Report from the CMC Peru Hikers

In September, a group of 11 hikers, including nine CMC members, traveled to Peru to hike the Inca Trail.

Traveling on different itineraries, we all gathered at a hotel in Cuzco a few days before the trek to acclimatize to the 11,000' altitude before beginning the trek. We had hired a local trekking company which supplied two guides, fifteen porters and two cooks to carry sleeping, cooking, dining and toilet tents, food for four days and our duffel bags containing sleeping bag, thermarest and additional personal gear of ours (max. of 22 lbs. per duffel bag).

The trek began by a bus ride to the end of the "road" next to the Urubamba River at 8,700'. Our first day passed by Inca ruins down in the valley and ended at a grassy campsite at 10,000', a short distance from a small village. The second day was the toughest as we immediately began the climb up to above timberline at 14,000' Dead Woman Pass and then steeply down to a campsite at 12,000'. Needless to say the mountain scenery was spectacular all along the way. The third day we saw two more Inca ruins and climbed up and over the second pass at 13,000' , ending just over the third pass near the top of a mountain at 12,000'. From the campsite we could look down to the town 5,500' below us where we would be the next night. On this clear and cold night, some of us walked a kilometer away on a ridgeline trail to watch the brilliant stars and snow-covered mountains around us. The next day was the long drop down to Machu Picchu at 8000' and a bus ride down to the riverside campground at 6500', surrounded by banana trees. What a contrast from cold to warm and in jungle-like surroundings. This day featured hiking in dense vegetation through a cloud forest on steep hillsides and more Inca ruins (what else?) before climbing the last hill to the "Gate of the Sun" and the sublime view of Machu Picchu spread out below us.

The next two days were used for exploring Machu Picchu and the town of Aguas Calientes before returning to Cuzco and other parts of Peru. Different hikers toured other parts of Peru (Lima, Puno and Arequipa) and flew home by various routes and dates. Most of us visited Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca and included a boat ride out to visit the most interesting floating islands inhabited by Uros Indians. We encourage everyone to come to our slide show of the trip, which will be shown at Diamond Brand on Tuesday February. 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

Reported by the Brave Hikers (inside joke--ask us about it)