Experiences on Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru!
Over the years, whenever discussion of best hikes to do around the world: Machu Picchu name always came up! Having been used to hike wherever we like in US, deferred Machu Picchu hike due to requirement of having to go through travel agencies who in turn required permits through Peru government. After noticing many friends are in similar situation, finally brought together team of friends who committed to go and hike Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Following are my experiences/opinions/notes and may not resonate with every one requirements/experiences..etc.
Went through Alpaca Expeditions to hike Classic Inca Trail over 4 day/3 night option.
Why should one hike through Classic Inca Trail?
- Views of mountains, valleys, canyons are magnificent, spectacular, amazing! Clouds, Fog keeps rolling through all day giving many different views and photo opportunities. Cameras won’t capture beautiful views as good as one experiences live though.
- Given Inca Trail access controlled through permits and travel agencies: package includes access to porters, night time tents, food.. all of this lightens up your load to carry and provides more pleasant experience!
- 80% of Classic Inca Trail still seems intact and usable.. Essentially hiker walking through history and living through life of people in 1400s for few days.
- While Machu Picchu site very grand, spectacular: many mini Inca sites are built along Classic Inca Trail. Some accessible/visible only to hikers on day 1, day 2, day 3. By the time, we reach Machu Picchu on day 4, hiker gets feel for Inca site architecture, design, … and what to expect!
- Classic Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu comes up and listed in best hikes in world, hikes of life time type lists!
Highlights of four day hike on Classic Inca Trail!
Day-1: starts with lot of pick ups from different hotels @Cusco starting as early as 4 AM. Hiking started around 9 AM. Best part of day-1 hike was river stream (soothing and pleasant) all day along the trail!
Day-2: Toughest part of 4 days comes on day-2 with almost 3000 ft elevation gain for the day. Altitude sickness likely to show up on day-2. Weather in mountains and canyons so different and changes constantly, any photos best be taken as and when opportunities present themselves!
Day-3: Lighter day among all 4 days where hike wraps up by lunch time and rest of time goes easy!
Day-4: Starts at 3 AM getting ready to pack up, get ready to start hiking 5 ish when gates open up to hike towards South Gate entrance of Machu Picchu! By 9 AM, hiking group tour will reach entrance of Machu Picchu which is used by people who come by train. All four days experience up to 9 AM on day-4 not experienced/shared by anyone who visits Machu Picchu by train only!
Suggestions for anyone going to take up Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu:
- Expect to start planning 3–6 months ahead in terms of getting permits, flights reservations, perform practice hikes
- Expect to have at least 3 flight segments: one flight segment from somewhere in US to southern most city inside US such as LAX, DFW, MIA… Second flight segment from border US hub to Lima, Peru & Third flight segment from Lima, Peru to Cusco, Peru which is base point for Classic Inca Trail hikers.
- Cusco, Peru city at 11,152 feet elevation: Expect altitude sickness symptoms and plan ahead for acclimatization time.
Challenges experienced over 4 days:
- Classic Inca Trail involves dealing with lot of steps (10 to 20 inches height) going up or going down! Most of hikers not used to passing through thousands of steps in a day!! Steps combined with higher altitude + going up/down + backpack weight + live weather (humidity, wind, wetness) issues poses challenge to most hikers! Practice helps!!
- Get ready for early morning starts: some days expect to wake up 3 or 4 or 5 AM and start hiking within an hour.
- Bathroom/Restroom/Toilets: 2 out of 4 days at least usable, dependable. Remaining two days, expect facilities to be poor, unmaintained, bugs
- Expect to go without bath using water for 3 days! Even at the end of third day, expect to take bath using water from melting snow or river stream which is cold!
- Expect to operate without proper sleep on 1–2 days out of 4 days: Source of poor sleep could be possibilities of night time rain, wet floor, bugs, cold, windy, uneven surface in tent, smell in the area, worst case stomach upset keeping one awake all night, altitude sickness!
- Lot of Classic Inca Trail tour companies use same route, same campgrounds. Even 50 hikers in single file trail feels crowded and tough to take good photos without random people involved in pictures. I took up on either up front by 500 ft or be last person by 500 ft. Either approach gave challenges of walking fast when needed (which is not so fun at higher altitude when exhausted for day already)
What could have been better?
- Peru government checks passports to match with permits. Carrying passport all along hike in mountains, when rain can show up anytime, is not so comfortable to most!
- Passport/Permit matching is manual and time taking! Could be faster!!
- Inca sites do not have any descriptions/photos usually found in museums. Experience could have been better with illustrations.
Overall, memorable experience considering views of mountains, canyons, valleys, architecture and history of Inca sites, challenges of steps in hike, higher altitude, different country!! Of course, at a cost of minimum $3000 per person though!
