Day 1 - The Incan site of Choquechirao lay 31.5 km ahead as we began walking from Cachora - following a 4 hour drive from Cusco. Our cook for the trek treated us to a marvelous lunch in the local hostal before our departure. Actually our meals were fantastic all along the way - Heime could work wonders with his 2 burner propane stove and all the ingredients he carried for the 5 days - from birthday cakes to hearty soups, avocado salads to baked chicken and ham roll ups. And the best part was that no one got sick!
Once on the trail, we hiked gradually upward to the pass, bypassing a number of landslides that often blocked most of the trail. Then we began our steep downhill to the canyon and Apurimac River. How nice to wade in the sacred river before heading across the old wooden bridge where you could see the river cascading by over rocks beneath you. Paddy's trekking poles were a life saver for me - I owe him big time for the generous loan as the downhill had been described in one article I read (written by a spry 26 year old) as "knee-crushing"!
We figured the way to Choquechirao was like climbing down Mt. Katahdin one day and climbing up the next - figuring in the mileage and change in vertical elevation. Of course, we were doing it at 12,000 feet. Looking across the canyon at the uphill to come, we could see the trail - with its jagged switchbacks - ahead of us, seemingly pasted to the side of the mountain.
Day 2 - This was the day of the long climb upward - hour after hour - but each step feeling closer to our goal. In the end, we all managed the switchbacks, and we all made it to our campsite nestled in the mountains about an hour's walk from Choquechirao. I was so proud of all of us walking the entire way. Yes - we will probably use the horses on the way back, but for now, we can all say we finished - completely on foot and under our own power - the most difficult hike any of us had ever done. The best part of the day, however, was spending time walking with the kids. They were great about hanging back to walk with Joe and me, and we had fun talking with them about geology and photography (that was Joe) or Olympic swimming and growing up in Montclair (that was me). These are the moments I will treasure. What a joy it has been to have the kids all here and to be experiencing this trek together.
Day 3 - Today was my birthday and our day to actually reach Choquechirao. The day began with a birthday cake at breakfast and the tradition of "facing your cake" - which is where a good part of the frosting ends up in one's face - reminiscent of a bride and groom at their wedding reception! We hiked into Choquechirao early in order to spend the entire day there. About 60% of the site is still unexcavated and is covered with vegetation. Unlike Machu Picchu, which is completely accessible and visited by over a million people each year, Choquechirao can only be accessed as we did, and so we saw maybe a dozen other people there that day. I picked this Choquechirao trek for rather sensible and pedantic reasons. However, according to our guide who is well versed in indigenous history, it is in fact far more than the last refuge of the Incas following the Spanish conquest as Hiram Bingham postulated. It is one of the most sacred Incan sites - once a monastery-like place of pilgrimage where the high priests resided. It was fascinating to imagine the extent of the site - far bigger than Machu Picchu - to wander into stone rooms, and do our own brand of simple archeological research.
The day ended back at our camp with my birthday dinner. We had complained a bit that morning about the five roosters that began crowing in the very wee hours of the morning. By dinner there were only two roosters to do any crowing as the other 3 found their way to our dinner plates. Thanks to Heather, we had little cakes with candles for dessert. She had carried them all the way from Cusco!
Day 4 - With the experience of wandering around Choquechirao and the memory of condors flying overhead, we headed back down the mountain trail to the Apurimac River. With the temperature in the high 80's by the time we reached the water, we all went in - clothes and all! By that time, I had decided that riding horseback was a legitimate part of the experience, so I mounted up. Due to the heat, we actually all rode the horses at some point. I learned a lot about trust that day - you have to trust the horses who pick their way along the rocky trail, but who seem to be most comfortable walking as close to the edge (which sometimes dropped off thousands of feet) as possible.
Day 5 - We walked the rest of the way out - not many kilometers left in that original 31.5 - but with memories so unique and special - of physical challenges, rugged mountainous landscape, new adventures, and most of all gratitude for the strength and support of not only my immediate family but also my extended family of our four guides. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I do know that I have received back a hundredfold!
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