EE & S Adventures

Visiting Macchu Picchu having walked the whole Inca trail to get there makes the experience particularly special. Marco noted that 10,000 people visit Macchu Picchu each day, of which only about 200 arrive via the Inca trail.  The other 9,800 mostly arrive by train and bus or a few by shorter one and two day walks. Descending from the Sun Gate it was easy to spot the trekkers (us) from the day trippers.  Suddenly we were back in the world of jeans, designer handbags and clean clothes. People were meditating, taking selfies and wandering around in big tour groups led by guides holding up paddles etc.  Our little group of six dirty travellers with damp daypacks, boots and studded shoes and trekking poles didn't quite fit. As Marco promised it was a fine afternoon.  Most of the day trippers had already left for Cusco so the site was busy but not overwhelmingly so.  Nevertheless it made a slightly unwelcome change from visiting empty ruins.  Marco tol...

This was the day we would arrive at Macchu Picchu so we awoke with a keen sense of anticipation.   To celebrate the last day on the trail, somehow the chef had whipped up an enormous cake which was served after breakfast.  After a discussion with Marco about the likely weather over the next two days we agreed that it would be best to tour Macchu Picchu as soon as we arrived in mid afternoon rather than wait until tomorrow. Marco assured us that this would mean less crowds and better weather (he was right). We could see the backside of the mountain above Macchu Picchu in front of us as we started out.  Unlike the last two days, today was mainly downhill.  We would have to descend about 1,000 meters and judging by the first part of the morning walk, most of this would be on steep and slippery rocky steps. After alternating descents and traversing along steep hillsides through cloud forest and bamboo groves we reached the ruins of Intipata. Intipata was a very...

The weather was very overcast with light rain as we set out early to knock off the remaining 450 meters of height to Dead Womans Pass (4,215 meters).   The climb took about 80 minutes of steady plodding up stairs and greasy cobblestones with numerous rest breaks until we could stand on the top of the pass.   The weather had closed in even more by this stage and we couldn’t see much but we did hang around for photos with the porters before they raced down the other side to set up in preparation for our arrival to the morning tea spot. The descent wasn’t much fun. By this stage the showers had turned to persistent rain, and we all got a good soaking.   The climb down wasn’t too cold but it was steep and we had to be careful not to slip as we descended.   This didn’t worry the porters from another expedition who were jogging past us down the path and stairs carrying loads of over 20kgs. Even with my orienteering experience and studded shoes I wasn’t too keen to...

After being introduced to the morning ritual of coca tea, we ate a great breakfast and started walking about 6.45.  The walk began by climbing gradually up the valley beside a small stream for quite a few kilometers.   The valley floor was a mix of forest and fields, with the steep valley sides allowing us to spot some deer.   On the way we passed a few small settlements not quite large enough to be considered as villages.  After morning tea by the campsite used on night 1 by those doing the trek in four days, we turned right and started climbing more steeply through lush and wet cloud forest. This part of the trail started to get quite strenuous as we gained altitude and the rest breaks became more frequent.  We eventually reached our campsite at Lluluchapampa just below 3,800 meters in the early afternoon just above the forest in an area of heath/moorland with spectacular views up and down the valley.   We even managed to buy a beer and ...

The Inca trail is an ancient pathway through the Peruvian mountains that leads to the legendary city of Machu Picchu.  In modern times, the hike has become one of the worlds great treks, however due to both safety, environmental protection and demand (and for revenue), Peru now heavily regulates the trek to 500 people per day (including guides and porters).  Anyone wishing to undertake the walk has to sign up with an accredited trekking company who provide a luxury camping service as you hike the pathway.  Despite the luxury it’s no walk in the park with a high point over 4,200 meters and numerous climbs and descents over steep and slippery terrain. We signed up with Evolution Treks, an emerging company with a good reputation for treating their porters well (good pay and loads that are reasonably manageable). We also chose to do the trek over 5 days/4 nights, most people do it one day faster, however the longer option has a number of advantages. You see less people ...

The Sacred Valley of the Incas near Cusco is a major tourist destination in Peru.  It was the heart of the Inca Empire and is full of interesting sights including many significant Inca ruins. We did an all day tour of the valley and surrounding regions.  After an early start, first stop was Lake Puray where Sam met some new friends. Next stop was the town of Chinchero, a centre for traditional Inca weaving. A weaver showed us how they clean, spin and dye the alpaca wool.  The dyeing was particularly interesting as we learned about the natural ingredients that went into making the many different colours used in woven pieces.  The red dye (made by crushing a parasite that lives on the local cacti) was particularly vivid and is even used for lipstick.  Elise and I brought a hand woven table runner to take home. Red dye which can be further made into lighter and darker hues by adding other ingredients Following the weaver visit we went to see v...