The destination for Leading the Way 2009 is the ancient city of Machu Picchu in the heart of the Andes Mountains of Peru.
Past Leading the Way destinations include Andean Highlands- Peru, Mt. Kilimanjaro- Tanzania, Machu Picchu- Peru, Amazon Rainforest- Peru and the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Read Day-by-Day field reports and watch video dispatches from the first Leading the Way program. Below is a sample itinerary from a previous Leading the Way Machu Picchu expedition.
Day 1 Depart US for LIMA, Peru
Today we will board a plane for Lima, Peru. Depending on our flight schedule we will either arrive in Lima in the evening or very early tomorrow morning (4am). If we arrive in the evening, we will stay overnight in a hotel in the suburbs of Lima (Miraflores) and return to the airport early tomorrow for our flight to Cusco.
Day 2 LIMA / CUSCO
After an early morning arrival or overnight stay in Lima we will catch an early morning flight to Cusco where we will be met and transferred to our hotel. We will have a slow-paced morning to allow our body to acclimatize to the thin air of Cusco which is more than 11,000 feet above sea level. In the afternoon our guide will introduce us to Inca sites around the city. Cusco was once the capital of the Inca empire and therefore is home to many important and interesting sites. We will also have a chance to explore some of the Spanish colonial buildings and colorful markets that make Cusco such a unique city. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 3 CUSCO / URUBAMBA
A full day excursion by minibus takes us to the Sacred Valley and the charming Inca city of Pisac, home to an impressive Inca site and a wonderful handicraft market. We will also visit the fascinating ruins of Ollantaytambo. Our knowledgeable guide will share information about historic Inca culture and modern life in the Sacred Valley as you explore Pisac, Ollantaytambo and the surrounding Sacred Valley. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 4 CUSCO/MARAS/PACCHAR
We will depart Cusco early this morning to visit Moray, an experimental agricultural center dating from the Inca period. From Moray we will continue to Maras where we will begin hiking. Upon arrival at Pichingoto we will again board the bus for the ride to Pachar. Tonight will be our first night of camping!
Day 5 OLLANTAYTAMBO / PARPISHU/CHILIPAHUA
Leaving Pacchar by bus, we head up the narrow gulley towards the town of Huarocondo. At 3,100 m (10,168 ft) we will arrive at a footbridge of Parpishu, starting point of our trek. From here the trail starts ascending slowly, leaving the valley behind us. The trail continues to the pass of Watuq’asa 3,900 m (12,792 ft) where we have lunch and then continue on. We will see an Inca wall and Tambo known as Qosqoq’awarina (the place where we can see Cusco) that surrounds the pass. There are great views of Mt. Pumahuanca, Chicon and Mt. Veronika from this pass. From here the trail descends to the left, ending at a small valley with a stream running through it called Anapahua, we continue over to Chilipahua- a small community where we camp. 5-6 hours of trekking
Day 6 CHILIPAHUA
We will spend the day visiting the community of Chilipahua. We will spend the morning getting to know the students who attend the community school. We will do some structured activities with the local students to facilitate some cross-cultural understanding. We will implement a service project in the afternoon alongside local community members – ideally many of the students we meet in the morning will be involved in the project. We will camp for a second night in Chilipahua. Rest day – no trekking
Day 7 CHILIPAHUA / ANCASCOCHA
We leave our campsite and head north west, slowly ascending past some small houses at Incaraqay- a community of sheep herders on the high puna. From here a one-hour hike will bring us over another Pass at Pampaq’asa 4,200 m. (13,776 ft) down into the gulley of the Silque river to then reach the Pass at Ancascocha 4,450 m (14,596 ft). Here we are in full view of Mt. Huayanay and the Silque Valley. We camp near a lake at 3,950m (12,959 ft). 7-8 hours of trekking
Day 8 ANCASCOCHA / KESKA
We start the day trekking over the pass of Huayanay at 4,800 m (15,744 ft), and Ankascocha pass 4,450m (14,600 ft). The trail then descends into the ruins of Inca Raqay- a series of small corrals, until reaching Moyo-Moyo, valley with a small waterfall at 3,800m (12,464 ft). We continue down the Keska Valley, past small households of farmers working on their patchwork fields. We camp along the valley floor. 5-6 hours trekking
Day 9 KESKA / QENTE
We reach the recently-restored Paucarcancha, an Inca site that was a check point located at the confluence of two valleys- Keska and Pampaccahua. From here the trail follows the Cusichaca valley passing Huayllabamba, a village of corn farmers, to finally reach the area of Q’ente, overlooking the Urubamba river. Q’ente was intensively farmed during Inca times. This is evidenced by the many sites found in the area- Cusichaca, Q’entemarca, (formerly known as Patallacta), Machu Q’ente and Wayna’ente. The scenery will change dramatically as you leave the snow-capped peaks behind and enter more lush, tropical surroundings. The hum of hummingbirds and the strong smell of eucalyptus will greet you upon arrival in Q’ente. We will camp in a very pleasant spot on the edge of the Urubamba River. 3-4 hours trekking
Day 10 Q’ENTE/ MACHU PICCHU
Today we will board the train bound for Machu Picchu. We will have a guided tour of the magnificent ruins and nearby archeological areas. Overnight at a hostal in Aguas Calientes.
Day 11 MACHU PICCHU/CUSCO
Early the next morning we will return to Machu Picchu for some free time to explore this magical area. We will take the early afternoon train back to Cusco and arrive in the mid-afternoon. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 12 CUSCO/HOME
We spend the morning packing and preparing for our afternoon return to Lima. Upon arrival in Lima we do a tour of the city and enjoy dinner at a nice local restaurant. We return to the airport for our late evening flight to the US.
Day 13 HOME
We return home today full of wonderful stories about our adventure in Peru!