Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 752

9 PORTER WELFARE

Even though the Peruvian government has recently introduced regulations, stipulating that
the Inca Trail porters must be paid a set minimum wage and only carry a set amount, abuses
of staff by unscrupulous tour agencies still occur, especially on the alternative trails, where you
may find your porters eating leftovers, carrying huge weights and sleeping without adequate
cold-weather gear. Avoid doing the Inca Trail for the cheapest price possible, and be prepared
to pay more by going with a reputable company that treats its staff well (see box, p.746). When
trekking, keep an eye on the working conditions of the porters, offer to share your snacks and
water, ask the porters about how they are treated, and don't forget to tip them at the end of
the trek (around US$20 per porter is fair; a bit more if you had a personal porter). If you find
evidence of abuse, don't hesitate to report it at your nearest iPerú of ce.

DAY TWO
The second day is the toughest part of
the hike - an ascent of 1100m to the
Abra Huarmihuañusca, or Dead Woman's
Pass (4200m), the highest point on the
trail, followed by a steep descent to the
second night's campsite at Paq'aymayo.
There is little shade or shelter, so prepare
for diverse weather conditions, as cold
mist sometimes descends quickly,
obscuring visibility.
After an hour or so, you reach the
campsite of Ayapata (where some groups
camp on the first night), where there are
bathrooms and a snack stall. Another
one hour thirty minutes to two hours
along a combination of dirt path and
steep stone steps through mossy forest
takes you up to the second campsite of
Llulluchapampa, your last chance to
purchase water or snacks.
The views from the pass itself are
stupendous, but it gets cold rapidly.
From here the trail drops down into the
Paq'aymayo Valley. The descent takes up
to two hours, but you're rewarded by
sight of the attractive campsite by the
river (3600m), complete with showers
(cold water only).

can see the snow-covered mountains of
the Cordillera Vilcabamba.
About an hour's descent along some
steep stone steps leads to the Inca ruins
of Sayaqmarka , a compact fortress
perched on a mountain spur, overlooking
the valley below. From Sayaqmarka you
make your way down into increasingly
dense cloudforest where delicate orchids
begin to appear among the trees, and
then up to the Chaquicocha campsite,
where some groups break for lunch. The
one-hour hike between Chaquicocha and
the third pass - Abra de Phuyupatamarka
(3650m) - is the loveliest bit of the
hike; the trail runs through stretches of
cloudforest, with hummingbirds flitting
from flower to flower and stupendous
views of the valley. The trail winds down
to the impressive ruin of Phuyupatamarca
- “Town Above the Clouds” - where
there are five small ceremonial baths and,
in the wet season, fresh running water.
Some groups camp here on the third
night and wake to a starry milky way
at 4am, followed by breathtaking views
of the surrounding range of glaciers
at sunset.
It's a rough two- to three-hour descent
to the final campsite. The first section
comprises steep stone steps for forty
minutes, followed by gentler stretches
of dirt track. When you come to the
fork in the trail, the right branch goes
down to the next ruin, a citadel almost
as impressive as Machu Picchu, Wiñay
Wayna (“Forever Young”), where most
groups will spend their third night. There
is basic accommodation here and a large
restaurant/bar area where you can treat
your group and porters to a round of

DAY THREE
This is the longest day but also the most
enjoyable, with some of the loveliest
scenery. It takes forty minutes up the
steep, exposed trail to reach the ruins of
the Inca fortress of Runkurakay, then
another twenty minutes of stone steps
and steep dirt track before you pass the
false summit with a small lake before
arriving at the second pass - Abra de
Runkuracay (3950m), from which you