Phil called in at 1:30pm Peru time. They were just crossing the third and final pass of the trek, ready for the big long downhill stretch in to camp for the night. The final leg today should take them just a couple more hours.

All are doing well and the weather is good. They are looking forward to Machu Picchu tomorrow.

More tomorrow…

George Dunn

Hiking the Inca Trail.

Phil called in at 1:40 pm Peru time to check in. Everybody’s doing great. They just topped over Abra de Huarmihuanusca (Dead Woman’s Pass) at 13,769 feet and are headed to camp 2 for the evening.

Tomorrow the trail climbs steeply up the opposite side of the valley wall, towards the second pass, Abra de Runkuracay, 3,998m (13,113′). After the pass, the trail descends towards a valley containing a shallow lake. Here, the trail changes from a dirt path to a narrow stone roadway, the beginning of the “true” Inca Trail.  They’ll end the day at our camp at the high pass with a spectacular 360 degree panorama.

A great trip so far!

Tye Chapman

August 23, 2010

Ruins along the trail.

Phil called in late yesterday (they’re plus 2 hours in Peru) to report that all is well. It was a touch cloudy yesterday which kept the temps nice and cool. They enjoyed some Incan ruins along the way, a nice big lunch and a huge dinner in the evening. A great day all around.

Day 2 of the trek to Machu Picchu takes them up into the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains and over Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest point along the Inca Trail (4200m/13,800ft).

Tye Chapman

August 22, 2010

Indigenous woman along the tour. (Photo by Phil Ershler)

Phil checked in late yesterday afternoon to report that their weather has been perfect (lets hope that didn’t jinx them) for their tour of the Sacred Valley.

They spent last night packing and re-organizing their gear near the jumping off point for the 3.5 day trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Tye Chapman

More on Machu Picchu

August 20, 2010

Some local Incan ruins in Cuzco. (Photo by Phil Ershler)

The day after tagging the top of Mt. Rainier on George’s 500th summit Phil took off for Russia. Two weeks (and a summit of Elbrus) later he dodged the forest fires outside of Moscow to make it back to the US but only stayed for a couple days before he jumped on another plane – this one headed for Peru and Machu Picchu.

Phil reported in this morning to say that all is well in Peru. Everybody arrived on time and with all their luggage – no small feat! They spent the day getting settled and acclimatized as Cusco sits at over 10,000ft.

Jaime showing the group some local Inca history during the tour of Cuzco. (Photo by Phil Ershler)

Tomorrow they’ll have an exciting cultural touring day. They’ll visit the local ruins of Sacsayhuaman on the way out of town then travel on to the Sacred Valley where they will tour the famous Pisak market, a good place to purchase local crafts and goods. And their last cultural visit in the Sacred Valley will be Ollantaytambo, which sits above the town in a beautiful setting. They’ll overnight in a hotel  close to our departure point for the Machu Picchu trek.

Tye Chapman

August 20, 2010

The team is slowly integrating back to their daily lives after an amazing trip to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. After a baggage debacle at the Lima airport, where the McShea family patiently held out without baggage for a couple days, the trek proceeded smoothly. A pleasant drive though the sacred valley into Ollantaytambo left us resting and feasting at a beautiful Franciscan monetary converted into a hotel. Here we enjoyed our last night in a hotel before the start of our trek, where the team traded the comfort of beds and showers for sleeping bags and hot basin baths.

Once on the trek, we witnessed amazing starry nights, were fed tasty meals by the cook staff, and humbly walked in awe along the Inca trail. The weather on the fourth day could not have been nicer as the team approached the Sun Gate just after dawn to witness the illumination of Machu Picchu. We were reunited with Dave, who hiked the Salkantay trail, and we enjoyed a thorough tour from our local guide, Jaime Vasquez.

The team was bussed down to Agua Calientes where we were welcomed by beds, showers, and beers! The following day we were in Cuzco and enjoying a pleasant celebration dinner, reminiscing on the past week of adventure, laughter, and friendship.

Eric Stevenson