Inca Trail, Day 2

Day two got started a little slowly, with the wakeup call coming at 5am, and us not getting going until 6:30. We started along the trail cutting through the valley along the river until we reached the ruins of Llactapata, a large complex which in its day contained residents, commerce, and farming, as well as being a military checkpoint from its strategic location in the valley.

From there we continued along a taxing path that included many climbs and descents, until we reached a bridge crossing a smaller side river. With a little bit of time on our hands, we lost our shoes and socks and dipped our feet in the chilly water of the snow melt.

The bridge marked the beginning of a grueling 9km stretch of the trail that would elevate us over 3000 feet, until we reached the Dead Woman's Pass, which sits at 13,776ft. The path was merciless, continuing with a steep incline without a level portion or a descent for the entire way. At several portions, the path was so steep that the Inca constructed stone stairways to make the climb. But some of the inclines were so sharp that they were steeper than a normal staircase.

For me, this 2 and a half hour portion of the hike (after 5 hours of strenuous hiking already) was a great test of physical willpower. When the step paths would turn a corner, I would pray to see an even stretch, but every turn led to steeper and steeper inclines, some which seemed to go straight up. There was no relief, and having to maintain such a slow pace, it was impossible to judge my progress.

Overall, we did not reach our goal today of camping on the other side of the pass, as half our group struggled with the ascent, and needed additional time to finish it. Nonetheless, it was an impressive effort. 18km and elevating over 4000ft on the day. Unfortunately, I can tell that I am already getting a blister, and both of my knees are sore on the eve of a huge descent. But I was surprised that I was able to do what I did, as I was the first in the group to reach the campsite, despite never having done a hike like this ever before.

Our campsite tonight is just a couple of kilometers away from Dead Woman's Pass, and has a spectacular view down into the valley from which we just climbed. Exactly opposite us is a grand mountain that must be 3000m from base to peak, and surrounding us at our high altitude are a group of peaks that guard our small plateau.

Tomorrow will supposedly be an easier day of hiking with us attempting to cover 22km, with the last half of the hike going downhill. If we are successful, it will leave us with 6km to go to Macchu Picchu for the final day. Tomorrow we will attempt to leave at 5 in the morning.