Peru > Snow on the Dead Women Pass

We get up at half past five. It’s still dark outside. The night in the tent was quite chilly and very damp. The tents are meant for three people, but with only two of us inside, they’re still not very spacious — both our heads and feet touch the canvas. We pack our belongings. During breakfast, the porters take down our tents. Dennis has only gotten sicker during the night and is too ill to continue. Together with Nancy and the assistant guide Elisabeth, he returns to Cusco. Unfortunately! Later we learn that Dennis had contracted salmonella poisoning and had to spend a day in the hospital in Cusco.

Peru - The Runkuraqay ruin complex at 3600 meters

The second day of the Inca Trail is the climb to the top of Warmiwañusca, a mountain pass at over 4,200 meters. Our campsite lies just below 3,000 meters, so that means a serious ascent. Lucio tells us he expects we’ll make good time, since we also walked quite fast on the first day. He says we should take more time to enjoy ourselves. However, we don’t feel like we’re walking that fast. Since all groups leave Wayllabamba in the morning, the trail forms a long line of Inca trekkers. The number of hikers on the trail is limited, which helps keep it from getting too crowded. The climb is made more enjoyable by chatting now and then with international travelers. Today’s lunch stop comes early. We arrive in Llullucha before eleven o’clock. The dining tent is a bit hard to find, but when Lucio arrives with the others, it turns out to be set up behind a hill. The food is, once again, excellent — with soup, a hot main dish, and tea or coffee afterward. During lunch it suddenly starts to rain, which is a bit of a disappointment. By noon, however, we have to continue. With an extra sweater on, rain jacket zipped up, and poncho over everything, we move on. The stones on the Inca trail have become much more slippery from the rain. The last 200 meters to the top consist entirely of steep stone steps — a real challenge, especially in the drizzle.

Peru - The top of the second pass during the Inca Trail

Climbing above 4,000 meters makes it even tougher. At the top, it even starts to snow lightly. Lucio keeps saying, “This never happens during the dry season!” After the pass, the trail leads only downward to our second campsite. Fortunately, it soon turns dry again, and we descend at a steady pace. Looking back toward the top, we can see the Warmiwañusca Pass, also known as the Dead Woman’s Pass. With some imagination, the shape of the mountain ridge resembles a reclining woman. We can already see the campsite from afar, but it still takes over an hour of descent to get there. The tents are already set up, and in the dining tent, tea and popcorn are waiting for us. Outside, there’s a light drizzle. Through a porter with a radio from another group, we hear that the Netherlands lost their football match against Portugal. What a pity! After dinner, we head to bed early. It rains now and then outside, but luckily the tent is still dry inside. I wonder when the last time was that I went to bed at half past seven?