Day 1: This will be a travel day from home and most flights from North America and Europe arrive in Lima in the early to late evening. We greet you off your flight and take you to a small safe hotel just 12 minutes from the airport or you can ask for the available upgrade to the 4 star Ramada Airport Hotel right next to arrivals.
Day 2: Flight to Cusco (ticket not included). We will meet your arrival at the Cusco airport and escort you to our centrally located hotel. Time off and then lunch with your guide. The afternoon is scheduled for a walking introduction to the archaeological and colonial highlights of the old capital of the Inca's and the nearby important ruins... This 3-4 hour tour takes you to all the important Inca sites in Cusco town and environs . We start with a visit to the most sacred of Inca sites - the Koricancha . Winding out of town we will take in the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuaman where our guide describes the rituals and ceremonies that would have taken place at the massive walled limestone constructions and sculptured terraces surrounding the immense central plaza the strange temple of Kenko and the water fountains of Tambomachay. We gather for dinner and discussion at our favorite restaurant near our centrally located comfortable lodging in Cusco. B: L:D.
Day 3: Leaving Cusco in the rear view mirror, we travel by van over a low pass then down into the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas. The scenery is unsurpassed close and distant snow peaks glistening in the sun. The Sacred Valley is the location of the major Inca temple/fortress of Ollantaytambo. Probably built by the great Inca ruler, Pachacuti in the 1460s, it was the site of Hernando Pizzaro's defeat by Manco Inca in 1536. Constructed of finely cut polygonal stones and rhyolite blocks, the fortress and nearby town represent the best of Inca architecture and construction. Large worked blocks, some weighting as much as 100 tons were quarried from a site more than a thousand vertical feet above the valley floor using a technique of pecking with hammer stones, then skidded down and across the Urubamba river several kilometers to the temple site. Inclined ramps were built to raise the blocks several hundred feet up hill to the construction area. We have ample time to examine the complex and ponder its many mysteries. We will also undertake a hiking tour of the extensive Inca hill top complex of Pisac. We spend the night at our selected country hotel Dinner and good conversation follows...we slip off to our rooms to ponder the mystery of the last Incas before drifting into undisturbed sleep. B:L:D
Day 4: An interesting morning of click, clack on the Vistadome tourist train, and sway with all of the accompanying sounds and smells of rural Peru takes us to our final destination, Machu Picchu and the bustling town of Aguas Caliente located some 2,000 ft, below Hiram Bingham's great 1910 discovery.
MACHU PICCHU, one of the most magical and mysterious places on Earth! Situated on the spine of a jungle cloaked granite peak towering some 2,000 ft. above an entrenched meander of the roaring river below, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced by the powerful equatorial sun. Constructed from precisely sculptured granite blocks carefully joined with the projecting exposed stone of the surrounding mountain, the site may well be the finest architectural achievement of the new world.
MACHU PICCHU - Situated on the spine of a jungle cloaked granite peak towering some 2500 feet above an entrenched meander of the roaring river below, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced through by the powerful equatorial sun. Constructed from precisely sculptured granite blocks carefully joined with the exposed stone of the mountain, it may well be the finest architectural achievement of the new world. We catch the afternoon train back upriver to our lodging in the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. B:L:D
Day 5: Trek Starts Here. Loading into our company all terrain bus,we ascend a narrow winding road to its end high up in the Cordillera Vilcabamba. Following Hiram Bingham's notes, we hike to Cerro Rosapata and the ruins of Vitcos, the palace refuge of Manco and the last Incas. Captured by the Spanish Captain Garcia de Loyola under orders of Viceroy Toledo in 1572, Vitcos remains fascinating and seldom visted. We may also examine nearby Nusta Espanan (Yuroc Rumi), a sacred Inca shrine (the white rock of Hugh Tomson's book of the same name). We are guests for the night at a rustic Inn owned by the local Cobos family, famous for having accompanied the Gene Savoy Expeditions of the 1960s and many of explorer Vince Lee's epic journeys. B:L:D
Day 6: Now traveling by horseback and foot with accompanying mule pack train, we continue up a long valley to camp in a high pampa below Choquiticarpo Pass. Our camp is below the boulder screes and opposite the old Inca road on the other side of the valley. Hot drinks are the order of the day as we arrive in camp. B:L:D
Day 7: Following a well preserved, stone paved Inca road over the 15,200 ft. high pass, we enter a broad glacier sculptured valley overhung by towering granite pinnacles. Passing thru a relicy woodland of rare Queuna trees we pick our way down the Inca road. We make camp among huge granite boulders at a place called Colamachay (cave of the drawings) below the massive fluted glaciers of Nevado Pumasillo, 19,980 ft. One of the world's most beautiful mountains, Pumasillo in Quechua, the ancient language of the Inca, means "the puma's claw". B:L:D
Day 8: Crossing another high ridge to the Yanama Valley, we travel by several small forgotten farms, Chacras, cultural remnants of the distant past. These people live much as did their Inca ancestors, planting potatoes with a digging stick and keeping a rugged Andean existence tolerable with coca leaves and corn beer. We camp in the Yanama village school yard situated in a dramatic high spot overlooking the village and its picturesque valley. B:L:D
Day 9: Joining another major Inca road at Yanama , we climb 3000 ft. up a precipitous trail carved carefully through the cliffs of San Juan Pass to pass by an abandoned colonial period silver mine, Mina Victoria (whose victory? we don't know). We have our first view of the immense Apurimac drainage far below. This deep canyon and it's powerful river is one of the great geographic wonders of the Americas. The Apurimac which means " voice of god or mighty speaker" in Quechua, thunders hundreds of miles through the remotest part of the Andes to eventually, along with a multitude of sister rivers, become the Amazon. We follow a seemingly endless winding trail down 3000 ft. to camp at our wrangler Fuelon Munos' small farm carved out of the precipitous mountain side. If time permits, we may explore the interesting Inca period settlement of Corihuyrachina located and excavated by our National Geographic sponsored expedition. Climbing slowly through cloud forest, we have the afternoon to explore, take photos and marvel at the extraordinary views of the great Ice peaks above and plunging canyons below. B:L:D
Day 10: Down to the Rio Blanco.... We bathe, and enjoy tropical warmth. A condor drifts lazily in the afternoon thermals high above. Then we climb up another 1500 feet to camp at the Inca temple site of Pinchu Unuyoc. An unusual shrine that Barry Walker found in the mid 80's to the sacred spring which still flows through carefully constructed stone fountains raises above our camp. B:L:D
Day 11: Today is the final 3000 ft. climb to our objective. By late afternoon we have reached the spactacular site of Choquequirao site of massive stone constructions and jungle tangle within the imposing walls of an ancient ceremonial city. Just betond the ruins we camp for the night on the lip of the Apurimca canyon B:L:D
Day 12: CHOQUEQUIRAO- Nestled at 10,000 ft., on a prominent ridge overlooking the profound Apurimac chasm with backdrop of ice sculptured mountain cathedrals, this mythical Lost city must have rivaled Machu Picchu in beauty and importance. Little is known of this major, seldom visited, Inca site. Hiram Bingham led an expedition here in February of 1910 in search of Vilcabamba Vieja, a missing piece in the puzzle that remains of the last Inca realm. We do know that this is a fantastic, finely constructed, complex site demanding of further studies. We have a full day here to survey, explore, film and speculate. WHAT WAS THIS ENIGMATIC CITY... B:L:D
Day 13: Reluctantly departing, we descend a winding steep trail some 6000 feet down to the Apurimac River. Crossing over a swaying Inca style, cable-bridge suspended above the raging rapids, we make a bivouac camp above the river. B:L:D
Day 14:
Completing the hike out to the road head village of Cachora, we bus back to Cusco (Trek Finishes Here) and the comforts of a modern hotel. B:L:D
Day 15: Unstructured time in Cusco for relaxation, shopping etc - We gather for a final celebratory dinner, then for the really adventurous, it is after dinner drinks at the famous Cross Keys Bar, the only authentic English pub in Peru, the hangout of notorious expatriates, guides, and adventurers from far corners of the Universe. B:
Day 16: Morning to enjoy Cusco and then depart Cusco for Lima and your connecting flight home (ticket not included).
Suitability:
The expedition is 19th Century style using pack stock to carry supplies, camp and amenities. Our Quechua speaking packers supported by professional cooks insure comfortable, organized camps. Delicious meals and daily happy hour/tea are served in a dining tent. A pan of hot water with mug of coffee or tea served at your tent greets each day. Saddle horses are available for those who may chose to ride however several hours steep hiking is necessary on some days.
We require that all participants be in good health and physical condition. We hike up to seven hours on some days. The schedule allows the physically fit to hike he whole way.