I completely understand now why some people call it the "Inca Trial." It is definitely a test, and a kind of measure of worthiness and determination. I thought that yesterday was difficult, but today we walked from 5:30am until 7:20pm, nearly fourteen hours of continuous hiking, minus breaks and lunch. I definitely have a blister now, and my legs are so tired and sore that I can hardly move around in my tent. Yet I have a ton of satisfaction in the fact that I have walked further and higher than I ever thought possible.
We awoke at 4:30am and set off at 5:30 to conquer the final 1/3rd of the infamous climb to Dead Woman's Pass. Even yesterday's hike did not prepare me for the ferocity of the climb, nevertheless, I was the second to the top, and celebrated with a shout having reached the 13,776ft pass. If you were to have invited me to camp at 6000ft and then climb to a 13,000ft peak with you, I would never have attempted it, but the allure of the Inca Trail has drawn me to do more than I ever would have before.
Surprisingly, the descent down the other side of the pass was just as difficult for me as the climb. My surgically repaired knee reacts especially badly to going down steep stairways.
We had a late breakfast at the lowest point between the two passes, in the midst of intense sunshine and 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) of heat. It was a disorienting change from the near-freezing temperature of our high-altitude campsite earlier this morning. We continued from there to the second, slightly lower pass where we learned about an Inca ceremony thanking Pachamama (Mother Earth) for good provisions during a journey.
From there, we descended and then climbed again to the third and final pass of the trail. Along the way, we passed through the dense vegetation of the "cloud forests," named because of the sub-tropical growth of the area, and the fact that it is at such a high elevation that clouds routinely pass through the forest several times a day like fog.
Immediately after the third pass, we waited for our guide to talk to us about a set of ruins there, but it began to downpour. So instead, we immediately began the extremely steep descent toward our campsite, which consisted of a stairway of supposedly 2000 stairs down. Along the way, as I kept count, we caught sight of the nearest settled town to Macchu Picchu, Agua Caliente, as well as a spectacular rainbow, hung between two clouds at the level of the string of peaks across the deep valley to our right.
While walking, day turned into night very quickly, and soon it was necessary to descend by flashlight. It was dark when we finally came to the sign directing us to our camp, and by that time, I had counted 2094 stairs. Tired, hungry, and rushed by the darkness, we were comforted by the thought that we were near our destination. Little did we know that we still had 598 stairs down to go. When we finally arrived, at 7:15pm, it had been pitch dark for an hour, I was exhausted, and my legs were jelly. I don't think I've ever been so sore or tired.
The good news is that tomorrow is the 4th and final day, and we only have 6km to go, as opposed to the 22km and 3 mountain passes we did today. Should we wake on time and stay on schedule, we should arrive at the ancient city 2 hours before the first train of tourists, giving us some time to explore its mysteries without distraction.
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