In the Footsteps of the Incas: From Mountains to Jungle to Ancient Ruins - Page 15 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
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There are other changes as well.
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It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
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It helps when the subject you are photographing is amazing.
Princess Sharon -
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Those photos are breathtaking! I can only imagine how wonderful it was to see it in person!
It was funny. I was so focused on living in the moment during the Trek I completely forgot that this was the reason for the hike. When the mists started to lift around 10 am, it truly was a revelation.
Chezp -
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Oh wow - your photos just get better and better
I'm glad you are enjoying them.
Mickey Mama -
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Your pictures are amazing!
Thank you!!
Goofysdtr -
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Sorry the mist hung around, but you did get some absolutely stunning photographs with it!
I did not post most of the pictures taken while the mist enveloped everything. Most of these are the ones taken after a few hours when things cleared up.
rhinohunter -
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One of your pix is the same view that I have seen in books about the site
The view from the Hut of the Caretaker is classic.
LlaffinPlace -
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Wonderful, wonderful pictures and I think you made the best of the ethereal quality of the mist. That said, I am glad things cleared for you!
I just was having difficulty exercising patience on this day. It was just a bit nerve racking waiting for the weather to change. Thanks for the kind words.
rlb38 -
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While all the photos are good the last set is jaw-dropping beautiful
Yes, this day probably provided the best set of pictures overall from the trip.
pamcarey-
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Absolutely fabulous pictures... both with and without the mist. Great job!
As the hours go by, the mist rises and lifts. Our view becomes more and more clear. Craig and I wander to find the entrance to Huayna Picchu. Our Adventure Trek group had agreed to enter at the second entry window which if memory serves me correctly would have been at 11:00 am. Craig and I wait for others from our group to arrive. We wait and wait and the only ones that we see are Jade and Gemma. We have no idea what happened to everyone else. We decide to go ahead and start our climb of the “Young Peak”. We hand in our tickets and sign our names and passport numbers into a book.
Huayna Picchu soars almost 1,200 feet above the Machu Picchu ruins, and climbing Huayna Picchu is very popular for Machu Picchu visitors. All told, Huayna Picchu tops out at around 9,000 feet above sea level, and it affords amazing views of the ruins and of the surrounding Andes Mountains. Only 400 people a day are allowed the chance to climb to the summit. By the time we were done touring around with Marco we found out that all of the tickets had been taken. As you climb, the most notable ruins you can access are those of the Temple of the Moon. The Temple of the Moon is a structure comparable in integrity to the Temple of the Sun and it is set within a large hillside cave. To get to the Temple of the Moon, you can take an alternative trail that leads you to the back of the mountain, or just choose the easier one that is about halfway up the primary Huayna Picchu summit path. The Temple of the Moon side trip will add about an hour to your Huayna Picchu hike.
Craig is about to experience the climb of his life
If you look carefully you can see the steps the are carved into the mountain.
Wow! Moment - The climb is basically following stone stairs that the Incas have built and carved into the mountain. In this respect the climb was easy. We did not have to find footholds or anything. While on the surface it may seem easy, I assure you it is not. While the path is fairly laid out for us; the exertion made it seem rather difficult. Frequently the path is tricky and we had to figure things out. The stairs’ incline is very vertical. We made sure we took little breaks along the way. Craig seemed to have more difficulty with this climb than I did. I was back in my mountain goat mode. Up and up we climbed. Trying to get to the very top was a definite challenge. The way is not clearly marked at all. I had to figure it out on my own and even then we were just a few feet shy of reaching the very top. This is only because I couldn’t figure out how to get there. The scramble to the summit itself involves a couple of crazy moves getting up to the perch carved out of the summit boulder itself. It will shock you just how small Machu Picchu looks from the top of this mountain. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to charge my camera battery because I took so many pictures not only at Machu Picchu, but up on Huayna Picchu. Getting to the very top was our reward for all of those days hiking. Climbing this rock was probably the second hardest thing I did on this trip. Day two of the hike was the hardest and this was the second hardest. Pretty soon after starting to climb the steps I was sweating and breathing hard. I had to take off my coat and wrap it around my waist to cool off. With the morning rain, the rocks were wet and a bit slick. This is the kind of exercise I like. You get incredible views and you feel like you are accomplishing something.
Up the steps we go!
If I was a little confused trying to reach the top, we were seriously confused trying to find our way back down. It is definitely not clearly marked and I made a little bit of a boo-boo trying to find my way. On our way down we had to make way for folks who were trying to make their way up. Thank goodness during our climb up we hardly encountered anyone coming down. Sometimes the path was separate going down. Sometimes we shared the same path.
I am having the time of my life climbing this mountain!
Pretty early in our descent I happened to spy Toya around the bend of the mountain. I turned to ask Craig in a normal conversational tone, “I think I see Toya”. She responded right back, “Yes, it’s me!” It was incredible how clearly we could hear each other even though it seemed we were a significant distance apart. She and I exchanged a brief conversation.
Craig and I continued our climb down the mountain. The mountain closes at 1 pm. Once again, you realize as part of the descent down "what goes down must come back up" applies, as you drop well below the level of Machu Picchu before crossing the ridge and ascending 100' or so back to the level of the trailhead. It took about an hour and a half, maybe a little bit longer for us to climb up and down this peak.
Craig pauses before he continues on
As we enter the Machu Picchu complex, Craig and I ran into another couple of our group. Claire had an allergic reaction to all of the bug bites experienced at the hot springs of Santa Teresa. Her leg ballooned up something awful and it made walking difficult. Consequently, they did not do the climb up Huayna Picchu. We had a brief chat and then Craig and I wandered off.
Looking down on Machu Picchu from atop Huayna Picchu. That cleared out geometric figure is the Lost City.
After our climb I think we were both “toured out”. We really weren’t up for more sightseeing and made our way to the little eatery that is near the entrance. While there we each had a large cup of a frozen slushy like beverage that was based on the local corn beer, chicha. This was not alcoholic, however. We sat and relaxed and enjoyed our drinks. We swatted at the little insects come to enjoy a little drink of their own from our flesh. After I made a little pit stop that was a s/.1 cost, we decided to head back to Aguas Calientes.
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PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
You must have leg muscles made of the same rocks you climbed. All I could think of was where are the guard rails? Once again, I'm so glad you were able to go on this trip. Those last sets of pictures are stunning. Are you going to hang any of them on your walls?
Wow! The pictures are amazing!! I would love to take a tour like this, but there is no way I could do all that hiking! I'm amazed at how well you have done on this tour!
Amazing! That final climb looked tough (and I'm with ccmom - where are the handrails ) but I'm sure the sense of accomplishment added to the scenery and made it all the more fantastic. And that photo of you and Craig is definitely my favorite of those you've posted so far.
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Wow! More amazing views! I'm so impressed with you! You must be part mountain goat. I definitely would have fallen off that peak either going up or coming down.
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) but I'm sure the sense of accomplishment added to the scenery and made it all the more fantastic. And that photo of you and Craig is definitely my favorite of those you've posted so far. 
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