Day 196 Day two: Inca Trail

May 5, 2000

We are awakened by the cook and a porter who gives us all a hot cup of coca tea (pretty tasty when they make it). They just throw some coca leaves in a cup of boiling water, the brew turns a little yellowish and tastes weak. No strong effects induced by coca though!

We pack our things in the dry bags and leave them for the porters to pack. After breakfast we set off for a two to three hour climb up to Dead Woman’s Pass at about 4200 meters altitude. The climb first zigzags through a dense forest. Every once and a while there is a vista back into the valley, steep seemingly inaccessible walls of rock and vegetation. The last hour is over green grassland with lots of flowers.

Then the summit and awesome views in both directions. We wait for the rest of the group to catch up and eat some snacks in the meantime. Several people have hired porters from the village we stayed at last night to carry their pack up here, it’s a hard walk. Patrick volunteers to carry Tracy’s pack down the next hill, she’s had knee surgery just three months back and walks with a brace and stick. Going downhill is much harder on your knees than uphill. We are glad we have our gear carried by porters. It’s an extra $40 but the hike is a lot more enjoyable without a pack on your shoulders.

Rachel gingerly discovers that on the downhill. It’s many, many steep steps down to Pachaymayo, a ranger station with camp area and restrooms. Our cook has set up the dining tent and cooked us a hot lunch. Good food. After lunch break it's about an hour to the Inca ruins of Punguracay where we wait for the group and get an explanation from Alex. Most of the building along the Inca trail served to control access to Machu Picchu and house travellers on the trail. There are awesome views over the valley and distant peak. As we sit and watch cotton like white clouds are blown into the valley and obscure all view below. Another half hour walk to a small campsite near a small lake just below the summit of Runguracay Pass. We are at about 3700 meters altitude. Our tents are pitched below the summit with great views into the valley.

We have afternoon tea with cookies and popcorn, gaze at the views and relax. After dark at about seven the hot meal is served, we drink some tea with rum, and go to bed early. During the night a huge rain / hail storm passes over. For a while we are worried that we’ll be washed right down the mountain.

We debated about porters, and decide yes it's a tough job, and we could carry our own gear, but this gives a local a job.

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