Freewheeling in the Inca Heartlands -
Mountain Biking Machu Picchu trek
Itinerary
Note: If circumstances dictate, certain
details, such as overnight stops, may vary from those shown in the
day-by-day itinerary below.
Day 1
Join tour in Lima. (1 night hotel)
Day 2
We take an early flight from the Pacific coast
to Cuzco (3400 metres). Having checked in to our hotel, we have all
day today and tomorrow to absorb the unique atmosphere of Peru's
historical capital, while adapting to the altitude. (2 nights
hotel)
Day 3
Cuzco's past is a fusion of indigenous and
colonial. This can be seen in the juxtaposition between perfectly
interlocking Inca stonework and whitewashed Spanish-style streets.
Cuzco is a great city to lose yourself in its labyrinthine
alleyways and teeming markets.
Just outside the town, and accessible on foot,
are some spectacular archaeological sites such as Sacsayhuaman, a
monumental temple-fortress of pharaonic proportions made up of
precisely fitting stones, some weighing upward of 200 tons! Further
afield, and easily reached by road, is the town of Pisac, with its
fascinating produce and crafts market and citadel, featuring the
most impressive Inca agricultural terraces in the area. In the
evening folk bands frequent the lively 'penas' for which Cuzco is
renowned.
Day 4
Cusco to Lares thermal baths. The day starts
as the support vehicle, with the bikes stored on the roof, takes us
from the hotel in Cusco to the lake at Huaypo at an altitude of
3600. Within three hours of relatively flat cycling we reach the
Inca terraces of Moray, dating back 500 years, these enigmatic
circular terraces created a protected climate for the cultivation
of Andean grains and tubers. Enjoying breathtaking views of the
peaks of Pumahuanca (53530m), Chicon (5530m) and Veronica (5850m),
we start a gentle descent to the village of Maras, whose
inhabitants work the surrounding fields and are the community
owners of the nearby salt mines.
Our descent gets steeper as we near the mines
and see this impressive series of salt pans for the first time.
First worked by the Incas in the 15th century, the water from a
salty mineral spring is allowed to cascade into a series of
terraces, where the water is evaporated off and the salt remains to
be harvested by locals. All work is done by hand by the inhabitants
of Maras, and the complex of crystal white terraces are an
impressive sight for any visitor.
After stopping to explore, we continue to
descend past the salt terraces to reach the valley floor at 2900m,
following the Urubamba River to reach the main Sacred Valley road.
This is the first tarmac road we have seen all day, as all the
cycling is done on minor dirt roads and gravel footpaths. From this
point, we board the support vehicle for the 90-minute journey along
the Sacred Valley and descent into the Urubamba Mountains above the
town of Calca.
At the Calca pass, we are back on our mountain
bikes again at an altitude of 4100m, for a descent of 900m to the
village of Lares, located at 3200m. The high mountain scenery is
dramatic, as we descend on a dirt road through hillsides of herds
of llamas and alpacas. Within 2 hours we should reach the thermal
springs at Lares, where we will camp and soak in the hot waters
after a great day in the saddle. Meals: Lunch, dinner.
Day 5
Lares baths to Colca village. We leave the
thermal springs behind to continue our descent into the lower
valleys of the Andes. Starting at 3200m, the views of the mountains
are spectacular as we pass through remote rural communities, on
this rarely travelled on dirt road, which takes us all the way yo
yhe upper Amazon jungle. Almost all of today’s mountain bike ride
is down hill, only interrupted by a few short climbs. By mid
afternoon we should arrive at our camp close to the village of
Colca at an altitude of 1600m, a descent of 1600m in a single day!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 6
Colca village to Quebrada village. The descent
flattens now as we have an undulating mountain bike ride deeper
which takes us the fertile valleys of the Convencion region of
Peru, where we will pass orchards of papaya, avocado, peach and
bananas. The climate is now hot and humid, and the many streams,
which cross our route, provide a refreshing shower along the ride.
After a total descent of 500m, we reach our camp close to the
village of Quebrada, located at 1100m above sea level. Meals:
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 7
Quebrada village to Quellono village. Today,
the mountain bike ride is relatively flat, as we take it slowly
through rolling valleys of Quillabamba. This region is rarely
visited by tourists, and we will be able to enjoy fresh fruit sold
at the roadside by surprised local inhabitants. The temperature may
be rise above 25ºC, so the juices and the clear mountain streams
are a welcome relief. By mid afternoon we reach our destination
close of the village of Quellono, where we will camp nearby at an
altitude of 850m. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 8
Quellono village to Quillabamba town. For the
previous three days we have been following the Yanatile River as it
flows from the high Andes to the Amazon, but we have reached the
union of the Yanatile with the Vilcanota River, the latter of which
flows from the Sacred Valley past Machu Picchu to reach
Quillabamba. Now we must follow this river upstream to reach
Quillabamba, a climb of only 250m, but the support vehicle may be a
help in case the legs are not willing. We should reach Quillabamba
by early afternoon, where we will check into our comfortable hotel
and have the rest of the day free to relax and explore this vibrant
market town. Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Day 9
Quillabamba town to Ollantaytambo. After a
good nights sleep in a comfortable bed, we leave Quillabamba in the
support vehicle, following the Vilcanota River for an hour along
fertile valleys of fruit orchards, then we climb high into the
mountains to reach the Malaga Pass, located at 4350m.
This is where we mount the bikes once more for
the descent into Ollantaytambo town in the heart of the Sacred
Valley. A thrilling last descent of 1500m in just 35km and an
exciting cycling adventure to some of the least visited areas of
the Cusco area.
We should reach Ollantaytambo by mid
afternoon, where there is time to visit the spectacular Inca ruins
or explore this traditional village. Then we will return to Cusco
in the support vehicle, taking around 2 hours to the hotel.
Alternatively, Ollantaytambo has several good hotels and is an
excellent place to stay the night and then continue to Machu
Piccchu the following day.
Day 10
Rest day
Day 11-14
We leave Ollantaytambo early and drive by bus
to the village of Chilca, the starting point of our trek.
The Inca Trail formed only a small part of the
extensive network of Inca highways, but this 'Royal Road' to Machu
Picchu, reclaimed from the cloud forests only this century, clearly
had important ritual functions and probably served as a sacred
pilgrimage route related to the veneration of natural and celestial
phenomena.
Many well-preserved and finely constructed
sites along the trail also suggest that access was limited to an
elite. Its (and Machu Picchu's) absence from early Spanish
chronicles demonstrates that its existence was not known about
during colonial times, and explains why the Inca religious
structures escaped destruction at the hands of the Spanish
conquerors.
The Trail is a paradise for botanists and
birdwatchers due to the rapid succession of ecological and climatic
zones which are crossed. The region's flora includes 60 species of
orchid, and the varied avifauna includes hummingbirds and various
species of birds of prey.
For most of the first day’s trek we walk
through a temperate environment.
The second day features the first major ascent
of the trek. We follow the Llullucha valley up to the treeless puna
and on to Huarmiwanusca Pass (4200 metres). From here we descend to
our camp in the Pacasmayo valley (3700 metres) or at the nearby
ruins of Runkurakay.
On the third day of our trek we cross the
second pass (4000 metres) and descend through lush cloud forest on
a paved Inca pathway past the ruins of Sayajmarca and Conchamarca
and continue to the third pass at Phuyupatamarca (camp). The views
into the Urubamba gorge 1700 metres below are spectacular.
On day four we make a dramatic descent along
an ancient stairway to the beautiful sacred sanctuary of Huinay
Huayna (2700 metres) before continuing to the Inti Punku (Sun
Gate), and feasting our eyes on the stunning Lost City of Machu
Picchu spread out below. We intend to descend to the site
mid-afternoon, and enjoy the peaceful scene, before dropping a
further 400 metres to the rail track town of Aguas Calientes, where
we board the afternoon train to Cusco; one of the great railway
journeys. (2 nights hotel)
Day 15
Free day in Cusco with the chance of some
low-energy shopping or more energetic white water rafting
(optional) on the Urubamba River.
Day 16
Fly to Lima, tour ends Lima.
Included
All meals and water on trek, all breakfasts
elsewhere, bikes and helmets, support vehicle for bike trip,
domestic transportation, guide, hotels 8 nights, camping 7 nights,
camping equipment (tents, cutlery etc)
Not included
International flights, other meals, snacks and
drinks, personal expenses, airport taxes, optional excursions (i.e.
rafting), extra entrance fees, tips, alcoholic or soft drinks,
laundry, cycling gloves/trousers/shorts, sleeping bag
Quick Links:
mountain biking machu
picchu trek - introduction
mountain biking machu
picchu trek - factfile
mountain biking machu
picchu trek - dates & prices
mountain biking machu
picchu trek - booking enquiry
mountain biking machu
picchu trek - before you go
REF: Freewheeling through the Inca Heartlands (QUI)
- AT0009
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