Trip Dossier

                                                  
Day 3 Pacamayo To Wiñay Wayna (15km).

From the valley floor it will take you about an hour to reach the next set of Inca ruins. Runkuracay, a ruin not, perhaps, very impressive in itself, but occupying a commanding position overlooking the valley, and at the end of a series of rock-hewn steps that at last give you a feeling that you are on the trail of the Incas. From Runkuracay the path is clear over the second pass (Abra de Runkuracay, 4,000m) and, excitingly, much of the time you are on Inca steps. The descent down the steps is steep, so take care.

Just before the trail turns right, you’ll see the sign for Sayacmarca. These ruins lie about an hour from the top of the pass and the name, which means ‘the Inaccessible or Secret City’, is apt. You approach Sayacmarca up a superbly designed stone staircase. This is a diversion (the main trail continues its gradual descent to the right) but don’t let fatigue persuade you to miss it.

Like so many Inca ruins, no one really knows the purpose of Sayacmarca, but these are the visible facts: it was built on a precipice commanding a spacious view; there are no agricultural terraces so the complex could not have supported many inhabitants; ritual baths and an aqueduct run round the outside of the main wall; there are curious stone rings set in the wall by trapezoid openings. For me the mystery adds to the beauty, and it is beauty all the way from here – if you are fortunate with the weather.

The trail continues down to the valley floor. From here it becomes a glorious Inca Road, being on a raised causeway over marshy ground that then rises up through cloudforest. Stone paving on raised stone foundations, steps and a gentle gradient make for easy walking, and even if it is raining (and it often is) you will marvel at the Inca workmanship.

Before the climb to the third pass there is a campsite with basic toilets. During the ascent you climb through two Inca tunnels, and if it is a clear day you will have the added bonus of a view of Salkantay over to your left. The pass (3,700m) is used as a campsite, but it gets crowded and water is some way below. Just below the pass, about 2 hours from Sayacmarca, are the impressive ruins of Phuyupatamarca. Access is down a steep flight of stairs. Clear water runs through the channels cut into the rock that feed five baths, leading one from the other down the hill.

An Inca staircase leads from the west side of the ruins (the far end from the baths) and disappears into the jungle, leading you down a thousand steps. Literally. You’ll think that your knees will never feel the same again.

The end comes at the hostel nearby the ruins of Huiñay Huayna (Wiñay Wayna). This is the last camping spot before Machu Picchu and it is often very full. Basic camping facilities. There is a small restaurant. Beer! This is also the last place to fill up with water before Machu Picchu itself.

Huiñay Huayna lies just below the hostel round to the right as you are descending, and is the most extensive of the ruins so far. It has some beautiful stonework, a fantastic location, and an air of mystery often lacking in the crowded Machu Picchu ruins.