The Inca Quarry Trail 4 days / 3 nights

This trek was created in order to provide an excellent alternative for people who want to get off the ‘beaten path’.  You will have the opportunity to see a real Inca stone quarry and experience the same sensation Inca people felt when working in such quarries in the Inca Empire over 600 year ago. Also, you will experience the town of Aguas Caliente from Ollantaytambo via the Vistadome train riding first class.

Itinerary: 
                       
The day you arrive in Cusco, we will meet with you at your hostel/hotel to introduce ourselves and finalize trek payments. It is important that we recieve this payment in advance so we can purchase all food for the trek. The night before the trek, you will have your pre-departure briefing. At this meeting we will discuss the final preparations for the trip and answer any remaining questions

Day 1: Inca flat Terrain!

Cusco - Soccma - Rayan

The trek begins when we will pick you up from your hotel/hostel at 7:30am and drive for one and a half hours to the small village of Soccma where  we will meet our horseman.  Once there  we will start our hike up a lush side valley of scattered farmhouses and crop terraces.  After about 40 minutes of walking, we will see a tall waterfall where we can pause to refresh ourselves amidst the cool spray or enjoy an alfresco shower and dip beneath the falls. We will also eat a picnic lunch
We will continue hiking for another hour and visit the little-known Inca ruin of Qorimarca perched at mid-altitude on a shelf high above the Soccma Valley.  Qorimarca was probably built by the Incas to collect and control the agricultural production of the surrounding valley. We will camp at a spacious set of Inca terraces a short distance up the valley.

Day 2: Off the Beaten Track!

Rayan - Chancachuco -  Inti Punku - Cachicata

This will perhaps be the most challenging and beautiful day of the trek because we will go over 2 passes.  We will be hiking 5 hours uphill. In the morning, we will pass across open meadows before reaching a zone of high altitude shrubland which gives way to treeless grasslands known as puna as our trail winds gently around mountain spurs following an undulating approach to the pass of Chancachucu (4,400 m/14,430 ft).

In clear weather this first section of our second day trek offers dramatic panoramas of every major snow peak in the region. We can gaze east across the distant town of Chinchero toward mighty snowcapped Ausangate while the jagged peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba rear across the Sacred Valley to the north. The scenic drama reaches new heights as we cross the pass and confront the glaciers of Verónica (5,750 m/18,850 ft) looming vastly in the near-distance to the north-west.
We continue across a rolling, sparsely inhabited plateau with views of the tip of Salcantay and the Huayanays Péak Mountains. After lunch we will follow the Chancachucu valley downstream, following the broken remains of an Inca water channel that once carried water to the ancient quarries. The stream plunges through Punkuyoc, a narrow ravine enclosed by vertical cliffs draped in ferns and orchids, and emerges amidst a small woods of native Q’euña trees. A narrow trail zig-zags steeply down open, grassy slopes, offering spectacular views of the Camicancha valley, its river a silver ribbon far below us. We climb once more, and again pick up the Inca water channel, which has traversed a near-vertical cliff far above us. Now we follow the channel on a gentler path, enountering stunning views of Ollantaytambo and the Sacred Valley as we reach the imposing gateway of Intipunku, an Inca temple apparently dedicated to worship of snowcapped Verónica.

We will camp facing a breathtaking mountain and valley panorama, near the well-preserved Inca complex of Choquetacarpo. This site was most likely the residence of architects, masons and visiting dignitaries who managed the Inca quarries and performed ceremonies at Intipunku.

Day 3: Ancient Quarrie (Cachicata in quechua)

Cachicata - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes

We begin this day exploring different sectors of the Inca quarries and a natural rock fall where massive carved blocks of pink rhyolite lie scattered in disarray. The quarried stones, testimony to a great building project that was never finished, were destined for the Inca temple at Ollantaytambo, (6 km/4 miles) away on the north bank of the Urubamba River. Then we continue our descent to a warmer climate in Ollantaytambo where you will have some time to rest and explore the historic town. We will then take the train to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will enjoy a celebratory dinner.

Day 4 MachuPicchu!

We will have two options to travel to MachuPicchu:1) You can hike for one and a half hours from Aguas Calientes to MachuPicchu, or 2) We can take a bus to MachuPicchu. By waking up early,  you will witness the magnificent sunrise at this ancient Inca city.

Price: US$ 650 per person
Group Size: 2-8 people

If you book 3 or more people on a trek, we will offer a US$20 discount per person.

What is included in the price?

-Airport transfer to your hotel upon arrival in Cusco (please specify arrival time and flight   number)
-Professional guide fluent in English
-Private bus to the start of the trail
-Machu Picchu entrance fees            
-Two-people tents with plenty of room for your backpacks
-Sleeping mattress
-Meals cooked by an experienced chef: breakfasts, lunches, dinners and   snacks!
 Delicious food rich in carbohydrates and suitable for trekking
-Vegetarian/special diet options available                           
-Weight Allowance: 8 Kilograms /16 pounds per trekker (weights to be  carried by horses)
-Horse ( to carry the  tents and cooking equipment
-First aid kit including oxygen bottle
-First class train the Vistadome From Ollantaytambo to Aguas Clientes
-One night accommodation in Aguas Calientes
-Round-trip bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
-First class train the Vistadome From Ollantaytambo to Poroy
-Bus from Ollantaytambo to Poroy

Not included:

Breakfast on the first morning. Some hotels offer an early morning breakfast service.
Bathing suit for the hot springs in Aguas Calientes (not included in the price )
Sleeping bags. These can be rented in our office for the entire trek (US$ 20) every sleeping   bag  is washed prior to each use
Tips for the guide, cooks, and wranglers     

                                                                              

What you need to bring:

Original passport For students: ISIC card Insurance card Hiking boots Waterproof jacket or rain poncho Warm jacket Hat and gloves 2-4 t-shirts 2 pants (1 for hiking, 1 for camp) Long underwear for sleeping Hand sanitizer Comfortable trousers Sun hat or cap Sunscreen Insect repellent Water and/or water purification tablets Toiletries/ Toilet paper Personal medication Camera Torch or headlamp Cash (approximately 400 Peruvian nuevo soles)
Optional items to take:
Shorts Walking stick Plasters and bandages Sandals Bathing suit for hot springs