Machu Picchu

What a trek! My dad and I climbed the Inca Trail for 4 days to reach Machu Picchu. We hiked about 42 kilometers over 4 days 2500 meters above sea level, climbing 1200 meters one day to reach a peak altitude of 4200 meters. It was tough, and it didn´t make me feel any better to know that someone has run the whole trail in 3 hours and 45 minutes. But we had an amazing time. The scenery was unbelievable. We went through the humid forest where we saw parakeets, humming birds and all sorts of colorful plants. Then we reached the dry highlands and saw llamas and looked down to see how far we had come. Luckily we opted to have a porter carry our things. The regulation states that porters may not carry more than 21 kilograms but I could have sworn they were carrying more. I don´t know how they do it. We were struggling in our hiking boots and rain gear and the porters just shoot right on past you in their sandals made from old tires. They were amazing. Each night when we reached camp, our tents were set up and tea and treats were awaiting us. We relaxed and chatted. We had a fun group from around the world (Holland, Norway, Denmark and Japan) and a fabulous guide, Alvaro, King of the Mountain.

On the final day we woke up early to beat the rush to the Sun Gate, where the sun shines through at day break to illuminate Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, after climbing up the steepest steps ever to the Sun Gate, Machu Picchu was covered by clouds. When we finally had our first views, they were breathtaking. We took a quick break before our tour of Machu Picchu. I was so exhausted at that point I could barely finish the tour. But I had a good talk with my legs and convinced them to climb up WynaPichu for another view of Machu Picchu. That nearly vertically hike did me in. It took me about three days to rest up. Even though I was totally beat, it was worth every painstaking step.