August 27, 2025
Big views of Machu Picchu from Waynapicchu (Michel Henostroza)
The team got up early yesterday, before sunrise, to hit the trail and arrive at the Sun Gate at dawn. This is the traditional access point to the Machu Picchu Citadel, from which trekkers descend down to various buildings and living areas. After four days of rugged trekking the team had fun exploring the Citadel area in the early morning, before countless tourists show up. Then, our team boarded the bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes (6,724 ft) for a nice lunch and hot showers!
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- Going through the checkpost to ascend Waynapicchu (Michel Henostroza)
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- Trekking on the Inca Trail (Michel Henostroza)
This morning the team rode the bus back up to the Citadel with the goal to climb Waynapicchu, the steep rocky peak nearby that requires a special permit to access. This is a fun climb, quite steep in places, with incredible views of the whole area. After reaching the summit, our stalwart trekkers headed down to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco.
Machu Picchu with the rocky peak of Waynapicchu behind (Eric Simonson)
What a great way to wrap up the trip. Well done team!!!