After months of preparation the most anticipated part of my trip to Peru was finally here. The group woke up bright and early to catch a bus from Ollantaytambo to km 82, the start of The Inca Trail! After organizing our bags, meeting our G-Adventures porters, and passing through the first check point, the hike officially started.
Day 1 – Llactapata on the Inca Trail
The first day of hiking the Inca Trail was the warm-up. The groups set an easy going pace and there was no significant elevation change. This day was dotted with villages and homesteads along the trail where the locals had been living for generations. A few hours in we got to see our first Inca Ruins – Llactapata. We took a short break to regroup and get a history lesson from our guide about the discovery of all the Inca sites along the trail.
We stopped for lunch and got our first taste of what the food would be like on the Inca Trail. Just a disclaimer – this was more like glamping than camping and the food was AMAZING. After a short post lunch siesta we were back to hiking.
Seven and a half miles from the first checkpoint we reached our campsite, located in a small village. After dinner a few of the group stayed up for some star gazing! The only place I have seen more stars is in the middle of the ocean. The southern milky way, southern cross, and many more constellations were the stars of the night.
Day 2 – Dead Women’s Pass
The second day of hiking starts out uphill, or in this case up-stairs, and just keeps going. We climbed from around 10,000 feet to nearly 14,000 feet above sea level in about 6 hours, with an hour or so lunch stop along the way. Everyone in the group went at their own pace. My quote for the day was “I should’ve done more stair master.”
Throughout the day the scenery changed drastically. We started in a cloud forest with mountain streams, waterfalls, and large trees providing shade. After lunch we left the tree line behind us to finish climbing the steps all the way to Dead Women’s Pass.
The key to getting to the top of Dead Women’s Pass and not feeling like a dead women: pacing yourself, breathing control, and listening to your body. If you need to stop to breath, then do it. Enjoy the fantastic views of the Andes and Victoria Glacier while you rest briefly before taking on the next 25-50 stairs. Then stop and rest again.
The feeling of accomplishment when I got to Dead Women’s Pass – Warmiwañusqa in Quechua – was indescribable. I was one of the first five people in the group to get there. We enjoyed the view waiting for everyone in the group to get to the top and posed for a group photo. Then it was time to finish the hike.
It is true what they say… what goes up must come down. Our campsite was about 1,500 feet below Dead Women’s Pass, and just like on the way up, it was all stairs on the way down. We reached our campsite nestled in the shadow of a Dead Women’s Pass, ate dinner and enjoyed the views. It was only later that we were told the campsite is an ancient Inca Cemetery… which would explain all the weird dreams I had.
Day 3 – The Reward of the Inca Trail
The third day of hiking is the reward for completing the most challenging portion of the Inca Trail. It starts with a short two hour climb to the second highest pass along the Inca Trail, Runkurakay Pass.
Don’t be deceived by this 2 hour climb when you look up from the campsite. There are THREE false peaks along the way! The good news, on the way up we got to explore the Runkurakay ruins. The views from the pass were gorgeous, and we even located a Historical marker at the top!
Yet again, what goes up must come down, and this area was the most challenging and steep downhill section along the entire trail. About half way down, we saw our next destination, Sayacmarca. Another Inca ruin along the trail, we climbed up about 100 steps to explore this amazing and well preserved site.
Sayacmarca – The Inca Trail Day 3 
Sayacmarca – The Inca Trail Day 3
The remainder of the day was gently sloped trails, a huge adjustment from the previous day of hiking. The views of the Andean Mountain range were spectacular, with lunch at one of the campsites on top of a mountain.
After lunch there was a short hike to the next Inca ruin, Phuyupatamarca. A small farming terrace and sacrificial area during the height of the Inca Empire. From here, the group continued hiking for about 5 more kilometers to the next set of Inca ruins and our campsite for the night.
The last Inca ruin for the day was Winayhuayna, and large farming terrace which supplied Machu Picchu. Making our way down the terraces and into our final campsite along the Inca Trail was bitter sweet. We had a ceremony to thank our porters and chefs, who had been with us the entire hike. With an early morning wake-up looming, we all went to bed early.
Day 4 – Inti Punku and Machu Picchu
Early morning got a new definition for me on the fourth day of hiking the Inca Trail. We were up at 3 AM for an early breakfast so the porters could catch their train. After eating we had to wait until 5:30 AM to pass the checkpoint and continue hiking for about 2.5 hours to the Sun Gate – Inti Punku. The hike, with the exception of the “gringo killers”, was relatively flat. We arrived the the Sun Gate and re-grouped before heading to explore Machu Picchu.
The “gringo killers” – nearly vertical steps to the Sun Gate. 
The Sun Gate – Machu Picchu 2019
Of all the ruins along the Inca Trail, the destination was my least favorite. Machu Picchu carries many titles, including a Peruvian Historic sanctuary, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. All these titles lead to the primary reason it was my least favorite part of the hike: overcrowding. After having spent three days hiking and exploring countless Inca ruins with a small group of people, suddenly being surrounded by 2,000 people was a shock to the system. However, having been there it is easy to see why Machu Picchu deserves the accolades it receives.
If you have the physical ability and time, I highly highly recommend getting out of your comfort zone. The adventurous four day hike to Machu Picchu is one you’ll always remember.
Check out more of my Peru blogs, including planning, things I would do differently, and more, here! Visit the archives page to see what else Winter and I have been up to in 2019!
Wow some of the best pics and story telling to date… great job on the blog and truly amazing you hiked it all… You GO Girl!!
Thank you!