on its mountain.

Day Nine: Llactapata to Aguas Calientes

Today was harded than expected – probably because you put yourself in a different frame of mind as you know it is the last day of walking.

From the campsite it was a an hour and a half down to the river bed and another 30 mins or so onto Hidroelectria.  From here you can catch a train to Aguas Calientes, but it goes around 3pm ish and it was only 11am.  We walked it instead down the railway track.

This took us about two and a half hours and was much, much harder than expected.  Half the time you have to walk on the sleepers, which aren’t spaced evenly and so you have to really concentrate.  It was also really hot.

Aguas Calientes finally came into sight (not too soon either) and we found ourselves a nice hotel with a hot shower! Pizza for late lunch went down very well too after having four nights of soggy rice for dinner (rice here doesn’t seem to cook well on our stove)!

AC is a complete tourist trap, but a pleasant enough place to hang around in before heading up to Machu Picchu the following morning.

Tags: Peru, Travel, Trek

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