I know I disappeared all last month from posting here, but I did have a reason and it didn’t involve anything bad. I was busy focusing on this entry for a outdoor-themed short film competition. While my entry didn’t win, it was surprisingly very well-received as I was using a new camera (Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k) and editing software (DaVinci Resolve) which I had not used before.
I’d love to hear any comments you want to share about it — good or bad!
Yesterday I went with a group from Mundo Antiguo Spanish School to the Sacred Valley near the town of Calca to hike along the Rio Urubamba.
I had never been along that part of the Valley though I have hiked north of the town several times. Despite the rainy weather typical this time of year, it turned out to be a lot of fun and we saw quite a few places that were new to me. It was great going out again with our wonderful guide, Dorian, along with my friends Carina (Austria), Laurence (Luxembourg), and Caroline (Seattle/US).
After taking the hour-long colectivo (passenger van) ride to Calca, we walked across a bridge and turned north along the raging river in a light rain. Thanks to very heavy recent rains that had caused flooding in several communities, the river was threatening to overflow it’s banks the entire way.
Along the way, I spotted some rock paintings (“pinturas repestres”) on the wall along the wall as well as several Inca cemeteries. Unfortunately, rain didn’t allow me to pull out my camera and get any photos. That’ll have to wait for another time.
Eventually we made our way to the ruins of Urqo. I had seen the extensive agricultural terraces there which lie next to the main road running through the Valley, but I had no idea there was actually more lying behind the hills.
There wasn’t much to the ruins, but what was there was certainly worth the hike. Besides the amazing huaca (see the above photo), there was a circular building that likely was also built for ceremonies. (Round buildings are almost unknown in Inca construction as they are almost always rectangular. )
The complex was quite small with a number of smaller buildings next the huaca. These were likely rooms for Inca priests and attendants as well as storerooms.
The colors of the valley, while somewhat subdued on this rainy day, were still sparkling with the color of flowers and a million shade of green. Most visitors to Cusco and the Sacred Valley have no idea what everything looks like in the summer!
Like any walk through the valley at just about any time of the year, there are fantastic photo opportunities. Thank goodness the last half of the hike was mostly dry!
Thanks to Dorian for being such a great guide!
(Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.
This is my first full year living in Cusco. In that time I’ve explored many incredible places in this area, yet I haven’t even begun to touch all that is here. Here is a list of my favorite hikes taken this year.
Be sure to click on the links to get detailed descriptions of the hikes including tons of photos and some videos.
I only recently took this trail popular among visitors to Cusco. It’s a fairly easy hike descending from the ruins at Chinchero through the canyon passing through some beautiful countryside and providing spectacular views of the valley below and the mountains on the other side. (Be sure to check out the trail to the waterfall.)
You can read about my hike down the canyon here: Hiking an Inca Road from Chinchero to the Sacred Valley.
Last week I also a short video of the first part of the hike with my new camera that will give you an idea of how beautiful it is: Hiking Down an Inca Road.
This was the first real hike I took out of Cusco along the main Inca road out of Cusco heading to the Antisuyo region to the north. Almost every tourist walks along part of this road as it begins in the Plaza de Armas next to the main Cathedral, but none realize the significance or have any idea where it leads.
Much of the road has been reconstructed as it climbs up into the mountains above the city past the Templo de los Monos and Templo de la Luna. Those two spots get a fair share of visitors, but almost no one continues on up the road towards the village of Yucaypata where it disappears soon after when it meets up with the Pisac Highway.
Don’t expect to see any people once you pass the Templo de la Luna, but do expect to see some beautiful scenery. Keep an eye for the ruins of Inkilltambo on the right as you head away from Cusco.
You can see a short hyperlapse video of the first part of the road leading out from the Plaza de Armas here: Inca Trail in Cusco? Of Course!
My friends Jhedi and Fania have been telling me about this beautiful place for over a year and recently I finally took a trip to explore the magnificent canyon west of Cusco.
It was certainly as unique a place as any I’ve experienced. The solitude in the canyon as I passed beside the (at the time) dry river bed with only the sound of birds and the wind to keep me company.
It’s the only place I know where ancient tombs still exist containing the bones of people who once occupied the region.
I wrote about my September trip to Ccorca here: Find Yourself Alone in Ccorca’s Tecsecocha Canyon.
If you want to see how people of the Sacred Valley still utilize the agricultural structures that were built over 500 years ago by the Incas, then Yucay is the place to go. The extensive complex is probably the largest surviving set of andenes (agricultural terraces) that are still in use today.
There are a number of trails passing up from the small town towards the canyon leading to the tiny community of San Juan Bautista high in the mountains below the majestic peak of Chicon. It’s impossible to get lost and the rewards are indescribable.
Catch a glimpse of people farming very much like they did long ago. Depending on the season, keep an eye out for farmers using oxen to pull enormous wooden plows. Flowers bloom in the spring and the colors are spectacular in the summer months, though watch out for storm clouds appearing rapidly over the mountains. (Trust me, I’ve been caught in the rain here before!)
As you go up the canyon, you’ll follow along side the stream and discover the ruins of the old hydroelectric plant, a roaring waterfall, and you might even spot the ancient Inca cemetery high on the cliff above the valley.
Check out the my pics and the story of this lovely area here: Yucay — Exploring Ancient Trails in a World Standing Still.
For simply breathtaking vistas, this is probably my favorite hike. I’ve done it several times and each time I discover something new. It was the first place I ever hiked where my jaw literally dropped when I saw the canyon view for the first time.
This is another of those “don’t expect to see another person except the occasional shepherd” hikes, though you are likely to see plenty of sheep and llamas.
I wrote this the first time I explored up the canyon: Hiking Above Tambomachay.
A couple of weeks ago while climbing farther than I have ever gone before, I stumbled across what appeared to be a significant ruin site. You can read about it and see the video I did on these two blog posts:
Exploring More (almost) Unknown Ancient Ruins
Exploring More (almost) Unknown Ancient Ruins – Video
Last fall I put together this little video on some of the ruins just a short distance from Tambomachay: Ruins Above Tambomachay.
Thousands of tourists every year pay hundreds of dollars each to hike along what’s commonly known as “the Inca Trail”. Despite being only a tiny part of the actual Inca road system, it’s considered one of the world’s greatest treks.
Needless to say, if you want to say you walked along that very same road, it’s possible to do so absolutely free. Along the way you may get to interact with local farmers and you’ll avoid the crowds along the way. Indeed, the only people you may see are farm family and an occasional campesino leading a string of horses along the trail.
Along the way as you approach Ollantaytambo, you’ll come upon the ruins of Choqana. I can’t really explain why, but this is one of my favorite places. I wrote about it here: Choqana — Ancient Fort or Inca Tambo?
You can read more about this hike here: Hiking THE Inca Trail for Free in the Sacred Valley.
If you want to see breathtaking high altiplano scenery with not a soul around, then the Kinsa Cocha area about 25 km. above Pisac is the place to go. I’ve never seen another person there except a couple of shepherds watching over sheep and llamas grazing in the remote mountains.
A taxi can take you from Pisac and they will gladly wait for you, but I strongly recommend walking back down to Pisac. While it’s a very long hike, it is downhill and the opportunity to walk along Inca roads and interact with the many villagers you’ll pass is worth every moment.
This area gets few visitors so people tend to friendlier and less jaded about tourists invading their pueblos.
You can read about my last trip and the hike down at Hiking Back in Time at Kinsa Cocha
If high altitude hiking among the remote Andes Mountains with breathtaking scenery in every direction sounds intriguing, then the place to go is Palccoyo, also known as the “alternative” Rainbow Mountain.
Hiking at well over 5000m/16,400′ above sea level can be pretty daunting for most, but Palccoyo is a great spot to visit because you are dropped off near the top and there is relatively little climbing involved. As long as you aren’t bothered by high altitude and go at a reasonable pace, this is an easy hike.
Make sure you take a camera as this is one of the most photogenic places in all of South America.
(I’ve been there three times and heartily recommend my friend Roger Mamani and Rainbow Mountain Expeditions if you want to go. Roger is from the area, speaks excellent English, and specializes in trips to Palccoyo.)
Please check out all my photos and a description of this fantastic place at Palccoyo – The Alternative Rainbow Mountain.
Easily one of the most important sites in the Machu Picchu region, the river Intihuatana remains the least visited as it is hidden in the jungle. It’s a very small site only a few meters from the route taken by thousands of visitors to Machu Picchu who hike to Aguas Calientes from the hidroelectrica along the Rio Urubamba, yet it is virtually unknown.
This was my first experience in searching for ruins hidden in the jungle. While most of the local people are familiar with it, I found that some parts were unknown even to long time residents. Indeed, I was able to discover some nearby Inca walls that were apparently undiscovered by previous archaeological explorations.
The beautiful hike along the Rio Urubamba from Aguas Calientes is worthy of a day by itself. I’ve seen all kinds of rainforest animals including agoutis, oropendulas, and even a river otter. Be aware that stepping off the trail into the jungle can be risky as extremely poinsonous and agressive bushmaster snakes (known locally as “shushupe”) are known to inhabit the area.
You can read about this incredible hike at Searching for the River Intihuatana.
I also did this video a few weeks later (including some ruins that I was unable to find on my earlier explorations) that will give you an idea of what a special place this is: Searching for the River Intihuatana near Machu Picchu.
While there are some world-class places to visit in the Cusco area, I think my favorite are the incredible ruins of Waqrapukara perched high above the remote Apurimac canyon.
The challenging hike to the ruins along provides scenery that rivals almost anything I’ve ever seen, but the nothing tops the fortress of Waqrapukara itself.
It’s hard to put into words just how spectacular this hike really is, but hopefully you can get a idea by checking out my pics and description of this magnificent place here: Waqrapukara – Peru’s Most Breathtaking Ruins?
Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)
A few days ago I wrote about the spectacular hike I took into the Andes mountains above Cusco where I explored some apparently little known (and even less visited) ruins that seemed to be quite significant. (You can read about the trip and check out the photos here: Exploring More (Almost) Unknown Ancient Ruins).
The scenery along the way is some of my favorite in the Cusco region, but the highlight was stumbling up the ruins which appear to be only old animal enclosures from a distance.
This was done with my GoPro Hero 7 which I never use, but carrying only a tiny camera should made hiking at 14,000′ above sea level a lot easier! I really would love to hear what you think about the video. Editing is a pain the #$% which is why I prefer photos, but video can show everything from a completely different perspective.
Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)
One of the highlights of exploring in the Cusco region is finding ancient ruins that are virtually unknown and rarely, if ever, visited, except by local people. A couple of days ago I was fortunate to get my “Indiana Jones” fix when I stumbled upon just such a site.
My favorite hike the immediate Cusco area is along the route from the popular ruins of Tambomachay up into the mountains above Cusco leading to the lesser known ruins of Huchuy Qosqo. Wednesday morning I woke up with the urge to do a long hike high in the Andes in this very spectacular area and see what was on “the other side of the mountain.”
What I found was far more than what I expected.
[Remember to click on the individual photos to see larger views.]
I’d been to the high Andean lake about 7 km up the trail before, but didn’t know what was on the other side of the high ridge that surrounds the lake on three sides.
The climb up itself isn’t all that difficult. Most of the climbing is done in the first 2-3 km, but the beautiful scenery makes it easy to forget just how hard you’re breathing!
The scenery as you hike high above a very impressive canyon is literally jaw dropping at times with expansive views that will take your breath away.
Once I made it to the nearly dry lake I was greeted by the pair of huge Andean geese who live up there year round before heading up the trail to the pass on the left side. At that point I decided to scramble to the highest point at the end of the basin where the views were spectacular.
Once having reached 14,340′ (4370m) at the top, I realized I was just above the small communities of Umasbamba and Tauca near Lago Piuray and Chinchero. Looking back down into the basin I noticed what appeared to be a collection of stone enclosures that had fallen into disrepair. These are commonly used in the Andes by local people to corral herds of llamas and sheep when necessary.
In making my way down to get some photos of the ruins, I began to notice that these were different from what I was expecting.
While there was a large number of stones scattered across the area, they appeared to be quite a bit larger than those normally used by local people. Also, almost everything had been knocked down except for a handful of very interesting structures that possibly had been rebuilt for more recent use.
The first structure I came upon was a small circular tower about 1.5 m across that possibly looked like a granary or storehouse of some kind.
A little farther to the south I discovered a couple of walls still in good shape and immediately noticed that one wall was built on top of a larger rock that appeared to have a channel carved lengthwise across the top.
Behind the carved stone — a ceremonial rock? — was another 180-degree circular structure open to the lower section. A few feet the the left was an opening in the wall that appeared to be for a water channel. I wonder if at one time there was a spring nearby providing water for this site.
The site contained several other mysterious structures (shown above) that left me with a lot of unanswered questions.
Circular structures were rarely used by the Incas and only in important sites. However, there were some pre-Inca communities in the area that used round structures.
Also, the walls were not of the quality of even rudimentary Inca sites which made me wonder if the site was actually originally used by one of the many pre-Incan cultures than existed before the Incas dominated the region.
Probably the most interesting thing I saw here was the presence of a small, egg-shaped stone that had obviously been brought up by someone from a river somewhere else. It had been there a very long time as it had settled into the ground.
The Incas along with other cultures in the region had a great respect for the relationships between the sun, water, and the land as all were necessary for their survival.
There are a number of examples of Incas incorporating water related items into their construction. (For example, the Main Temple at Machu Picchu and the Plaza de Armas in Cusco incorporated sand brought from the Atlantic Ocean.)
Also, the famous Ceremonial Rock next to the Watchman’s Hut overlooking Machu Picchu has a large number of river stones placed all around it. Some archaeologists have suggested that these were brought up as “water” offerings by those who were not allowed to enter the citadel itself.
The shape of the stone itself might likely be significant, too. Perhaps the most important Inca relic that is still revered by many in Cusco today is the egg-shaped Wiracocha Stone in the main Cathedral. You can read more about this incredibly important stone in this blog post: The Mystery of the Wiracocha Stone.
To be honest, I have no idea. It obviously is not a llama enclosure! There are too many structures that do not appear to be Inca so I have a feeling it is a pre-Incan site of some importance.
I have never come across anything written about this place before and a couple of days of research hasn’t resulted in anything at all that might help shed a little light on who built it, what was its purpose, and why there seems to be some present-day acknowledgement of the site.
It is places like this that fill me with such fascination yet provide so much frustration because I know so little about them. I find myself doing the same thing as researchers since Hiram Bingham — studying as much as I can and making the best inferences possible based on the research of others.
What do you think?
Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)
Yesterday I finally made what was probably my toughest day trek ever to what is perhaps the most incredible site in all of Peru — Waqrapukara. I’d heard so much about the site and everyone in the group I hiked with agreed that it was far more than we’d imagined. The consensus among all of us was there simply are no words to describe what we saw.
I usually don’t take tours, but sometimes they are necessary — especially when traveling somewhere I’ve never been before. Going with a group of like-minded travelers who are willing to put forth a tremendous effort to visit a place that is far, far off the beaten path makes it even better.
Because Waqrapukara is so remote, we left very early (3:45 am) in the morning for the long 3½-hour ride to the south. We stopped and had a decent traditional breakfast along the way before continuing up into the mountains on a tiny, winding dirt road.
[Be sure to click on the individual photos to see each full size. I think this set really deserves to be seen large!]
Finally, we reached the starting point of the trek and took off really not knowing what lay in store for us in the coming hours. I’m usually pretty hard on guides, but Rolando, was excellent. Though he tended to explain more than I needed, he shared enough and kept the group informed when necessary as well as being a good leader for a very diverse group.
Eight people made up our little squad including one Peruvian from Lima, an couple from Italy, three Mexicans from Guadalajara, and myself. Cloudy skies and a cold wind didn’t portend a lovely day, but we were certainly in for a pleasant surprise as the day wore on.
It became quite clear that this was not a normal hike. We passed through some of the most remote country I have ever seen. The expansive views of the mountains and valleys surrounding us were absolutely gorgeous.
Sparse barely begins to convey the scenery as every direction was a mix of large stones which had rolled down from the mountains above and Andean grass and tiny white cacti which made up almost all of the vegetation at this altitude.
We had started hiking at an altitude of well over 14,000 feet (4200m) and for the next three hours went up and down the mountains through valley after valley with only an occasional small herd of cows or horses to accentuate the barren expanse.
Finally, after hiking for nearly two hours, we came around a bend in the trail and got our first glimpse of Waqrapukara. Even from several kilometers away, it still was imposing as it dominated the view of the Rio Apurimac canyon far off in the distance.
You can see from the photo above that we were still far from the ruins with a long downhill walk ahead. As we continued downhill, we saw even more scenery as the clouds began to break and blue skies appeared overhead.
I was especially fascinated with an abandoned ranch community that once was a lovely spot for a group of campesinos likely engaged in raising llamas and alpacas. The stone corrals and the adobe buildings were starting to fade, but it was easy to imagine what life must have been like in such a remote place.
The trail took us the valley until finally, after three hours of hiking challenging terrain, we reached the base of the ruins. I was the first to arrive followed by the rest of the group who trickled in little by little.
Above us lay one of — and maybe THE — most impressive ruins that I’ve ever visited. The sheer domination that Waqrapukara holds over the valleys surrounding it on three sides in such a awe-inspiring location left us all speechless.
It became the “joke” of our group that we just kept saying “wow!” over and over because we quickly ran out of words to describe what we saw. After awhile, we all agreed that no words could really describe Waqrapukara. It really was that indescribable.
Once you climb up into the ruins themselves, you discover that it is actually quite small. I didn’t take as many photos of the upper section as I probably should have.
I just wasn’t all that impressed with the upper ruins. It would have helped if I could find out a little more about the origins of Waqrapukara. Rolando said it was a pre-Inca site built by the Canchi peoples of the region and later occupied by the Incas as part of their expansion out from Cusco across the Americas.
I tend to discount almost everything I am told about pre-Columbian sites as there was no written language to preserve the historical record. I’m still looking for academic research on the site which is proving to be difficult to find.
Part of the reason was my eyes were constantly drawn to the breathtaking vistas that spread out before us. Waqrapukara was definitely built in place of immense beauty! It is possible to walk behind the main section, though caution is heavily recommended as the cliffs fall away for hundreds of feet and, in most places, there are no ropes to keep you away from the edge.
It doesn’t really matter as you don’t have to walk to the edge to look down into the deep canyon below — perhaps twice as deep as the canyon below Machu Picchu.
Finally it was time to start back. The while tie I had been looking back up the valley and thinking how difficult the climb up would be. Thank goodness I didn’t realize that what I could see in the high distance wasn’t even close to the top!
The first hour and a half of the hike back was easily the toughest I’ve ever done. Despite being in pretty good shape, I quickly fell far behind everyone except for one of the Mexican girls who was having a really hard time dealing with the distance and the altitude. I was barely keeping ahead of her as I saw the rest of the group disappear ahead of me.
The steep uphill sections were taking a tremendous toll on my legs and I found myself breathing so hard that I was seriously worried.
We literally climbed almost non-stop up the valley for an hour and a half before we reached a section where the trail leveled off a bit. Interestingly, all the way up I had been thinking of my days as a distance runner and was feeling a bit of embarrassment. The fact that I was twice the age of the others didn’t make any difference.
Something happened, though, we I reached that stretch of relatively easy climbing. I found something that can only be described as a “second wind” and my pace picked up considerably.
Little by little I closed the gap on the rest of the group until I finally caught up and then, when they stopped for a break, continued one. It was amazing how much better I felt and how I was able to keep up a brisk pace for the next couple of hours until I reached the starting point 10-15 minutes ahead of everyone else.
It honestly wasn’t my intention to race or get to the finish far ahead of the others. Part of my motivation was that the sun was starting to sink and it was cooling off quickly, but I’ll admit that there was a bit of satisfaction that this old man was able to out hike all the younger crowd.
Despite being as exhausted as I’ve been since the last time I ran a marathon (after not running for a year!), after a rest, I took off back down the trail to check on the girl who was having such a hard time. (I had to hike a long way before I met up with her and Rolando. She ended up finishing nearly two hours later.)
The drive back to Cusco seemed to take forever. We were all zombies with no energy left. It didn’t help that, instead of taking us back to our pick up locations, we were left at a central spot meaning I had another 15 minute uphill walk to get home!
While a tremendous challenge to reach, Waqrapukara was more than worth it. I won’t attempt to describe just how amazing a place that it is, but suffice to say that any visitor to Cusco should seriously consider making the effort. You’ll be glad you did!
Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)
It seems every time I visit a new place, I am awed by what I see and what I experience. Tecsecocha Canyon was no exception and provided a solitary hike through a beautiful canyon complete with ancient rock paintings and tombs still holding the bones of the interred.
I’ve been wanting to explore the region west of Cusco for a long time and, after hearing so much from my local friends about the small town of Ccorca, I decided to make the trip yesterday morning.
Catching a ride to Ccorca is a little tougher than most because you must go a long way above central Cusco to catch a shared taxi or a colectivo. I prefer to walk for the exercise, but lots of buses will take your there. The location is on Av Antonio Lorena next to the Repsol gas station almost across from the large religious statue.
A shared taxi costs 4 soles ($1.20 USD). Unlike taxis I’ve taken to other places, the emphasis is on shared. The tiny little cars will put 4 people in the back seat so that you are jammed in like sardines. On my return ride, we had 8 people (!) in the little clown car including two riding in the hatchback area. (Next time I will seriously consider paying for an extra person just so we can have a little more room.)
Right now the ride up can be a little uncomfortable. There is a lot of construction on the road causing some serious delays. What should have been about a 35-40 minute ride to Ccorca turned into a hot, hour-long torturous strip crammed inside an overcrowded coffin that felt as if it would break down at any moment. Because of the tremendous amounts of dirt and dust, we couldn’t even roll down the windows.
I almost hopped out once after sitting in a long line of trucks and cars for nearly 15 minutes, but once you get past the construction that ends at the city of Santiago’s trash dump, the scenery becomes absolutely fabulous and absolutely worth it
The taxi climbs to around 4000m ( over 13,000′) in altitude before descending towards Ccorca. The treeless mountains provide incredible vistas that are no different from what they where when Incas traveled along the main Inca road to the coast that still exists today.
Along the way, you’ll see signs that say Qhapaq Ñan. This is the name of the Inca road system that once covered thousands of kilometers across most of the Andes and if you look closely to where they point, you’ll actually see large stretches of the road which still exist today.
When you get close to Ccorca, look for the entrance to Tecsecocha. It’ll likely appear in front as it’s on a left hand turn in the road. Tell the driver “baja aqui” which means you want to get off here.
Simply follow the stone paved path up the canyon for a short distance until you cross a bridge. At this point, follow the sign pointing right that will lead you to the cave painting and the tombs.
The ancient rock paintings obviously show some sort of camelid — horses were introduced by the Spanish — such as llamas or alpacas. As with paleolithic paintings around the world, their significance is unknown. Perhaps some ancient artist was bragging about a recent hunt that provided food for his family. Or maybe a hungry family was showing their God(s) what they needed to survive.
Of interest are the tombs that still survive complete with bones of those interred centuries ago. For some this will be a little macabre, but I found it a reminder of how everyone will end up no matter how much wealth or power they have while alive.
I hiked farther up the canyon and, while it was interesting, I wouldn’t recommend it. There simply isn’t much there to see.
Returning along the path, I made sure to stay on the right side of the stream (which was almost dry during the winter months). The stone path follows along the majestic towering walls as it lead me down the canyon.
I’ve not seen geology like here before in the Cusco area. Combined with the fact that I was completely alone, it was easy to imagine myself traveling back in time to experience it just as it was when Paleolithic peoples lived here centuries before.
With only the sounds of birds and the wind rustling through the trees, I slowly made my way down crossing over several bridges and passing several more tomb sites along the way.
At one point, there is a trail that seems to climb straight up a cleft in the canyon wall to an old bridge high above that apparently has seen better days. If you want to see what it looks like from above, you’ll have to go yourself because I am never going to make that climb!
I was very surprised to come upon a lovely little park area at the end of the trail. Obviously the town of Ccorca has spent a lot effort on providing some really cool recreation areas. (There is even another large recreation area under construction right now.)
A small lake (that understandably could use some water in the current dry season) was at the center, but the best part must be the waterfall coming down from the cliffs above during the rainy summer months.
The park is a great place to relax. There are restrooms available and it’s as pretty a place as you’ll see in the area.
Follow the path down to the main road, then head up to the left to return to the main plaza area where you can catch a ride back to Cusco.
Traveling to and from Ccorca is probably the only situation where I might recommend hiring a taxi — especially if you are traveling with others. Of course, crowding into a tight, cramped taxi is a great way to interact with local people, but don’t be surprised if you find they are speaking Quechua with each other.
One thing I am going to do in the future is get out even earlier and walk along the Qhapaq Ñan road to Ccorca. In many places, it has been reconstructed, but in many places it passes through the mountains not much different from what you’d expect from a centuries-old road built to connect Cusco with other parts of the greatest empire that ever existed in the Americas.
You can still follow the road for many kilometers all the way to Ccorca’s Plaza de Armas for an experience that must be fantastic even today.
The paths through the mountain canyons provide solitude that is not so easily found along the “Gringo trail” of the tourist sites that are always packed with people coming and going through Cusco and the surrounding region.
I will definitely be returning to Ccorca and Tecsecocha soon. I imagine there’s a lot more to be seen in the area, too, even if only exploring the vast expanse of mountain trails and villages that extend into the distance.
Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)
Yesterday I went back to the Inca ruins of Choqana just outside of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley to see if I could get a better idea of its original purpose.
I was accompanied this time by my friends Stijn (from The Netherlands) and Judy (from Florida) for a great day of hiking on spectacular day. Hiking is always more fun when I get to share it with fantastic people!
We started at the impressive Ñaupa Iglesia site above the small town of Pachar and hiked along the Inca Road from Pachar to Ollantaytambo that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago here: Hiking THE Inca Trail for Free in the Sacred Valley.
Peter Frost, author of Exploring Cusco, says it was a fort, but he doesn’t explain why he thinks so. The first time I visited the site two weeks ago I only explored a couple of room, but yesterday I was able to walk through most of the small complex that provides a dominant view up and down the Urubamba Valley.
After walking through all the complex, I am convinced that it was not a fort at all. Despite the imposing outside walls just above the river, there is nothing else that leads me to believe there was anything about it’s position or construction that made it a good a defensive fort.
As you approach along the dirt road from the south which generally follows the original Inca road connecting Cusco to Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, the walls rising above are certainly quite imposing, but their position on the steep mountainside made it almost necessary for to build high. Indeed, much of the lower foundation is actually the mountain itself with Inca stonework beginning quite higher as shown in the photos below.
The site itself is actually quite small, though on the approach there is a significant set of agricultural terraces. It’s necessary to climb up to the few rooms. A couple of buildings originally had two flotheroors, but few of the rooms had more than window or two. (If you’re just staying the night, you really don’t want windows where cold drafts can creep in.)
Because of it’s small size, it couldn’t hold more than a handful of soldiers necessary to defend against even a small invading force.
Even more important is that it simply in the wrong place. Choqana sits above the river along a major Inca road, but anyone wishing to attach from farther up the valley would simply travel on the other side of the river where farm land made for a simple, easy approach to Ollantaytambo.
Also, because the Incas controlled all of the Urubamba Valley from Ollantaytambo to Pisac, there simply be no need. Those cultures they had difficulty with lay north and east of the Ollantaytambo and would approach from those two directions.
Almost all of the small rooms had a large number of typical trapezoidal niches where ceremonial artifacts were kept. Would a very small military fort have almost every wall include a large number of ceremonial and/or religious components? That just doesn’t make much sense since soldiers were distinctly separate from the “priest” class.
Of perhaps even more importance are the existence of two carved stones (below) that appear to be small ceremonial platforms. In a very small defensive fort, I wonder if Inca builders would have gone to the trouble of creating two separate ceremonial platforms. These were generally reserved for more important, religious sites.
While the walls — especially those from the south approach, are very thick — they are not particularly useful for defensive purposes. Incas generally preferred close quarters, hand-to-hand warfare with handheld weapons. The windows didn’t even provide a decent view of the surrounding countryside which would be needed for a defensive position.
Frankly, for all of the reasons described, I can see no reason to believe that Choqana was a fort. Nothing about it except its initial appearance supports that.
What it does seem to me — and this is based simply on my readings of those who have spent their careers studying the Inca culture — is that Choqana was some kind of tambo, or stopping place along this very important Inca road.
Because of the large number of ceremonial niches and platforms, my first thought yesterday was that it was perhaps even a stopping place for the Inca leader himself on his way to Ollantaytambo or Machu Picchu.
Much has been written about this famous “Inca Trail” having a number of ceremonial/religious stopping points along the way from Cusco to Machu Picchu. (I like to compare them to CHristian “Stations of the Cross”.) Being less than an hours’ walk to the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, this would make a convenient stopping place along the way.
The small number of rooms could conveniently house those who maintained the site — perhaps priests and workers who lived in Ollantaytambo, but needed a place to spend the night or escape from the weather when necessary.
(Interestingly, Andean peoples still use utilize this practice of having small shelters all over the mountains to spend short periods of time when working planting or harvesting crops of working with livestock like sheep or llamas.)
I’d love hear what others think. So much of ancient culture is still shrouded in mystery, but they were brilliant engineers and they were able to shape the largest civilization in the Americas within a very, very short period of time not because they were warlike, but because they had a purpose for almost everything they did.
They built things for a purpose and in certain places for a reason. They were logical and highly educated about the world around them. I think the ruins of Choqana are an example of just this kind of brilliance they exhibited all over the region.
Choqana is an easy 30-40 minute walk from Ollantaytambo for anyone interested in visiting. There are ruins even higher above and a trail that leads up and over the mountainside that I want to explore soon.
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Yesterday I was bored after just a day (!) without hiking, so I decided to visit Llaullipata — a quiet spot along the Rio Chacán hidden in a canyon surrounded by towering eucalyptus trees.
The first part of the hike is not an easy one if you come up from the Plaza de Armas. My Fitbit watch says it’s the equivalent of over 100 floors of climbing, but you can take a taxi for a handful of soles and save all the hard work by going to the Cusco Planetarium.
Follow along the stone paved road until you get to the hacienda Llaullipata which was once home to an Inca princess Yupanqui who married the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro.
The walk along the road is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Cusco just a short distance below. You’ll likely hear the sounds of city life coming up the valley, but once you get amongst the towering eucalyptus trees those sounds will likely fade away.
Yesterday was a breezy day so the trees were swaying up high in the wind. The sounds of the eucalyptus — which are not native, but were brought from Australia in the early 20th century — can be soothing, but often disconcerting, too.
I’ve never heard so many different sounds coming from one type of tree on a windy day. I’ve heard them sound like birds and other times they sound like horns. Generally the creaking of the trunks rising straight into the sky makes you think they’re all about to break and come crashing down up your head, but I promise you’ll be safe!
Keep your eye out for wildlife, too. One time I spotted a tiny deer grazing along the trail. He was so small compared to deer I’m used to seeing in Texas and was seemed little concerned about my presence.
The hike to the ruins only takes about 30-40 minutes with very little climbing or descending until you reach the stream, but you should be aware of one potential danger along the way.
About half way there you will notice a home on the right side of the trail. I’ve never seen him, but in the past a 3-legged dog we’ve nicknamed “Tripod” lives here and has been known to attack passing hikers.
I’ve been up this trail almost ten times and never seen him, but I know of others who have and one young woman was actually bitten when he rushed out of the grass and got her from behind before she could react.
For this reason, I always carry a stick when passing by and I tend to be quiet so I can hear him coming. (Sorry, I can’t tell you where my sticks are hidden near the start of the hike. I’ll need them next time I’m up there!)
When you get to the canyon itself, all you need to do is go downhill to the left once you reach the rock piles and you’ll see the ruins very soon. Be careful when going downhill as the eucalyptus leaves can make the trail as slippery as loose rock. There are numerous paths and they’ll all get you there.
Keep your eyes open and you’ll soon see the large stones that make up the Llaullipata site. It’s remoteness makes it a very unique place in the area to visit. It’s likely you won’t see another person there, though occasionally local teens visit on the weekends to drink or smoke or make out.
The purpose of the stones are likely related to water, but, like most Inca sites, the actual purpose is not known. They are carved in a myraid of ways that look like seats, but were probably ceremonial platforms of some kind.
This was obviously an important site as indicated by the quality of the stonework. Water and sun were the two most important resources to the Incas because, without them, there was no life. Large stones were especially revered and their presence near water gave them even greater importance.
The Llaullipata site is on the Rio Chacán which joins with the Rio Saphi a little farther down the canyon which was one of two rivers that flowed through Cusco.
[Little known fact: the Rio Saphi still flows next to Cuscos Plaza de Armas, but it is now underground! It is channeled below far up the canyon from the Plaza and emerges far to the south.]
The most interesting carving is on the “back side” of the main stone where a large step pyramid has been carved into the rock alongside the stream. This is a favorite spot for those wanting a unique photo of themselves!
You can go a little farther down stream (about 50 meters) to find another massive rock and some Inca stonework, but it does have the carvings that the first stones have.
Even without a taxi ride up, this is a short, relatively easy hike to little known Inca ruins just a short distance from the center of Cusco that is a good combination with a visit to the well-known ruins of Sacsayhuaman.
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Most people know of the famous “Inca Trail” that goes to Machu Picchu, but almost no visitor is aware that that is only one section of the original trail that connected Cusco and the famous “forgotten” ruins. A couple of days ago I hiked several kilometers of that trail and had the entire route to myself except for local people I passed along the way.
I really had no idea what my plan was going to be when I left home in the morning. I considered going to Ccorca, a vilage west of Cusco where there are some incredible sites to see. I chose to hop in a shared tax (15 soles) taking me to the village of Ollantaytambo where many people begin their trip to Machu Picchu on the train.
I considered going all the way to Ollantataytambo and hiking up to the Inti Punku (“Sun Gate”) high on the mountain above the valley, but hazy skies convineced me that the beautiful vistas I hope to see would not be available.
Once I got to the village of Pachar I got out at the bridge crossing the Rio Urubamba and started a long hike uphill along the new highway that just opened 7 months ago towards the ruins of Ñaupa Iglesia. (More on that coming tomorrow!)
On the way back I decided it would be interesting to continue on down the valley towards Ollantataytambo along what I knew was a road or trail along the river. I was in for a surprise as it turned out to be an upper portion of the famous Inca Trail!
The start of the trail is an ancient Inca bridge that still uses the same support structure built centuries ago by Inca engineers in a style commonly used. While there isn’t much water now, this river flows strongly during the rainy season.
To be honest, I was sure it had to be the main road because many, if not most, of the Inca roads still exist where they are not covered over by modern roadways and are used daily by local people who still walk to get from place to place most of the time.
This was the only place it could exist and the trail was obviously heavily used. Also, the terraces above and below were much wider and this section had walls that continued for many kilometers — something agricultural terraces don’t do. Finally, I scratched into the dirt path in a couple of places and found paving stones below which confirmed that it was, indeed, the road.
It’s an interesting feeling to travel along ancient pathways knowing that I was following in the exact footsteps of Inca emperors as well as conquistadors including Francisco Pizarro who led the Spanish conquest of Peru. The stone walls that had witnessed the passing of some of the greatest figures in American history continued to stand as I, too, passed through the valley along the Inca Trail.
At one point I noticed a little farther ahead a group of local people gathered near the trail. I had no idea what was going on as so far I had only passed one many with a group of pack horses heading up the trail.
When I got closer, I realized it was a family of farmers planting crops the old fashion way — by plowing with a pair of bulls pulling a plow on the end of a long, sturdy trunk of a eucalyptus tree while another person followed behind dropping seeds into the turned up earth.
They were extremely kind and friendly when I asked to take a photo. They stopped for a few moments to come over and visit with me to explain that they were planting corn as spring was fast approaching.
The elderly matron of the group even offered me a cup of chicha — a slightly fermented corn drink that has been the preferred drink of farm workers here for thousands of years.
In traditional fashion, I poured a little on the ground as an offering to Pachamama — the Andean Goddess of the Earth — before drinking it. (While Catholicism dominates Peru, the mix of Christianity and the ancient Andean beliefs (known as syncretism) still dominates this region of the country.)
Moments like this are what makes the difference between a traveler and a tourist so clear. One the other side of the river hundreds of tourists passed me in buses and trains on their way to Machu Picchu so they could spend a couple of hours being herded through the ruins and getting selfies to show their friends so they could check off one more place they could say they had visited.
I, however, was able to spend a little time with a local family as they went about their daily routine. We talked, laughed, and shared a culture that has been around for far longer than that of most of the tourists passing us by. Instead of just seeing a place, I formed a relationship with some of the people and their culture.
A little farther the trail joined with a very dusty, dirt road that provided the only real transportation link to the other side of the river, other than walking, for those living along the southern mountains of the valley.
As the family had told me I was now less than an hour’s walk from Ollantaytambo, I didn’t really expect to see much. I was in for a big surprise.
Looming along the riverside in the distance was one of the largest walls I’d ever seen rising up alongside the road. As I got closer I realized this was a complex actually built into the mountainside in the traditional way that the Incas incorporated existing stone into their construction.
Having the place to myself, I did a little exploring of this complex known as Choqana, and quickly realized this was just one more example supporting Johan Reinhard’s now generally accepted idea that Machu Picchu was not only a kind of “Camp David” retreat for the Inca Pachacutec, but also a Sacred Center that involved a pilgrimage of sorts for those coming from Cusco.
Choqana, like a great many other surviving ruins along the this Inca Trail route, was likely a stopping point along the way for the conducting of religious ceremonies — kind of like “Stations of the Cross” — for those those on their way to Machu Picchu.
Indicative of its religious importance were room with symmetrically arranged trapezoidal niches in the walls that once held idols and religious artifacts.
As I neared Ollantaytambo, I passed one more set of ruins in really bad shape that also appeared to be a ceremonial stopping point based on one larger room that had several niches in the traditional Inca fashion on the walls. This set of ruins consisted mostly of really small rooms which were likely workers’ housing that were overrun with thick, cactus that made it difficult to explore.
The rest of the way was a quiet walk through agricultural fields still using the same terraces that Inca that slowly gave way to more and more homes.
For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated with these walls and the stairs that are built directly into the walls. The Incas inserted stones which stuck out from the walls providing a kind of flying stairway up the sides enabling farmers to move from one level to the next.
Many of the stones are broken off, but the fact that most still exist and are used after 500 years is amazing. These walls were fairly low, but I’ve seen these same kinds of stairways used on the side of walls over 5 meters (16 feet) high!
Near the end of the hike, I passed through the small, quiet village of Choquekillca sitting along the river below Ollantataytambo. To get to Ollanta, it’s necessary to cross another bridge built on the foundations of an ancient bridge constructed by the Incas.
Another of my favorite, little known places in this region is the old colonial entrance to Ollantaytambo. All the tourists pass right past it and probably only a handful notice, though it is a beautiful that brings back images of new arrivals to the town climbing up alongside two water channels through a well-guarded gate into Ollanta itself.
As I mentioned earlier, these kinds of hikes are what make exploring this region so special. For hours, I never saw a single outsider while walking along a portion of the same Inca Trail that is perhaps the most famous route in the world. Almost no one travels these important parts of history except the local people going about their daily life exactly as their ancestors have done for centuries.
That is what makes living here so special. It’s not just the breathtaking scenery that inspires me, but the opportunity to pass through a bit of history and, in a way, experience the mingling of the ancient with the modern that provides an understanding of how they are really the same in the most fundamental ways.
Please feel free to leave a comment below. I love to hear what people think! If you like this, you can share this page with the links below or even subscribe so that you’ll be notified when I post again. (I don’t sell anything here, so you don’t have to worry about that.)
