To begin, by attempting to run the trail without permission/permits I don't mean any disrespect to the peruvian govt or the people that inhabit this spectacular section of the Andes. The govt has implemented restrictions on the trail for good reason; to promote fair treatment and fair pay to the porters and to limit the trash, erosion, and the general "footprint" from the masses of tourists that endeavor to hike the classic inca trail to Machu Picchu, the famous Inca Ruin. The classic hike takes 4 days and trekkers are assisted by porters to various campsites along the trail. The typical cost of this trek is $450 per person and I have heard from most people that the food was some of the best they had throughout their travels. You need to book at least 1 month in advance (3 or 6 is better) because of the demand and the requirement of a licensed guide. The busy, or high season is from June to August.
My plan was to run, shuffle, and hike my way along the 28 mile trail in one day -I was hoping to get it done in 8hrs, but was budgeting for 11hrs. I attempted to hire a guide and go the legit route, but no one would take me. Besides an annual marathon that typically gets about 10 to 15 participants ($2,575), most people aren't interested in running it and the 4-day regulated hike is the norm.
I took the cheap bus ($5) and got off at the nearest town to the trailhead, about 30 mins away. After a nice meal I asked the waiter, a smiley young dude, about how to get to the nearest village to the trailhead, Chilca, and where to stay. Turns out he is from Chilca and after a call to his mom, I was set up with a place to stay.
When I arrived in Chilca the moon was so bright that it lit up the entire valley of fields and small farm houses. The waiter's mom met me at the end of the trail leading to their place. As is the usual around here, extremely generous and kind people.
I got up a little before 3am, packed my remaining gear and food, and headed in the direction I believed the trail was. I ended up trapped in someone's backyard with two barking dogs on either side of me. An old man came out with a flashlight and he led me through his house and out the front door to the road - he even gave me some tips on finding the trail. I shuffled hurriedly down the road along a river 2km until I came upon a bridge that was brightly lit with a spotlight. This was the official trail entrance, but the security booth was unmanned and luckily the metal gate was wide open. I tread lightly over the wooden bridge with the spotlight all over me. I felt like an escape convict.
I had the basic details from elevation profile dedicated to memory and knew the most challenging part was the first pass, "dead woman's pass", where I would climb from 9,200 feet to 13,800 at a pace of roughly 1,000ft per mile. I knew that once I started this climb it would be unlikely for any run-ins with rangers or "control" as they call it here. I passed the second control point an hour or so in although there were campers waking after their first day of hiking, I just slipped by and didn't hear a word. Now I was free to climb and climb. I passed a couple of porters that were hauling supplies for the campers below - their packs were probably two or three times the weight of mine.
The path of the Inca trail is for the most part still as they left it - a tight formation of rocks and stairs. There is not much dirt on the trail and running it reminds me of jumping across boulders on a beach. It was fun to try to get my rhythm down while I danced down the trail trying not to fall flat on my face.
Cresting dead woman's pass was the highlight of the hike for me, even though it was relatively early on - maybe 10 miles in and 3hrs on the trail. I was light-headed from the altitude and my heart was pounding in my chest so hard that it felt like my ear drums were banging to the beat. By the time I reached the summit it was still a shadowy pre-dawn as the sun hadn't made it's way over the mountains, but the view was spectacular. The green mountains towered across the horizon in rows, only their upper reaches licked by the first rays of sunlight, and the weather was crisp and cool, perfect for a tough hike.
The downhills were more challenging than I expected. They are extremely steep stone stairs of various heights and one stumble could lead to a serious ride. The impact on my knees was intense and after a while they began to ache. I just kept my mind concentrated on the task at hand, one foot in front of the other - even if I was going slow, just keep a steady pace and resist stopping for breaks too often.
I filled up for water where a stream crossed the trail and treated it with iodine. I took a little lunch break, snacked and ate a couple of sandwiches. The only thing I was a little depleted on was salt, but for the most part I felt good. As the trail dropped lower in elevation the temps quickly heated up. I ran into the final control check point but no one was at the booth. The huge fence structure was locked and for the first time I had to do something blatantly sketchy and climb down behind this gate, and squeeze my pack then my body under some barbed wire. I wasn't going to just stop. The last 6km was humid and jungle-like with one last climb to the Sun Gate, the ruins that overlook Machu Picchu in all it's glory.
The place was crawling with tourists. I snapped a few photos, made my way to the visitor center, and sat down to one of the most expensive meals of my trip - a chicken sandwich, gatorade, and a small soft-serve ice cream for $17. I savored every bite.
Next, it was a bus to Aguas Caliente, then a train back to Olletaytambo where I passed Chilca and the trailhead again. It felt surreal seeing where I had started. When we reached the square I tried to run into the restaurant to thank the waiter, but I couldn't find him. I hopped in a colective - a van share - and we careened back to Cuzco.
It can be done.
8 hours and 30 minutes for the hike in total. Chilca (@km79) to Machu Picchu.
------ 5/18/2011-----
Unfortunately my camera was all jammed up with sand so I had to take my iPhone for photos. Below are a few, but they didn't come out great.
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| Dead Woman's Pass - first look. 13,829 ft. |
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| Dead Woman's Pass. Turnaround view. |
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| Dead Woman's Pass. Makes mustache happy. |
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| Ruins along the way to Machu Picchu. |
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| Spiral stairway. |
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| Just as they left it. |
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| bam. |
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| Who is that creep? |
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| Bridge crossing at the trailhead. I took this from the train on the way back. |
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| Chilca. The farm area where I stayed the night. |
