End of quarry trail, Machu Picchu tomorrow

It’s 9pm, we finished the Quarry Trail earlier in the day and I’m lying in a hotel bed ready to take the train to Machu Picchu tomorrow. 

I’m not sure how to describe the last few days. It was in some parts pretty difficult, but it was also stunningly beautiful. The vistas looking out at the valleys and glaciers and mountains were amazing. The trail was pretty much empty, we only came across 3 other people, the rest were locals.

Day 1 started at our hotel in Cuzco, with breakfast at 0445h, I was amazed that I was on time! We set out with our two bags — a day pack we’d carry, and a 5kg max bag that the porters would carry on horses. I checked and I can actually fit everything I need to bring (they supply tents and mats) in my day pack, but i decided to take the horses up on their offer and split the load evenly — 3.5kg each. (Not including the water in my daypack of course!)

We hit the road at around 0530 and an hour later stopped for coffee and to pickup members from another intrepid group who are also doing the Quarry Trail. 

Around 9am we did our first “warmup” hike to visit a sacred Inca place.

This warmup hike reminded me that I hate steps! Up and down! I don’t mind steep slopes, but not steps! — ok I do mind steep slopes, but I’d prefer them over steps.

Fortunately for me there are actually few steps in the quarry trail.

10am we finally hit the head of the Quarry trail.

Take a look at me there, this is as good as I’ll look for the next 4 days!

The trek wasn’t too bad going to begin with, it wasn’t easy nor flat, but it was ok. At the start the altitude is 2,840m (9,300ft), we will ascend to over 4,450m (14,700ft). Not as large an ascent as my trip from Lukla to Gokyo Ri, which was an ascent of 2,530m gain vs 1,610m gain, but the Gokyo trip was over something like 5-7 days).

Our group was fortunate, as I noted in a previous post we’d done a drive up to 4,910m (16,100ft) — much higher than the trail would get us to, and that brief trip allowed our bodies to begin its acclimatisation, but the other group had come from essentially the jungle straight to this altitude with only a couple of days rest. The result of this was very evident in the coming days. 

The three of our group (excluding me!). Front and centre is my friend/enemy Nicole, left is Robyn and on the right it Kike, our tour leader

As will become a common theme, the views were stunning and photos cannot do them justice. Those rocky peaks, that the first and lower of the two passes we go through.

Our intrepid (ha!) band of travellers, the good looking guy back left is our local guide and the rest my group and the other group.

Once again, the photos can’t do the views justice.

We eventually stopped for lunch, now here is where I have to explain how Intrepid do this trip. They don’t just provide tents and sleeping mats, they also provide cooks, dining tents and yes, even a toilet tent. We all agreed it was practically glamping. We thought it was a bit much that first lunch, and even dinner, but by the next day we were so happy for it.

Did I mention how views couldn’t do it justice?

Yada yada yada omg amazing views, stunning waterfalls.

My frienemy!

Something something stunning valleys

Finally around 4pm we made it to camp, which the porters had already setup for us (glamping!).

I was a single supplement (paid extra for single room) and had a tent to myself!

Once we found our tents, and got our bags dropped in it was time for “afternoon tea”.

Afternoon tea was really quite spectacular, I’ve never eaten this well on a camping trip!

We then had maybe an hour to get our tents in order before dinner. An hour sounds like a long time, but it flies by when you’re exhausted from a long day hiking.

After dinner we all went pretty much straight to bed. I was using my new sleeping bag and pretty quickly found that yes, it is very warm, when I found myself unzipping it entirely.

Thus ends day one.