TRAIL RUNNING
Negotiating one of the Incan tunnels on the route
The exquisite Inca site at Huinay Huayna ( Wiñay Wayna ), meaning Forever Young
The ruins at Sayacmarca , perched on a small mountain spur offering incredible views
We reached the river where there was a large campsite , and the location of the first food station . I was grateful for an opportunity to take a short break , replenish fluids and take on board some fruit , snacks and biscuits . The marshal was surprised at how fresh I still was , and after chatting for a few minutes , I continued on my way . After that , the trail crossed the river over a small footbridge and ascended steeply on the other side of the valley . One kilometre further were the ruins of Runturacay , which overlook the valley . There were several groups of trekkers there , and like the others I had met earlier , they expressed disbelief that there was a running event on the trail and cheered me on when I left them . It would have been good to have spent some time at the ruins and sites along the way , but I was on the trail to run !
Above the ruins , the trail climbed to a false summit before continuing past two small lakes to the top of the second pass at 4000m , boasting views of another mountain range , the Cordillera Vilcabamba . Most of the serious ascent was now behind us , and the trail descended some rocky slopes , followed by another small ascent . My thighs were starting to burn with the effort at moving quickly uphill , but I continued to feel confident and strong . The trail then descended past a lake to even more ruins at Sayacmarca , a tightly constructed complex perched on a small mountain spur , offering incredible mountain views .
Trails , Tunnels and Stairs
An easier section of the trail followed , as it entered dense groves . There was impressive evidence of Inca road construction , with its 2m-wide , carefully constructed , stone-paved trails . What an amazing engineering accomplishment . The route continued downwards , crossing an upper tributary of the
Rio Aobamba . The trail then led on across an Inca causeway and up a gentle climb , through some beautiful cloud forest to a third pass at 3700m , passing through an Inca tunnel carved into the rock . Squeezing through the 20m tunnel on carved steps proved fun ! There were terrific views of the Urubamba Gorge and Valley from that pass .
We passed even more ruins at Phuyupatamarca (“ Town above the Clouds ”), the site containing ceremonial baths with water running through them . I did think at that time that at least three days would be ideal to finish the trek , as there were so many sites and ruins to visit . The remnants of the town were the location of the second food station and another brief respite .
Another fun part of the trail followed : A downhill that made a dizzying dive of approximately 1000m into the cloud forest below , followed by an incredibly wellengineered flight of hundreds of Inca steps , some of which are carved into solid granite . These eventually zig-zagged their way down to an exquisite Inca site at Huinay Huayna ( Wiñay Wayna , meaning “ Forever Young ”). There is a second Inca tunnel along this section of the trail , looking down into the Willkanuta River . There , the vegetation was more dense , lush and jungle-like , with an abundance of exotic plants , orchids and flowers . That was accompanied by an increase in butterflies and birds .
The descent was jarring on the knees , but the air was fresh and clear , the views were stunning , and my morale was good . I felt no pain while running in such surrounds ! However , I didn ’ t have the time to fully appreciate two groups of major architectural structures : A lower and upper , set among
multiple agricultural terraces at this concave mountainside site , with a long flight of fountains or ritual baths using as many as 19 springs running between the two groups of buildings .
Through the Sun-gate
The trail then contoured through a cliff-hanging forest for about 5km , to reach Intipunku , or the Sun-gate , which was the penultimate site on the trail . A series of steep steps led to the top of the Sun-gate , and what a view to behold of the full grandeur of one of the world ’ s greatest ruins – the domed peak of Huayna Picchu and the lost city of the Incas , Machu Picchu ! At an altitude of 2400m , it lay about 2km below , so a great downward stretch followed , finishing off a glorious run . A couple of the non-runners in our group , who had slept overnight in hotels situated outside the main entrance of Machu Picchu in the valley below , were waiting at the Sun-gate to cheer on the runners with water and energy drinks , even though there wasn ’ t much of the route remaining .
Another of Scott ’ s stunning mid-race pics
Scott takes a brief rest 57 during the Inca Trail Marathon