Peru > Rain at the Wiñaywayna campsite

This morning we can sleep in a bit. Lucio wakes us at six o’clock with tea and coffee brought to the tent. We quickly pack our things and head out for breakfast. Today we’ll be crossing two passes, but they’re not as high as yesterday’s. Along the way, we’ll also visit some Inca ruins. Just after seven, we set out for our third day on the trail.

Peru - View of the Urubamba river through the valley

After about an hour of climbing, we reach Runkuraqay, an ancient Inca complex. Runkuraqay was used by the Incas as a checkpoint and overnight resting place along the trail. After visiting the site, we continue climbing toward the first mountain pass of the day at 3,900 meters. Just before reaching the top, it starts to hail lightly (and this is supposed to be the dry season!). Fortunately, it clears up quickly once we’re over the pass. We begin our descent toward the ancient Inca town of Sayacmarca. Lucio gives us an explanation about the site. The visit is impressive — a beautiful preview of what awaits us at Machu Picchu. Across the valley, we can already see the lunch tent waiting for us. During lunch — again excellent — it rains heavily for a while, but by the time we continue our trek, it’s dry again. The second pass of the day ascends more gradually and is less steep. Here the Inca Trail consists of regular paths rather than the notorious stone steps. Along the way, the trail passes through several short tunnels carved into the rock. From the top of the second pass, we have a magnificent view of the Inca settlement of Phuyupatamarca, and far below in the valley lie the terraces of Wiñay Wayna.

Peru - The Phuyupatamarca ruins at 3,640 meters altitude

From Phuyupatamarca, a long descent begins toward our third campsite near Wiñay Wayna. The descent consists almost entirely of steep stone steps, making it tough and demanding. Our walking sticks prove very useful here. At the junction leading either to the campsite or to the terraces, we choose to continue on to visit the terraces of Wiñay Wayna. The trail is clearly less traveled here and is covered in moss. From the terraces, it’s just a short descent to our third campsite. Around five o’clock we arrive at the tents and immediately dive into tea, coffee, and popcorn. During dinner, it starts raining again — this time heavily. The dining tent begins to leak badly. After the meal, we invite all the porters inside to thank them for their efforts. Lucio translates for us as we hand each of them a personal tip. The porters thank us warmly and even hug us. Outside, the rain continues, and we begin to wonder how our tents will hold up. Unfortunately, not very well. The tent leaks in several places, and water runs under the air mattress. Even my sleeping bag is no longer completely dry. Relying on Dutch water-management skills, I use my towel to divert the water flow. I put my clothes for the fourth day into a plastic bag and place my backpack on top of my trekking poles to keep it dry overnight. I stuff my fleece blanket into the dry end of my damp sleeping bag. Just as we’re ready to go to sleep, my tentmate’s air mattress turns out to be punctured — the final straw. It’s going to be a tough night. Fortunately, we’re allowed to get up at four o’clock...