PERU
and alpacas that graze nearby. In the distance, the Chicón glacier sparkles, and at my feet, the earth is punctuated with towering American agave and the delicate llaulli flower, whose thorny stems Inca women once shaped into combs. After hours of climbing, we crest the final hill
and the ground drops away into the valley below. The Urubamba River winds between farmland, overlooked by the towering peak of La Veronica, its triangular, glacier-clad summit standing stark against the cerulean sky. During a much needed pit stop, Julio shares the
The Andean condor, one of the world’s largest flying birds, can soar for hours without flapping its wings From left: Standing at 14,600ft, Kuychicassa Pass marks the summit of the three-day Quarry Trail; Ollantaytambo is the only Inca settlement that has been inhabited since the 15th century
legend of Ukuku, a mythical half-man, half-bear figure who carried water down from the glaciers to help the villagers below. The story is said to be inspired by the spectacled bear, a unique species native to South America and believed to embody both strength and gentleness. Many now recognise its likeness in Paddington Bear, the beloved literary character whose fictional journey from Peru to London echoes the real creature’s enduring connection to the Andes. After a long descent down a loose shale slope,
the roofs of our campsite finally come into view, a welcome sight after a day on the trail. Ahead stands the Inti Punku Sun Gate, a stunning stone doorway perfectly framing Veronica’s majestic peak beyond. The sight is incredible, and I stop for a moment to take it all in — the vastness, the silence, and the sense of having climbed into the sky itself. We head back to base via the eponymous quarry
where the Incas harvested rock for Ollantaytambo’s incredible constructions. Huge holes remain cleaved out of the mountainside and my group settles on age-old offcuts as Julio explains their manufacturing methods: the Incas chiselled furrows into the boulders, inserted wooden pegs, then filled them with water so they expanded, eventually splitting the stone. As we pick our way down to the town of
Ollantaytambo, views of the valley floor sharpen into focus. A triangular patchwork of barley, strawberry and potato fields lies below, designed so their point aligns perfectly with Qorikancha (The Temple of the Sun) — something I’d never notice from the ground. Before long, my feet are treading the ancient
flagstones of a town built more than 500 years ago. It’s not Machu Picchu, but it feels like the perfect end to a journey that’s taken me deep into Inca history. I’ve looked down into the darkness where the dead journey to the next world and climbed so close to the astral plane that my hands have almost brushed the heavens. I’ve also explored a side of the Sacred Valley hidden from the thousands chasing the Inca Trail, where silence speaks louder than crowds and the past breathes through every stone.
HOW TO DO IT: Intrepid Travel offers the 10-day Peru: Hike, Bike, Raft & SUP itinerary, starting from £1,915 per person. The price includes some meals, activities, knowledgeable local guides and ground transport. To book, visit
intrepidtravel.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – EXPERIENCES COLLECTION 31
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