Welcome to the last instalment of my Inca Trail blog where I will give you some insight into what it is like to climb the famous mountain icon that looms over Machu Picchu that you see in all the photos! Feel free to check out my previous two posts – “How we chose a trekking agency, costs, packing tips and more..” and “Hiking the Inca Trail – Our Journey to Machu Picchu”
Climbing Huayna Picchu
Having had a very good night’s sleep in a real bed, I felt I was ready to take on Huayna Picchu! Breakfast was provided by the hostel and was simple toast and jams with tea and coffee. I think on the way to meeting Tim and Diane we might just stock up on snacks. We left our big pack with the hostel and set off just after 8am to meet with our friends at their hotel which was on the way to the bus stop. Near the bus stop were the ticket booths and we purchased our $20 return tickets. I think the tickets are rather expensive but the alternative is to walk, you are a captive audience here. We were back up at Machu Picchu entrance by 9am which allowed us plenty of time to get from one side of the ruins to the other. After we completed our climb I was looking forward to exploring more of the lost city at our own leisure. The sun god had once again smiled down on us with another beautiful sunny morning with just a few fluffy clouds in the sky. By the time we got over to the entrance to Huayna Picchu there was a small queue gathering but we still had 15 minutes or so and there were no Llamas today to keep me amused while waiting.
At 10am the gates opened, our tickets were checked and we were off on the steep climb up the mountain that peaked at 2,720 meters. For the first 100 meters the track was fairly flat and then we hit the stone steps and boy, they were steep. I actually felt quite good climbing the steps, I had a burst of energy and I was actually enjoying it. The steps took you through sub tropical forest and as we climbed higher the incredible views down on Machu Picchu started to come into view as did the most incredible Andean mountain scenery I have seen yet. Oh my, it was breathtaking! I was so glad I was doing this, I couldn’t have been happier. The steps were very steep in places, so much so they provided metal rope rails to help pull you up! Up and up we went, stopping now and then to take in the breathtaking views.
Forty minutes later we had reached the ruins and we had to climb the narrowest and tiniest steps. One lady crawled up them as they scared her to death. There was nothing to grab hold of so you really had to use both your hands and feet. At the top we had access to the terraces and lookout posts with uninterrupted views across the mountains and down on the lost city. From here Machu Picchu looked like a cluster of terraces but it was the best view yet, even better than from the Sun Gate in my opinion. We spent some time taking photos and taking it all in, Huayna Picchu was definitely a highlight of the last 5 days.
We were still not quite at the top but not far off so we followed the trail up through a very cool carved Inca tunnel then around the backside of the mountain which presented you with different views again. At the very top was a cluster of rocks so we found a suitable rock to sit on and open our snacks and enjoyed the utopia. We would have liked to have gone to the Temple of the Moon which is another path down and would take quite a while and given we had a train to catch in the afternoon we sadly didn’t have time. We started our descent the same way we came up. Going down was far more challenging than going up because of the steepness but it only took us 25 minutes to get down, we were at the bottom before we knew it. I was so thrilled we had done it, the climb was much better than I expected and not as hard as I thought or as far and the views are well worth it. Huayna Picchu should be a “must do” for anyone going to Machu Picchu.
We had some time before getting some lunch and catching our train so we wondered through the lost city and explored the buildings and temples we didn’t see yesterday. One thing Vaughan and I noticed was the stone work and how the blocks fitted together. It looked so similar to ancient Egyptian stonework and both civilisations are worlds apart. It was way past midday and we were hungry so we hopped back on the bus back down the mountain to find lunch. After lunch I wanted to explore more of the market, there was plenty of goodies for sale but it was all quite pricey compared to Cusco. We headed back to the hotel to collect our bags then met up with Tim and Diane at the station for our journey back to Ollantaytambo.
The journey back to Cusco
The train was amazing, I loved the Inca design throughout the carriage and the windows in the roof so you could see to the top of the mountains. The seats were a very comfortable and we got drinks and food service. The scenery was magnificent as the train cut through the valley, I am so glad we changed our ticket so we could get to see all this in the daylight. The journey itself isn’t very long, only 45 minutes to an hour. At Kilometre 82 we disembarked and were met by a plethora of taxi drivers. All the minivans (colectivos) were offering the same price about $10 each so we picked one and boarded. Our cab driver wasn’t going to leave though until he was full so we sat there for a good 20 minutes and finally people started to get on. The journey back was about 2 hours and I was quite nervous, I really don’t trust any of the taxi drivers but he did get us there safely and even dropped us off close to our hostel. We arranged to meet Tim and Diane for one last meal before parting ways. But first we went back to the hostel to get into our room and get our stuff, have a shower and change into something that didn’t look like trekking clothes! Later we met up with Tim and Diane for an amazing meal at one of Cusco’s great restaurants (sorry I can’t remember the name) we reflected back on the last 5 days and the amazing and unforgettable experience of having the opportunity to walk the Inca Trail, see Machu Picchu and climb Huayna Picchu and not to mention the new friends we had made. An experience like this has to be on your “bucket list”.
Want to see more photos?
Check out the full gallery under “Trip Photos”
Have you climbed Huayna Picchu? love to hear about your experience in the comments below..
I climbed it about 20 years ago, carrying a monstrous camera bag. Took the first bus up and raced over to the entrance, where the only requirement was signing in at an unmanned signpost. It was a pretty lonely climb, and only a few of the fitter visitors passed me by. Unfortunately I’d neglected to carry enough water and got a bit sick once I was down.
20 years ago I would imagine it would definitely have been less regulated and much less people which would have been nice. Now you have to book in advance and your allocated a time slot and sharing it with a cast of 1000!!! Still a great experience and some nice memories.