Lost & Found

Day 70-74: The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru. 6.30am and the first vestiges of daylight were starting to create a dull glow in the eastern sky. Clouds covered the snow covered high Andean peaks that towered above us, mist swirled around the enveloping cloud forest. We were cold and tired. Despite the hour we had already been trekking the narrow, rocky path for well over an hour. But still we forged ahead: The stone staircase to Intipunku so steep it resembled a rock scramble rather than a hike. And then, through the twilight, we saw it: 1,000 feet below us in all its magnificent splendour. “We've found it!”, Karen exclaimed excitedly, seemingly forgetting the pain and exertion of the last 4 days. Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Inca's was ours...

From Cusco, there are two practical ways to reach South America's best know archaeological site: You can take an air-conditioned tourist train with full buffet service and reclining leather seats or you can undertake a gruelling four day hike across three notorious Andean mountain passes following exactly the same route that the Inca kings would have over done seven centuries previously. Have a guess which one Karen and I decided to do?

The Inca Trail, is South America's and one of the world's, most famous hikes. The ancient path laid by the Incas from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu winds its way up and down and around the mountains, reaching altitudes of over 14,000 feet. Not for the faint hearted, this truly is a challenging hike exacerbated by the oxygen starved high altitude, burning tropical sun and freezing Andean nights. For four whole days we would set off before sunrise and trek until sundown tackling the likes of Dead Women's Pass a 6,000 foot vertical ascent achieved from just a few miles of hiking and the Gringo Killer; 3,000, foot high stone steps that jarred the spine and pulverised the knees. As night fell we'd pitch up tent at altitudes approaching those close to the summit of Mont Blanc and sleep under canvas beneath the clear, cold Peruvian skies.

But despite the incredible physical exertion, this was a truly mystical, magical and unforgeable experience: Walking from one cliff-hugging pre-Columbian ruin to the next; the views of snowy mountain peaks, distant rivers and ranges, and cloud forests flush with tropical wildlife and colourful orchids.

And then there was our incredible trekking team. In order to preserve this centuries old trail to the Inca's foremost spiritual sanctuary discovered by Hiram Bingham back in 1911, only a small number of guided hikers are permitted to use these sacred paths every day. Accompanying Karen and me were Edgar, our trusty and knowledgeable Quenchua guide and two porters for every hiker on the trail to carry tents and provisions. And it was these guys that really did make the trail extra special. Whilst we struggled with the thin air and steep inclines, these stocky local farmers would run up and down the mountain passes with 25 kilo packs on their backs setting up our next camp site and cooking delicious meals for us with the most basic of ingredients. One night, as Karen and I were about to go to bed, completely exhausted from the days trekking, I saw all of them leaving the camp-site and heading off down the mountain. “There's a big game tonight: Peru are playing Chile”, Edgar explained. “They're just popping down to the village to watch it on TV”, he continued. Now normally this wouldn't seem that unusual to me. But on this particular night the village was 4,000 feet below us and it had taken Karen and me all afternoon to get from there to our camp-site. These guys were were doing the round trip as part of a average night out!! It's a shame Peru lost 3-1!

And whilst the Inca Trail is absolutely about the journey the ultimate destination, Machu Picchu, is sublime in itself: One of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1450 and abandoned within a century this site was never known to the Spanish during their conquests and consequently, it is one of the only relatively intact Inca sites that remain anywhere in South America. With over 140 structures including temples, sanctuaries, parks, terraces and residences, Karen and I wandered the ruins in utter amazement for as long as our tired legs could carry us. A perfect and fitting end to the most magical trek we have ever embarked on.

The most strenuous thing that we have ever done? Most probably. The most rewarding? Most definitely!

So, if anyone back home is still interested in that little trip to Kilimanjaro; Karen and I are definitely in!