Inca Trail Day 2

Up until the day before the Inca Trail, I just assumed that I was part of a large group doing the trail. But is turned out I was wrong, so I was a bit embarrassed that there was just me, a guide, a chef and four porters! The chef is on the right, and the porters on either side of me.

Basically you need the same number of support staff whether it is one person or half a dozen, as the weight is with the tents, the cooking gear and the food.

This is the view from the campsite.

Some pigs looking for food.

And some new born chicks.

Then it was time to get going up the hill.

The track was not too steep at first.

 

Around 80% of the trail is the original Inca Trail, built around 800 years ago.

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The morning has a vertical ascent of 1,200 metres from 3,000 to 4,200 metres. The first 800 metres is a combination of uphill and flat but the last 400 metres is just pure uphill – and almost all steps.

 

One can see Dead Woman’s Pass at the top.

Looking back down you can see the 1,200 metres ascended.

Very happy to have made the pass. Normally take around four and a half hours to do, but I did it in around two and three quarter hours.

The view down the other side. You then descend 600 metres to Pacamayo campsite.

Had lunch at Pacamayo. The meals were better than in most restaurants!

Normally one stays the night here, but the porters suggested to the guide that as I was trekking so fast, that we could attempt to do the four day trek in 3 days. As that would get me back to the SO a day earlier, I was keen to try this.

However did have a quick siesta after lunch.

Then after lunch it was another 400 metre climb to the second pass.

One can see the lunch campsite below.

The steps are very uneven and can be challenging to go up, and even more so down.

Near the top, a small lake, where deer sometimes drink,

Then we got to the second pass, which you can see below me. Pretty tired as by this stage have done a total of 1,600 vertical metres ascent.

Then another 400 metres descent down the other side.

The steps going down, around 800 years old.

This is Sayacmarca, which means ‘Inaccessible Town’.

Then a relatively easy 150 metres climb up to where we camped for the night.

And these alpacas were happily grazing outside my tent.