Pura Aventura Walk Peru Inca Trail (page 2) online holiday brochure

Walk Peru Inca Trail to Machu Picchu What makes our Inca Trail different? At Pura Aventura we only operate our own dedicated Inca Trail walks. By doing this we can be sure that you will get the most from your walk to Machu Picchu. Permit system Each day the Peruvian Government allows 500 people onto the trail. This includes all guides and porters so actually equates to about 200 hikers each day. If this sounds like a lot, frankly it is but there are ways to avoid the crowds. Their way The vast majority of those 200 walkers do the three day trail which aims to arrive at Machu Picchu at sunrise. Once they arrive, they visit the site and catch that afternoon's train back to Cusco. Those going at this pace on the Inca Trail suffer a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, you have less time to acclimatise as you tackle the highest point of the trail on only the second day. Secondly, the campsites are very busy, particularly the last night in Winaywayna which can have over 300 people spending the night. That equates to a lot of tents, a lot of noise and some fairly unpleasant sanitary conditions. Thirdly, your first views of Machu Picchu can be rather compromised as people jostle for a perch in a small viewing area at the Sun Gate. This a quote from one, very good, operator Almost every group wants to be at the sun gate for sunrise. Sheer numbers require an early start to make sure people are in place for the sunrise. Lastly, since Machu Picchu is in a cloudforest, sunrise happens probably around 30% of the time. More normal is that the clouds gradually drift clear later. If the weather isn't good, they will not get to see the site in all its glory as they will be on a train back to Cusco that same afternoon. Our way Meanwhile&Pura Aventura clients are half a day behind the main group of walkers as you set off in the afternoon of day one. Because you do not cross the highest pass until day three, you have an extra day to acclimatise. Our guides work hard to make sure that you walk in the peaceful conditions at any time of year. You enjoy a quiet, often empty, trail ahead of you. The places we camp are very peaceful. You arrive in Machu Picchu in the twilight when the site is at its prettiest and quietest. That afternoon you stroll down through the site to soak up the atmosphere before spending a welcome night in a hotel nearby. The following morning you come back up to the citadel - early enough to catch sunrise if you like. You have your full guided tour before returning to Cusco by train that afternoon. In all you have about 24 hours at Machu Picchu spread over two days, giving you the best possible opportunity to see the site at its best. Jake (our guide) and the porters always found us wonderfully quiet spots to camp and Pura's method of taking plenty of time for the trail and not using the busy sites made the trail very special. Tonight's campsite is effectively private so you are very unlikely to be sharing it with any other groups. On your two subsequent nights there may be one, occasionally two other small groups at a campsite but by and large you are on the trail with little evidence of other walkers. Apparently the record for completing the high altitude 28 miles of the Inca Trail is just over 3 hours, 34 minutes. You will be taking rather longer to complete the trip as you linger to enjoy your surroundings as well as the culture and history of the Inca. From your guide you learn about rural life in the nearby villages as well as the flora, fauna and the Inca Empire as you pass various ruins during the day. (b,l,d) Day 04 Inca Trail steady walk to altitude Today walk 10km, 6.5hrs, !850m at relatively low altitude (3,000m) through a pretty wooded landscape. As the day goes on you will be passing the tree line and start to get spectacular views of although by the end of the day you will be higher than you were in Cusco, camping in a lovely spot at around 3,800m. The drier season (April-November) coincides with winter in Peru so whilst daytimes are generally fairly pleasant, at night the temperature drops quickly. Expect nighttime lows of just a few degrees above freezing. (b,l,d) Day 05 Inca Trail high trail Today is the hardest day of the trail as you cross over two high passes, effectively hiking an m' shape. Walk 15km, 8hrs, !650m, "850m From your campsite walk a steady and increasingly steep path up to Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215m, the highest point of the trail. Standing at Dead Woman's Pass You find yourself beyond obvious signs of human life and you begin to get a sense of how remote Machu Picchu really is. You will also have stunning views of the surrounding Andean peaks and should have a great sense of achievement by the end of the day. Lunch is served in the dip between the two passes. This afternoon your walk is longer than in the morning but at lower altitude so should be easier on the lungs. To book or for more information call us on 0845 22 55 058 info@pura-aventura.com | www.pura-aventura.com | Pura Aventura, 18 Bond Street, Brighton, BN1 1RD. UK. 2