TRAIL RUNNING
A more recent pic of Scott with Inca Trail Marathon organiser Devy Reinstein
Return to Peru
After that climbing trip , I was determined to return to Peru – and the sooner , the better – as the mountain scenery was spectacular , the people were exceptionally friendly , and the culture was rich and varied . A few years previously , I had read in the running press about a marathon on the Inca Trail , the brainchild of Devy Reinstein , who set up Andes Adventures , a tour operator specialising in treks and adventure runs throughout the Andes . The initial run on the Inca Trail took place in 1995 , and since then the event had consistently been rated by participants as one of their most memorable , so I made enquiries and decided to participate in 2004 .
The trip incorporated a cultural tour of Cusco , the former capital of the Inca Empire , and its surrounds , with the trail marathon on the Inca Trail culminating at the ruins of the ancient city of Machu Picchu . An optional added extension of about one week would include a multi-day stage run called the Chasqui Challenge , approximately 70km long and going around Mount Ausangate , the main mountain in the area . The entire trip would take about three weeks .
So , I flew into the Peruvian capital , Lima , and met up with other runners arriving from the USA . A one-hour flight then transported us to Cusco , in the south-east of Peru , where we were welcomed with a traditional cup of coca leaf tea to help us acclimatise . The city lies at an elevation of more than 3000m , so we would need time to adjust after arriving from sea level .
The Mighty Inca
The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre- Columbian America , and it ’ s administrative , political and military centre was in Cusco . The official language was Quechua . The civilisation arose in the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century , and the empire ’ s main expansion occurred in the 100 years prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century . Using military conquest and the assimilation of neighbouring tribes , Inca rulers expanded their empire and , at its largest , it joined Peru , south-west Ecuador , parts of Bolivia , north-west Argentina , Chile and south-west Colombia .
The Inca leadership encouraged the worship of Inti , their sun god , and they considered their king , the Sapa Inca , to be “ the son of the sun .” Historians agree that the Incas constructed one of the greatest states in modern human history , with notable features including its monumental architecture , especially stonework , extensive road networks reaching all corners of the empire , intricately woven textiles , agricultural innovations , and organisation and management fostered or imposed on its people and their labour .
The conquest of Peru was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonisation of the Americas . The Inca Empire might already have been in decline when the Spaniards arrived , and they took advantage of the internal rivalries that were beginning to tear the empire apart . After several years of exploration and military skirmishes , less than 200 Spanish soldiers , under conquistador Francisco Pizarro , and their native allies captured the Sapa Inca , Atahualpa , in the 1532 Battle of Cajamarca .
Atahualpa had been too busy fighting a civil war to worry about a small band of foreigners . The Incas offered a ransom of gold and silver , but Pizarro had the Sapa Inca executed and then entered Cusco . After subsequent decades of fighting , and a final Spanish victory in 1572 , the Spanish retreated to Lima , but only after stripping the region of its most important treasures , artifacts and precious metals .
Exploring Cusco
Cusco ’ s current population is approximately half a million , and it is one of the continent ’ s oldest continuously inhabited cities . As the historic capital of
The Sapa Inca , Atahualpa , deposed by Spnaish conquistadores in 1532
the Inca Empire , it became very prosperous because of agriculture , cattle raising and mining . In 1983 , it was declared a World Heritage site by Unesco , and it is now one of the most important tourist destinations in Peru . It is the undisputed archaeological capital of the Americas .
Incan foundations with colonial buildings on top in Cusco
The city has a unique combination of colonial and religious splendours built on the hefty stone foundations of the Incas , with stepped and narrow cobbled streets , and fascinating and accessible archaeological sites , including massive Inca-built walls that line the city ’ s central streets . Also , a wealth of colonial treasures can be observed in the numerous churches and mansions that were built by the conquistadors . The city lies in exceptionally beautiful Andean surroundings , and there are flamboyant fiestas and carnivals throughout the year .
Cusco , with the Plaza Da Armas in the foreground
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