Prep: Estes Park, Colorado

Travel route map

Day-by-day live reports

• Day 1: Cuzco video
  After arriving in the capital city of Lima, Peru, students took a short flight to the city of Cuzco. Once the capital of the famous Inca Empire, Cuzco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its historic architecture and archeology. At 11,000 feet (3360 meters) above sea level, Cuzco provides students an opportunity to begin acclimating to the new altitude. In the afternoon, students visited the nearby Inca ruins of Sacsahuaman, Kenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.
• Day 2: The Pisac Market video
  Students visited the Pisac Market and the ruins of Ollantaytambo. At the Sunday market in Pisac, it’s easy to imagine this historic town as a major Inca trading city. Handicrafts at the market include weavings, carved gourds, ceramics, textiles, alpaca sweaters, musical instruments, paintings, weavings, and jewelry. Ollantaytambo is an old Inca fortress set along the Urubamba river in the picturesque mountain valley.
• Day 3: Maras Moray/Ollanta/Pacchar
  Students took a bus to visit Moray: an experimental agricultural center from the Inca period. Form there, they continued to the town of Maras and walked to Pichingoto. They hopped on a bus and headed to Pacchar for their first night of camping.
• Day 4: Pacchar/Chilipahua
  The trek began today from the Parpichu Bridge. Students climbed Watuq’asa pass (12,795 ft / 3900 m) where there is an Inca wall and fortress known as Qosqoq’awarina (“the place where one can see Cuzco”). Students descended from the pass to a small valley with a stream running through it called Anapahua and then headed up the valley to their campsite at the settlement of Chilipahua (12,140 ft / 3,700 m).
• Day 5: Chilipahua
  Today students visited the community of Chilipahua where they conducted a community service project side-by-side with local residents.
• Day 6: Chilipahua/Ankascocha
  Today students reached their second highest pass: Pampaq’asa (14,435 ft / 4,400 m). Once over the pass, students lunched by the Silque river. Students continued walking until reaching their campsite at Ankascocha (12,795 ft / 3,900 m).
• Day 7: Ankascocha/Keska
  Students climbed the highest pass called Ankascocha (15,650 ft / 4,770 m). With snow-capped peaks all around, the trail continued past small farmsteads and patchwork fields to the Keska Valley and Paucarcancha, a recently restored Inca site that was once a checkpoint at the confluence of the Keska and Pampacahua valleys. Camp was pitched near the village of Keska (11,810 ft / 3,600 m).
• Day 8: Keska/Q’ente
  Students followed the Cusichaca Valley through Huayllabamba, a village of corn farmers, to Q’ente which overlooks the Urubamba River. This area is dotted with Inca sites such as Cusichaca, Q’entemarca, Machu Q’ente and Wayna Q’ente. Students left the snow-capped peaks behind and entered the lusher, tropical surroundings, camping at the edge of the Urubamba River.
• Day 9: Q’ente / Machu Picchu
  Students took a short train trip to Chachabamba and hiked to the famous Inca ruins at Winay Wayna. Here, they joined the standard Inca Trail which cuts across the ridge to Intipunku (“the door of the sun”)—a major entry point for Machu Picchu. After touring the famous ruins, students spent the night in Aguas Calientes.
• Day 10: Machu Picchu / Cuzco
  Students took a guided tour of Machu Picchu, learning about the history that makes this such a special place. They returned by train to Cuzco.

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Letters of Support

Congratulations to all participants in "Leading the Way!" A great accomplishment has been attained just by qualifying for this trip. I look forward to viewing your travels from Oklahoma, though my heart is there with my Arielle. Wishing each of you safe travel on an experience of a lifetime!

Debra Alley

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