Clouds swirl restlessly , threatening rain . We trek up a rocky trail to a small notch in the ridge . In the valley below , I spot a figure in black herding sheep across a stream . It ’ s the first and only sign of humanity we ’ ve seen since jumping out of the van in the windswept village of Zapacto , nestled in Peru ’ s Urubamba Mountains .
At the pass , we take shelter under a rocky outcropping and grab an energizing bite of chocolate and cheese . I inhale deeply , trying to catch my breath . At 4,100 metres above sea level , the air is thin and I ’ m still acclimating to the altitude .
Two days earlier I flew into bustling Cuzco , the seat of the Incan Empire for 500 years until it fell astonishingly quickly in 1533 to Spanish invaders . A small force of just a few hundred conquistadors packed a balance-tipping combination of rifles and horses ( their penchant for treachery and deceit didn ’ t hurt either ). The Spanish also brought with them disease that quickly decimated the local population .
Though the Inca were vanquished as a political power centuries ago , the indigenous Quechua culture remains remarkably strong in this stunning corner of South America . Their roots run as deep as the ancient quinoa , corn and potato plants still cultivated on the terraces of the rugged Andean region known as the Sacred Valley .
“ We have 4,000 different varieties of potato in Peru ,” says my young guide , Abel Santander Gamarra . Potatoes , I am learning , are a major source of pride in the Andes .
I ’ m also learning that walking is the ideal way to experience the lost civilization of the Inca . And what an industrious civilization it was : Flourishing between 1400 and 1533 , Incan engineers designed a network of trails and cobbled roads totaling more than 30,000 kilometres , stretching
Cuzco girl and her pet lamb
south from Quito , the capital of what is now Ecuador , to Santiago , in presentday Chile .
Used largely for trade and communication , the roads were utilized by messengers known as chasquis , who often ran upwards of 200 kilometres per day . Not us : We ’ re biting off a less onerous 10 kilometres on this highaltitude route , cutting between the villages of Zapacto and Pampallacta .
Mesmerized by the stark scenery , I nearly trip over an elderly but spry Quechua woman who suddenly appears as her flock of sheep graze nearby . She ’ s spread out a blanket on the ground , upon which is displayed handwoven scarves , belts and sashes . She discreetly slides a cell phone into a fold of her dress and looks up at us expectantly . This is pop-up retail
Quechua woman dancing at El Parador de Moray
Andes-style — and proof that we ’ re not the only foreigners to walk this path . The image of this enterprising , modern indigenous woman stays with me for the remainder of our trek .
That evening , I sip a delicious Pisco sour in the luxurious lounge of Explora Valle Sagrado , my base camp for the week . Opened in 2016 , the lodge is tucked into a deep side valley that drains into the waters of the Rio Urubamaba . Sipping the tart libation , I reflect on the differing experiences of my day . The plush comfort of this lodge , for example , where I can enjoy a cocktail , thumb through coffee-table books on architecture and gaze out floor-to-ceiling windows , stands in contrast to the Quechua shepherdess we encountered earlier in the day , whose traditional way of life has changed very little over five centuries — save the presence of cell phones !
Dinner that night is a showcase of Peruvian cuisine , which has become a cause célèbre among foodies in
Dancer : GreG VauGhn / alamy ; Girl ; frans lemmens / alamy
28 Winter 2017 CAA sasKatcheWan