Inca Trail Day 1

The final part of the Latin America trip was doing the Inca Trail in Peru. It is a 46 km long route that goes over three mountain passes. This is the start a little way past Ollantaytambo. The elevation here is 2,600 metres.

The track is initially quite flat.

The Vilcanota River which goes through the entire valley.

Then heading into the mountains, to be surrounded by the Andes.

A flowering cactus.

This is Patallaqta, a former Inca settlement which was destroyed by the Incas as they fought the Spanish. Because of this the Spanish never went more deeply into the mountains, and never discovered the other sites there.

These are the Willkaraqay ruins, which is a former hill fort and shrine.

A very tall and lonely tree on the trail.

We climbed around 400 metres on the first day to 3,000 metres above sea level. The neighbouring peaks have a fair amount of snow.

This is the tent I was sleeping in. We camped at Wayllapampa, which means grassy plain. It was my first time sleeping in a tent on a tramp for many years!

Crashed early as had to be up at 5.30 am the next morning for the longest day of the trek.