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The
Choquequirao to Machu Picchu Trek
Tour
program 12 days/11 nights |
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This is a breathtaking trek through some of the most inaccessible
valleys and incredible mountain scenery of Peru, beginning and ending
with two of the most spectacular and enigmatic Inca sites to have
survived the ravages of time and the Spanish conquest: Choquequirao
and Machu Picchu. These two elite Inca ceremonial centers, dedicated
to the worship of the mountain gods, the natural elements, and two
great Andean rivers, inspire us with the vast scale and astounding
natural beauty of their surroundings.
Choquequirao sits on a mountain saddle, 1500m/5,000ft above the
thundering Apurimac river. It has been called “Machu Picchu’s
sacred sister”, because of the striking similarities of design
and ceremonial architecture to its more famous counterpart above
the Urubamba Gorge. Yet it remains an enigmatic place whose history
is a matter of speculation. One theory of its origins holds that
it was a royal estate built for the emperor Topa Inca, perhaps in
an attempt to rival his father Pachacuti’s spectacular domain
at Machu Picchu.
From Choquequirao we cross the rugged Vilcabamba ranges, passing
smaller Inca sites along the way, and wending our way through an
extraordinary variety of plant and animal habitats. Crossing gorges
and ravines, we pass abandoned colonial mines, traverse condor flight
paths, visit remote Quechua villages and retrace the routes of Inca
highways. Spending our final camping night amidst the forest near
a secluded Inca ruin within view of Machu Picchu, we hike the final
leg to the spectacular Inca city along the less traveled eastern
approaches.
With our guide on hand, we have a day to enjoy and explore fabled
Machu Picchu. Like Choquequirao, this site was protected by its
remoteness from destruction by Spanish priests and conquistadors.
Abandoned by the Incas, and known only to local Indians until it
was scientifically discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, the place
survived almost intact beneath a carpet of forest for some 400 years.
Although it still conceals many of its secrets, its architectural
and natural beauty stand as a permanent monument to the vision and
genius of the Incas.
In the afternoon we descend to the railroad and take our train
back to the highland city of Cusco.
Day 1. to Cachora / Chiquisca
Departing from Cusco in the early morning, we take a spectacular
drive across the farmlands of the Anta Plateau, surrounded by the
snow-capped peaks of the Andes. The winding road plunges more than
1,800m./6,000ft. to a bridge over the Apurimac Gorge, then climbs
through lush fields and orchards before making a final descent to
the village of Cachora, at 3,400m./11,100ft., where we encounter
stunning close-up views of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba.
Here we meet our crew and horse pack train and begin our hike, catching
our first glimpse of distant Choquequirao at the Capuliyoc lookout
before dropping steeply through dry cactus and orchid country into
the Apurimac River Canyon. We camp at the small oasis of Chiquisca,
2000m./6,550ft.
Day 2. to Choquequirao
We descend the last fifteen hundred feet of elevation to the Apurimac
River –“Great Spirit Speaker” in the Quechua language
of the Incas – and cross the mighty river on a suspension
footbridge, at 1550m./5,100ft. A broad trail makes a zig-zagging
ascent, which takes us out of the dry canyon zone past small sugarcane
plantations to green upland meadows where, across a deep valley,
we meet our first panoramic vista of the buildings and terraces
of Choquequirao. The final leg of today’s hike passes through
the cool shadows of a native cloud forest as we approach the wooded
ridgetop (3000m./10,000ft.) where the Incas built their remote ceremonial
center. We camp near the Inca ruins.
Day 3. in Choquequirao
We have the entire day to explore this stunning Inca settlement.
As mysterious as Machu Picchu, its name means “Cradle of Gold”.
Early Spaniards knew of this place, yet its remoteness protected
it. French explorers visited it in the 19th century, and in 1909
explorer Hiram Bingham was the first to scientifically investigate
the site. Some speculate that the emperor Topa Inca had it built
as a personal spiritual retreat, to rival his father Pachacuti’s
magnificent estate at Machu Picchu. Whoever built this place, it
was undoubtedly an elite settlement, built for ceremonial purposes
and occupied by Inca nobility.
The Apurimac river roars distantly 1,450m./4,800 ft. below, visible
on either side of a steep ridge to which clings the Inca city. As
we approach the heart of the city, a sweep of enormous curved terraces
leads our eye to an artificial hill and ceremonial platform overlooking
the main plaza. Here afternoon thermal currents bring Andean Condors
soaring over the complex of temples, mausoleums, royal residences,
ritual baths and water channels, great gathering halls, storehouses,
hidden gardens and a giant stairway, all still standing as testimony
to the careful planning of Inca engineers. Excavation work at the
site is very recent, and archaeologists are continually uncovering
hitherto unknown areas and structures. South and east, below the
main plaza, lie several clusters of newly-discovered buildings,
including the so-called Ridge Group, and the Waterfall Temple, an
intriguing ceremonial complex facing the cascades of a steep ravine.
Other investigations have revealed more than 130 terraces on the
precipitous drop-off to the west, some of them faced with white
stone friezes featuring zig-zag and checkerboard patterns, along
with 22 llama figures.
Day 4. to Pincha Unuyoc
We climb a narrow trail through bamboo thickets and dense cloud
forest, spotting exotic bird and plant species as we round the mountain
spur above Choquequirao and cross a moderate pass, before descending
broad, grassy slopes into the Yanama river basin. Spanning the skyline
ahead of us to the north we see the massive blue-green ridge of
Qoriwayrachina, once home to an Inca farming and mining complex
which supplied Choquequirao. The looming heights of Cerro Victoria
upon this ridge feature a sacred platform where the Incas once observed
the winter solstice. With the Yanama river gorge visible far below,
the sheer scale of the landscape here , is breathtaking. By lunchtime
we reach the outlying site of Pincha Unuyoc -- “Water Gushing
Forth” -- a fan of carefully-built stone farming terraces,
topped by a small temple complex. Camping near the terraces, we
enjoy the views and the relaxation offered by this short day’s
hike.
Day 5. to Maizal
We begin the steep switchback descent into the Rio Blanco ravine,
threading our way through a dry micro-environment of gnarled, ghostly
trees draped with lichens and epiphytes; this is a day for spotting
unusual orchids, tillandsia flowers, and varieties of cactus. Leaving
the torrid, boulder-strewn ravine behind, we ascend once more to
cloud forest and fresher altitudes, as we reach our camp at the
small farm of Maizal.
Day 6. to Yanama
We ascend through ever-changing layers of cloud forest, soon passing
the first of many abandoned mine-shafts -- the remnant of a once-prosperous
lode of silver first worked by 17th-century Spanish Jesuit missionaries
and their native flock. As we climb beyond the tree line we find
ourselves following the remains of an Inca road which crossed the
ridge ahead of us, at Minas Victoria pass (4,400m./14,500ft.) At
the pass we face startling views of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, with
the 6,000m./19,800ft. peaks of the Pumasillo range dead ahead of
us and Choquetacarpo pass off the north-west. This spot is right
on the flight path for Andean condors soaring the north slope of
Qoriwayrachina, and we usually see them here. After the pass the
trail descends past dozens of shafts and piles of mine tailings
rich with glittering minerals, following a broad path carved into
a dramatic cliff face. The trail penetrates thickets of giant lupin
and weaves through small farming plots as we approach Yanama, where
friendly villagers may trade weavings or farm produce at our streamside
campsite.
Day 7. to Totora
Our route ascends a of valley broad pastures between the snow capped
ranges of Pumasillo to the north, and Padreyoc to the south. The
climb is gradual but continuous, until finally we leave grassy meadows
behind and cross the stony, windswept slopes of Puerto Yanama (4,700m/15,500ft).
At this pass, as we cross the watershed between the Apurimac and
Urubamba river systems, we can gaze down into the Santa Teresa valley,
and across to dramatic vistas of Salcantay (6,270m/20,565ft) and
Humantay (5,917m/18,760ft), the last great peaks of the Vilcabamba
range, beyond which lies Machu Picchu. We make a winding descent
to our camp by a stream near the village of Totora.
Day 8. to Collpapampa
We take a dramatic trail that traverses the steep south bank of
the Santa Teresa river. Bird and plant life teem along the banks
of tumbling side streams as we enjoy this short and easy day. We
camp in a meadow at the tiny village of Collpapampa, where we can
take some rest time, or descend a footpath to soak in a delicious
hot spring pool by the Santa Teresa river.
Day 9. to Playa
We cross to the north bank of the Santa Teresa and take an undulating
path downriver through delightful cloud forest and then coffee plantations
and tropical orchards of passion-fruit, papaya and avocado, with
towering mountains to either side of us. We meet schoolchildren
and the mule trains of local farmers as we approach the roadhead
at the village of Playa. Here we camp by the schoolhouse and enjoy
a dip in the river.
Day 10. to Patallacta
After a short walk we leave the dirt road and start to climb a well
preserved Inca highway to a ridgetop that divides the Santa Teresa
from the next valley east, the Aobamba. The ridge is forested with
tall trees, a rare example of pristine climax cloud forest, and
here we encounter a broad Inca road running along the ridgeline.
We take this for a short way, so that we can glimpse our first views
of Machu Picchu, perched on a mountain saddle far to the east. Then
we descend through the ruins of Patallacta, a site first discovered
by Hiram Bingham in 1915, subsequently lost to science, and then
rediscovered in the 1980s. This extensive site seems to be an outlier
of the main Inca city, with ceremonial significance relating to
the winter solstice sun, which rises over Machu Picchu, as seen
from here. We explore these ruins as we descend towards our campsite,
a grassy and secluded meadow with stupendous views toward Machu
Picchu, the Urubamba river, and the snow-capped peaks of Salcantay
and Wakay Willka.
Day 11. to Machu Picchu
We take a zig-zagging trail through the forest to reach the Aobamba
river, just upstream of its confluence with the Urubamba. After
passing a hydro-electric power station and crossing a bridge we
meet the railroad and follow its tracks along the banks of the river
to the town of Aguas Calientes. Here we can rest at our hotel, enjoy
shopping or the hot springs in this cramped and bustling community,
or choose to take the bus for an afternoon visit to spectacular
Machu Picchu itself.
Day 12. to Machu Picchu / Cusco
We leave early to catch the first bus to Machu Picchu, the mysterious
Inca settlement scientifically discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
Here we tour the highlights of the Inca site, and then take time
to explore and discover the hidden corners of the Inca city for
ourselves. Mistakenly identified by Hiram Bingham as the last Inca
refuge of Vilcabamba, Machu Picchu is now known to have been a private
royal estate of Pachacuti, the emperor who launched the Inca imperial
expansion in the mid-15th century. It is still not known exactly
why Pachacuti chose to build such a large and complex settlement
in this place, remote from the major centers of the Inca world.
In all likelihood it was the site’s encirclement by the Urubamba
river and the concentration of nearby snow peaks -- powerful and
sacred elements in the Inca religion -- that drew the Incas here,
just as the stunning natural beauty of the place attracts visitors
from all over the world to this day.
In the afternoon we take our leave of Machu Picchu, boarding a
bus to the train station, and then our train back to Cusco.
WEATHER.
The Andean weather can be unpredictable, despite the sharp divide
between dry and wet seasons. The dry season runs from May to October
or November; the rainy season goes from December through April.
Nevertheless, in the forested fringes of the Amazon basin where
Choquequirao lies, showers are not uncommon at any time of year.
Therefore rain pants and jacket are essential gear that should always
be in your daypack.
Daytime temperatures can vary greatly, from about 10ºC/50ºF
to 32ºC/90ºF with nightime temperatures from 10ºC/50ºF
down to around 4ºC/40ºF, though seldom much lower. The
floor of the Apurimac Canyon gets very hot during the day. Bring
your swimsuit for a delicious bathe in the river, or for hot springs
at Collpapampa and Aguas Calientes.
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