Day 8: The Climb of Waynapicchu and the Machupicchu Experience

Jan 12, 2013

With sore legs, wet clothes, sunburns, and the powerful sense of accomplishment, we look back on today and notice all that we had seen, done, and achieved. Others dream of, not only traveling to Peru, but to one day be able to stand in front of one of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. There in front of us was a serene beauty, that many only have the chance to see in pictures or postcards. We made it here, at 6:00am and together began our adventure. Our first mission, was to not only to get to Waynapicchu, but to also climb this 2693 metered mountain. An obstacle that seemed impossible to me, and one that I nearly backed out of would soon be a climb that I would not be able to turn back on. It's a climb that is hard to put into words. It's a climb that is filled with emotions, both fear and excitement. There we were, one in front of another, climbing up what some call the deadliest climb. Just ten minutes, after signing our name in at the Waynapicchu checkpoint we began to notice that this would be no simple task. It was a rainy and foggy morning, weather that did not help with the climb up. The rock steps became narrower, the climb became steeper, and the rope rail that we used to help climb soon disappeared. As a person that is afraid of heights, I don't know what I was thinking when I began, maybe it was because I didn't want to be the only one sitting out, or maybe it was because I didn't want to look back twenty or so years from now regretting that I didn't take this opportunity when I had the chance. But about thirty minutes into the climb I didn't think I was going to make it. I watched the few in front of me, seem to climb with ease, and looked behind me and saw the other participants also seeming to steadily be keeping up. But there I was breathing heavily, and beginning to panic. We made it to a flat path and what seemed to be the half way mark, and that's where I broke down. Partly due to my fear and sense of hopelessness, but it seemed to be more due to what was in front of me. There in front of us, through the fog, was this beautiful scene of mountains, nature, and an indicator of how far we had already come. The rest of the group came around me and tried to comfort and reassure me that I could make it. Thankful for the brief rest, but more importantly at that moment I was thankful for the people around me. Zerina and Liz continued to promise me that they would be right there for me. They'd tell me where to put my foot, and encourage me by saying "Don't worry Courtnay, you got this". With every step we came closer and closer to the peak. It soon became less of a high-adrenaline climb, and more of a self-challenge and a group effort. For me it turned into a spiritual experience, one that i'll never forget. It felt like I was being guided and supported, not only by those around me, but by a higher-being. Though it was different for each of us, our common element was the sense of victory that we each felt when we reached the top. We did it together, a moment that we will remember for the rest of our lives. We looked out and individually reflected on the experience that we had just embarked on. A weekend getaway that turned into a trip that bonded us, and built trust amongst us all. After snapping thousands of pictures, and taking in the scenery and fact that we had just climbed Waynapicch, we began the journey down. As Liz said, on the way down there's this feeling of exhilaration that takes over. Still my nerves came back, and I was still so appreciative of the ones that stayed around me and made jokes with me along the way to get my mind off of the fact that now that the fog had cleared, you could see all the way down, and notice how close you were to the cliff. nonetheless we kept on trekking. And when we finally made it down there was this instant feeling of achievement and pride. It's hard to put into words, but it was truly the most accomplished feeling I've felt; getting past a fear, not giving up, and continuing on together. We did it!

After our climb, we met with our tour guide and learned about the history of Machu Picchu, we were glad to get the education lesson because many of us had unanswered questions. In the early 1900s, Hiram Bingham, journeyed to Cusco and when traveling through the Sacred Valley of the Inkas met a farmer named Melchor Arteaga who gave Hiram information about the existence of ruins at the top of the Old Mountain (Machupicchu) and only received one sol for his tip.

"According to Smithsonian.com, most experts believe that Machu Picchu was constructed around AD 1400 as a royal estate for the Incan ruler Pachacútec. It was later abandoned during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Machu Picchu, sometimes called the Lost City, remained hidden for several centuries before it was rediscovered by Hiram..."

On our tour we visited Sector de Los Templos, learned about the Royal Tomb, Templo de las Tres Ventanas, Templo del Cóndor, Casa del Inka, the Depósitos (food storage), the fountains, and visited the Hitching Post of the Sun, "a carved rock that appears to be an ancient astronomical calendar".

By the end we were so tired all we wanted to do was eat and rest, and that's exactly what we did at the end of the day. An unforgettable experience, that we can't wait to individually share with our family and friends.

AWB 2013 Peru
Written By: Courtnay Oddman