Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 751

9

THE INCA TRAIL: WHEN AND HOW TO DO IT
Consider the season when booking your Inca Trail. The dry season runs approximately
from May to October - expect blistering sun during the daytime and sub-zero
temperatures at night. During the rainy season of November to April the temperature
is more constant but, naturally, the path is muddier and can be slippery, and afternoon
thunderstorms are the norm. The trail is closed for restoration during the entire month
of February.
In recent years, due to the growing popularity of the Inca Trail, the sanctuary authority,
the Unidad de Gestión del Sanctuario Histórico de Machu Picchu, has imposed a limit of
500 people a day on the Inca Trail, and they must be accompanied by a registered tour
operator. By law, permits must be purchased thirty days before departure on the trail with
the name and passport number of each trekker. In practice, however, it is usually necessary
to book four to six months in advance to make sure you get a space on the trail. Currently
permits cost around US$100 per person, including entrance to Machu Picchu - this permit
should always be included in the price of your trek. Check the government website
W www.machupicchu.gob.pe for permit availability. Always carefully research the tour
company (see p.746) that you choose, and make sure you know exactly what you are
paying for, as well as what conditions your porters will be working under (see box, p.756).
Make sure you enquire about the toilets used on the trek, as more reliable companies use
portable toilets, thereby avoiding the facilities at the campsites that are used by hundreds
of people every day.
Prices vary considerably between US$300 and US$750, and although a higher price doesn't
always reflect genuine added value, usually the better and more responsible companies will
have higher expenses to cover (for better food, equipment, fair wages, and so on). Check
what's included in the price: train tickets (which class), quality of tent, roll mat, sleeping bag,
porter to carry rucksack and sleeping bag (or if not, how much a personal porter will cost),
bus down from ruins, exactly which meals, drinking water for the first two days, and what
transport to the start of the trail.
As far as preparations go, the most important thing is to acclimatize, preferably allowing
at least three days in Cusco if you've flown straight from sea level, because altitude sickness
will seriously ruin your travel plans.
If you don't want to hike for four days, the two-day Inca Trail is a good option. It starts at
Km104 of the Panamerican Highway, 8km from Machu Picchu; the footbridge here leads to
a steep climb (3-4hr) past Chachabamba to reach Wiñay Wayna (see p.756), where you join
the remainder of the Inca Trail.

as tunkis in Peru), spectacled bear
( tremarctos ornatus ) and condor
( vultur gryphus ). Although just one of
a multitude of paths across remote areas
of the Andes, what makes the 33km Inca
Trail so popular is the fabulous treasure
of Machu Picchu at the end.

400m during the course of the day. The
gentle incline of the trail first follows
the river and passes a viewpoint with
the terraced Inca ruins of the Llaqtapata
fortress below, before it descends past
rock formations to the first night's
campsite at Huayllabamba . Along the
way you pass the villages of Miskay
and Hatunchaca, where you can buy
(overpriced) snacks and water, as well as
chicha (traditional fermented corn beer).
The campsite at Huayllabamba is very
basic, and there are no showers, though
you may consider bathing in the icy
stream. If you haven't acclimatized and
don't feel well, then Huayllabamba is
the last place from which it's fairly easy
to return to Cusco; beyond, it's nearly
impossible.

SETTING OFF AND DAY ONE
An early departure from Cusco (around
5am) is followed by a three-hour drive to
Ollantaytambo (where you can buy
last-minute supplies, including recycled
walking sticks). The trail begins at
Piscacucho , at Km82, where you cross
the Urubamba River after signing in at
the first checkpoint on the trail. The first
day consists of a 12km stretch, beginning
at an elevation of 2600m and gaining