We
leave the hotel by van directly for Chinchero, a potato-growing
town at an elevation of approximately 3700 meters. During the hour-long
ride, we see remarkable views of the Vilcanota mountains.
Once in Chinchero
we may visit the ruins, which display a great mixture of both Inca
and Colonial building styles. We then get our bikes ready and depart
on the country road leading through the green and red patchwork
squares of the surrounding fields. This difference in color is due
to the variety of crops grown by the local farmers. Arriving at
the Huaypo lagoon we take a road along its border. A bit further
up, we enter the Huayllacocha and Mahuaypampa communities. We visit
one of the local houses, where we rest and enjoy our snack.
We continue
on the same road until we reach the terraces of Moray. Our guide
will take us down into these ruins and explain their function. It
is said that the ancient agricultural terraces of circular and concentric
shape, which were built by the Incas, were used as a seed-producing
area for the principal crops of the empire: maize and potato.
Before riding
on we have lunch at the top of Moray. After lunch we take a dirt
road that leads us down towards the Huarocondo gorge. The descent
into the gorge is single track and fairly steep. We pass through
a small community and have some wonderful panoramic views. At the
bottom of the gorge we arrive at our camp. The tents are set up
and the cook prepares our dinner. After dinner we can sit around
the campfire and tell stories, before crawling into our sleeping
bags and getting a good night's sleep.
DAY 2
Route:
Huarocondo Gorge - Ollantaytambo - Huilloc - Ollantaytambo
- Sol &
Luna Hotel
Biking
distance:
40 km
Degree:
M/D
After breakfast,
we visit an ancient cave with remarkable rock carvings. We descend
to Pachar on a country road. We pass through this community, which
has a small train station.
Cycling on to
Ollantaytambo we will see a growing number of ancient Inca terraces
and note that the river becomes a canal. To enter Ollantaytambo
we cross another hanging bridge built next to the remains of an
old Inca bridge. We visit the town with its many houses that date
back to Inca times. Other homes were constructed with the stones
left by the Inca civilization.
The ride up
to the village of Huilloc is a hard one because the road has some
very rocky parts. Depending on the physical condition of the group
this can be done by van or bike. On the way we ride past several
small waterfalls. In Huilloc the local people dress in colorful
ponchos and skirts, that they weave themselves. We may see the people
working on these traditional fabrics. Most of the men in this town
are porters for the Inca Trail. We stop for lunch here.
The way down
to Ollantaytambo is the same and again we have a choice to go by
bus or bike. Before entering the fortress of Ollantaytambo we put
on warm clothing, since the wind causes the temperature to drop
sharply at the top of the fortress. To keep warm we also drink tea
or coffee. Our guide will show us around the ruins, constructed
with some of the largest stones in the Inca empire.
