Total distance to be covered: 12km or 7mi. (5 to 6 hours more or less).
We will meet and pick you up from your Hotel (less than 5 minutes from any hotel in Cusco!) at 4:30am (time to be confirmed at the briefing time) and travel by bus to Piskacucho (you will hear this be called kilometer 82) where
the trail starts. There will be a breakfast stop in Ollantaytambo (06:30-7am) to load up on energy (breakfast – not included). On arrival at kilometer 82 (08:30am more or less), we will have some time to organize ourselves (use the restrooms, put on sun cream, mosquitoes repellant, etc) and then it is necessary to show your entrance tickets, passports and (if paying a student rate) the student card at the trails 1st control point. To start the trail (2720m/8923ft), we cross the Vilcanota River and follow its route to the right. The first day is relatively easy (a warm-up on the 'Inca flat' terrain) and we will have great views of the site of an Inca Fortress (‘Huillca Raccay'), the vast and incredible Inca site ‘Llactapata' (officially called ‘Patallacta'), the Urubamba mountain range that divides the jungle and the Andes and the beautiful snow-capped peak of 'W'akay Willca' (5860m/19225ft), known in books as Veronica. Our first campsite (Ayapata) will be one hour and a half up the small village of Wayllabamba (3000m/9842ft) in the temperate green valley of the same name. Temperature at night is usually around 5ºC (depending on the month).
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Ayapata