Following Inca Trails   by Ariana Svenson

"Well you will soon know if you are hikers" commented the fit young man with all the right trekking gear. We wondered, the next day, as his long legs rhythmically strode out leaving us way behind.

Our plan was to cross the Vilcabamba range in Peru, possibly a little ambitious given that we weren't hikers, trekkers or even walkers. Sure, we had done the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and Tiger Leaping Gorge in China but we had never set out on an expedition like this before. Especially not by ourselves.

As the magnificent peak of Padrayoc loomed to our right, and the Apurimac River roared below we felt the rush of adventure in our veins. It was this that kept us going for our bodies certainly weren't equipped for the tough trail ahead of us! The idea for this trek had come four years earlier, when a Peruvian friend and I were out in a remote village and had met an old gnarled farmer on our trail. He had struck up a conversation with my friend in Quechua, the language of the Incas.

The old man had pointed at the path and said it lead to fabulous old Inca sites and crossed the Vilcabamba ranges. It was a chance conversation, but planted a seed that was to lay dormant for several years.

In the intervening period I learnt more about the Qhapaq Nan, the ancient Inca road network that linked all their cities and towns. Today, the famous Inca Trail is the most publicized and traversed part of the Qhapaq Nan, but by no means the only remaining part of this 3000 kilometre network that once ran between Chile and Colombia, with its central point the city of Cusco (the Belly button of the world).

Finally, the conditions were right, we were back in Peru. We decided to hike from Cachora to Choquequirao, onto the ruins of Vitcos and other ruins in the Vilcabamba valley before ending at Espirtu Pampa, deep in the jungle and the last capital of the Incas. Visiting many travel agencies around the delightful Plaza de Armas (Central Square) of Cusco, most agencies simply said it couldn't be done. Others had a vague idea it was possible but wanted to charge us a fortune!

In the end, we went with a Peruvian friend to act as Quechua interpreter. (Most of the people in the remote high Peruvian Andes still only speak Quechua.) We later hired muleteers to carry the camping equipment for the expedition, which we calculated could last as long as 25 days. We found that not only did they know the route, they did it frequently with their mules, carrying supplies through to remote communities that didn't even exist on a map.

The ruins of Choquequirao were discovered by Europeans in 1819, and it was these ruins which whetted the appetite of American explorer Hiram Bingham, and eventually led him to reveal fabulous Machu Picchu to the world!

Choquequirao ruins are mysterious, perched high up above the raging Apurimac River - and extremely hard to get to. We descend from the village's 3500 metres (check) to 1600 metres at the river - and then straight back up to 3300 metres in two days. We finally catch up to the young hiker who has been relishing having the ruins to himself. He claims to have hiked all around the world and says he has never arrived at such an inspiring place. He adds that the hike is tough - even by his standards - though this consolation doesn't ease our screaming muscles!

Condors glide on currents in the canyon, as sunset sets over a truly breathtaking scene. The next day, as the young hiker waves us off into uncharted territory, he smiles, "I'm jealous - what you are doing is a real adventure."

As we descend to another river valley and then climb for 12 hours straight up we wonder about this adventure business. It just feels like pure pain. We camp just below the snow line, with magnificent snow capped peaks so close we can touch them. Above us, the stars are also almost within reach in an incredible night sky. We talk with our muleteers about the stars and they tell us stories that have been handed down in families since Inca times.

If you asked us to summarise this trek in two words it would be "up" and "down" - as we continued onwards, almost stumbling into villages of stone houses with thatched roofs. People were friendly and excited to see us, clasping our hands and offering greetings in Quechua.

Whilst hiking, life seems to slow down. There are no responsibilities; there is nothing but your body and nature. Overloaded with the intense stimulation of the modern world, it takes us several days to wind down and begin to really see what is around us. Wild and wonderful plants and their flowers abound, small birds flit from tree to bush and even insects begin to gain our attention.

The sight of an Inca road winding up the Choquecatarpo pass excites more than one would imagine - it is as if we have discovered it - and we speculate on its construction and that hundreds of years ago Inca feet trod on this very path. Were they alone, like us, or was this a busy route. I guess we will never know!

We visited Vitcos where, after the Spanish conquest, the Incas retreated. After a last stand at Vitcos they hid deep in the jungle, where they built their last capital at Espirtu Pampa.

One night we camped close to the ruins of Puncuyoc where a little old lady lived in a mud hut - she said that the last foreigner that had passed through was modern day American explorer Vincent Lee. Puncuyoc ruins, are indeed little visited and the Spanish never got there. It is said to be the most perfectly preserved Inca ruin in existence! (Most other ruins like Machu Picchu are actually heavily restored). It is a tiny little building perched in the cleft between two mountains and we are blown away by the tenacity of its builders!

We have gone from the highest peaks of the Andes to the Amazon jungle and followed ancient Inca trails; we have shared snowstorms at 3,500 metres and torrential tropical rains. The sense of achievement is inspirational, as we sit around our campfire on our final night we reflect on what we had done.

We had followed in the footsteps of explorers - and we had challenged ourselves beyond what we thought imaginable. And we still didn't know if we were hikers!

Authors note: Since 2002, the Inca Trail has been regulated to 500 people per day, and gets booked up months up in advance, especially in the high season. However, there is now a large overflow to other treks, including to Choquequirao and some of the areas in this story, Yanama, Huancacalle (Vilcabamba) and Espirtu Pampa. The Salkantay route crosses a similar region to the one described here, and is popular but can also be crowded when the Inca Trail is fully booked.

About the Author

A West Australian, Ariana Svenson, traveled over four continents before finally settling down in Cusco, Peru, where she is able to combine her love of hiking and community development through running a sustainable tourism business - Apus Peru Adventure Travel.