The Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu

Starting the downhill bike ride... — Starting the downhill bike ride…

Background…

I was privileged to be able to take part in the Jungle Trek offered by Worldwide Exotic Adventures (WAE) as part of my work at Máximo Nivel in July, 2014. The Jungle Trek is a 4 day / 3 night trip from the mountains, to the jungle, and finishing in Machu Picchu. It is an amazing experience, and one which I will never forget.

Downhill Bike Riding…

We began early Saturday morning with a 2 hour ride from Cusco to a town called Oyantalltambo. From there it was another hour’s drive to the top of a mountain and an area called Abra Malaga. Its elevation is about 4,320m, or approximately 14,173ft, above sea level. The drive up offered us spectacular views of the valley and of the snow covered mountains all around us. There was even a bit of snow on the ground once we reached our destination.

At the top we prepared our bikes and equipment for what would become a 3.5 hours bike ride zigzagging down the side of the mountain. At first it was a little intimidating, but after the first turn fear turned into enjoyment and I bombed down at speeds approaching 60km/h. It was exhilarating and the views of the valley on the way down were unforgettable. We ended the trip in a town called Santa Maria, grabbed some food and rested for the night.

White Water Rafting…

On the second day we woke up super early, had breakfast, and then made our way to the river to prepare for our rafting experience. We met the guides, broke up into teams of eight people, learned about the rules of the trip and the commands that the guide would have us do while rafting, and then got in the water. It was rainy, cold, and amazing! The river was at about a 3+ that day, so there were some super fun rapids to raft through. It lasted maybe an hour and a half, and when we finished we got changed into dry clothes, had a snack, and then began hiking : )

Hiking…

From the river we began hiking up the side of the mountain. The weather was definitely more hot and humid than in mountainous Cusco, and the mosquitoes were out in full force. Aside from that, the scenery was amazing and it was cool walking through all of the different farms and seeing all of the different crops in the area. We took a little break where local farmers taught us about the coffee crops and some of the other plants in the area. Afterwards we continued down again towards the river. Due to a recent landslide the tour guide felt like the best route would be to go down the side of the mountain as the normal route appeared impassable. While not necessarily the safest option in the world, it was super fun. We walked the rest of the way along the side of the river in the dark. To arrive at our final destination we had to cross a cable rope pull bridge which brought us from one bank of the river to the other. I would love to do it again in the daylight.

Hot Springs…

We finished the second day at some beautiful hot springs in an area called Santa Teresa, but really took advantage of them on the third day. You can camp out there, and there are some little shops for buying food and drinks, but it is super expensive so I recommend bringing your own food with you. There is also really nice hiking in this area, and I used the opportunity to go exploring during the day and see some more of the riverside which I was unable to see while hiking in the dark the night before.

I walked much of this day on the railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes.

Hiking to Aguas Calientes…

After the hot springs we drove to Hidro Electrico where we ate lunch and then began hiking towards the town of Aguas Calientes. This town is the launching point for all people going to Machu Picchu; however, there is no road access in or out. The only way in is by train or by hiking. We walked along the train tracks for a little under three hours. A few trains passed us along the way. Looking up we could see Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu and even some of the ruins. It was not a difficult walk, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Compared to my experience taking the train in, I felt like I had a better appreciation of Machu Picchu as I got to walk around it from below and take in the vastness of the mountains all around me. It was clearer to me how this site might have been “lost” for so many years.

Back to Machu Picchu…

On the fourth morning, after a good night’s sleep, we got up very early and caught the 5:30am bus up to Machu Picchu. This day, as opposed to my last visit to the site, offered beautiful weather from the very moment I arrived. While the rain and clouds were cool, this was the way I wanted to see Machu Picchu. We took a two hour guided tour, and then were given free time to explore. I decided to go check out the Sun Gate and the Inca Bridge, both areas which I did not see the last time.

The Sun Gate is about a 45 minute hike uphill and is where people walking the Inca Trail enter into Machu Picchu. Aside from the simple enjoyment of hiking this path, I was surprised at how Machu Picchu looked in comparison to the surrounding mountains. From TV documentaries, pictures of the site, and my previous experience there I had the impression that the site was enormous and otherworldly… and it is; however, viewing Machu Picchu from this angle made me appreciate Mother Nature even more and made the ruins seem rather small compared to the size and vastness of its surroundings.

The Botanical Garden with Huayna Picchu in the background.

We eventually hiked back down the side of the mountain, which took about an hour or so, and went back to Aguas Calientes. We grabbed lunch, packed our bags, and hopped on a train to Oyantalltambo. From there we still had another two hour bus ride to Cusco.

Grade: A

I loved the trip! I found the bike riding and river rafting to be exhilarating and quite possible more enjoyable than Machu Picchu itself. The hiking was great and the views spectacular. To top it all off, we had perfect weather at Machu Picchu, and while there I was able to explore a few new areas which I had missed the last time around. All-in-all, this was an incredible way to arrive to Machu Picchu. Special thanks to my work at Máximo Nivel and to my friends at Worldwide Exotic Adventure for making this happen. These are both great organizations. Please check out their sites at:

*Note: This trip normally also includes a zip line experience but we decided to cancel it to spend even more time at the hot springs at Santa Teresa. I hope to come back again sometime and do the zip lining as I hear that it is a wild ride!