{"id":1978,"date":"2024-11-23T20:23:33","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T20:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freewalkingtourcusco.org\/choquequirao-caminata-entre-la-altura-y-el-verdor\/"},"modified":"2024-11-26T23:13:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T23:13:50","slug":"choquequirao-walk-between-the-height-and-the-greenery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freewalkingtourcusco.org\/en\/choquequirao-walk-between-the-height-and-the-greenery\/","title":{"rendered":"Choquequirao: A Hike Between Heights and Greenery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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First times are never forgotten.<\/strong> They inspire us forever and remain in our memories. Our lives are marked by those groundbreaking and revealing experiences. Some are not very pleasant<\/strong>, like the inconsolable crying at the start of school, the unexpected defeat in the final of a sports championship, or the discovery of pain from the loss of a loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life is a whirlwind of contradictory sensations<\/strong> and emotions. This also happens with first times, because while many are remembered with sadness, there are also many whose recollection brings immense joy<\/strong>. Yes, people often talk about love or that shy first kiss<\/strong>, but today I\u2019m going to write about another first time, one that perhaps you haven\u2019t experienced yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that after reading this, you\u2019ll be encouraged to take that first step<\/strong>, literally your first step on an Andean and Amazonian trail that descends into the depths of a canyon<\/strong> and then climbs steep slopes in search of a stone city. This is the experience I want to share with you so that your debut journey in Peru<\/strong> is on a fascinating, challenging, and contradictory route, much like life itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apologies if I got carried away by my excitement. I hope you understand that my first trek to an archaeological site “planted” in the greenery of a mountain <\/strong>was along the winding, long, and exhausting trail that leads to Choquequirao<\/strong>, the stone city that, according to some accounts, was the refuge of the rebellious Cusque\u00f1os led by the legendary Manco Inca<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I first went there over 20 years ago<\/strong>. Back then, few people knew the route, and even fewer ventured on this four-day foot journey<\/strong>. Access to the archaeological site was free, and you could even camp in the Inca plaza<\/strong>. Today, it’s not the same. Many things have changed, but the emotions this adventure evokes remain intact. Come along with me!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cachora: The Starting Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Nervousness. That\u2019s what I felt when the time came to take the first step. Would I make it?<\/strong> A little voice kept hammering in my mind.<\/strong> I didn\u2019t know. I had never walked around 60 kilometers,<\/strong> neither on the coast nor on flatlands. Yes, a lot of nerves. That\u2019s what I felt on the outskirts of the village of Cachora,<\/strong> when a muleteer showed me that my destination lay high up on a mountain on the other side of the Apur\u00edmac River<\/a> canyon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seemed impossible. My legs wouldn\u2019t be able to handle the challenge <\/strong>of going down and climbing the mountains that framed the waters of the \u201cGod Who Speaks\u201d<\/strong> (that\u2019s the river\u2019s name in Spanish). But giving up wasn\u2019t an option<\/strong>. I wanted my first time to be a success, even though reason and my limited trekking experience made me think otherwise. \u201cCome on, you can do it,\u201d I encouraged myself, more full of doubt than certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, as I think back to that crucial moment, now that I see myself once again in the streets of Cachora (in the province of Abancay, Apur\u00edmac region), now that I remember my hesitant steps<\/strong> behind the mules carrying tents and gas canisters<\/strong>, I am once again convinced that I did the right thing by not giving up, by convincing myself that there\u2019s always one more step to take<\/strong>, and by realizing that the journey is meant to be completed from beginning to end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s not get ahead of ourselves. I\u2019ll go back to the beginning. The early wake-up to travel to the 2902 m a.s.l. of Cachora.<\/strong> Cusco is my starting point, and the road to Abancay, the paved route that took me closer to Cachora. If you want to reach this destination by public transport, you\u2019ll need to get off at the Cachora turn-off <\/strong>(let the driver know) and from there take a colectivo. The 160 km journey<\/strong> takes almost 4 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s one option. There\u2019s another. If you\u2019re in Lima, head overland to Abancay <\/strong>(17 hours), and after sightseeing in the capital of the Apur\u00edmac region (we recommend visiting the Ampay National Sanctuary<\/a>), continue by colectivo to Cachora (1 hour 30 minutes), where you’ll find accommodations and restaurants.<\/strong> It\u2019s a good idea to spend the night in the village to start the hike at dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El inicio del camino<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Four days to go and return along a wide trail that isn\u2019t part of the Qhapaq \u00d1an<\/strong>, the Great Inca Road<\/a>. That doesn\u2019t take away from the appeal of the trek. There\u2019s no way that can happen when you catch sight of the silhouette of the apu Salkantay <\/strong>or admire the mountains and the powerful flow of the river from the hanging bridge that crosses the Apur\u00edmac, the prince of the sonorous<\/strong>, as I once read in a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On that bridge, which I crossed both going and returning, and which marks the boundary between the Apur\u00edmac and Cusco regions<\/strong>, I felt small, even insignificant, in the face of nature\u2019s grandeur. The same feeling came over me upon arriving\u2014exhausted, sweaty, almost without energy\u2014at Choquequirao, the \u201cCradle of Gold,\u201d as some call it when translating its name, the \u201clittle sister of Machu Picchu<\/strong>,\u201d as others say. “A spectacular place,” I said\u2014without too much poetry\u2014when I saw its stone structures for the first time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, that first time when every step was a triumph over the distance<\/strong>, the slippery descents, and the winding slopes. So, step by step, on day one, I reached the Capuliyoc pass<\/a> (elevation: 2915 m a.s.l. Distance: approx. 11 km), where with a bit of luck, one can see the flight of a condor<\/strong>. I wasn\u2019t so lucky. What struck me was realizing just how much I would have to climb to reach my goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today, there is a road segment that ends at this natural viewpoint. It\u2019s up to you whether you take a taxi or walk. What comes next is the descent to the river<\/strong>. If you\u2019re traveling solo and without a guide, you\u2019ll need to decide where to camp: at Chikiska (1950 m a.s.l.) or at Playa Rosalina (1550 m a.s.l.), both before the hanging bridge, or extend the first day to Santa Rosa <\/strong>(2115 m a.s.l.), which is already in the Cusco region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do? … On my first time, I camped before crossing the Apur\u00edmac. Back then, there were no designated camping areas<\/strong>, and travel agencies didn\u2019t operate the route. Today, things are different. There are tours that depart from Cusco<\/strong>, but unlike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you can head to Choquequirao without being part of a group<\/strong>. Along the trail, you\u2019ll find the essentials for the success of your adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cada vez m\u00e1s cerca de Choquequirao<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Waking up early to beat the sun<\/strong> so that the Inti doesn\u2019t strike too hard on the ascent. Up, always up, only upwards after crossing the bridge. Again, the nerves<\/strong>, the lack of confidence, the doubts. Will I make it? I move forward without hurry. I count my steps. Twenty in a row, then I rest for a few seconds<\/strong>. This is how I climb the slope that leads me to Santa Rosa (2 hours) and then to the 2800 m a.s.l. of Marampata (2 hours 30 minutes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m tired, but happy because the canyoned geography, the green mountains, the snow-capped apus, the occasional fellow travelers, and the excitement of discovering an Inca city little explored<\/strong>, all fill me with strength and energy. And though I know I still have two intense days ahead of me, in the silence of my tent, I imagine the smile of exhausted satisfaction that will come with taking that last step.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third day is pure anxiety.<\/strong> Choquequirao<\/a> (Santa Teresa district, La Convenci\u00f3n, Cusco) is close: \u201ctwo or three more hours,\u201d predict the muleteers hired in Cachora or Capuliyoc. I return to the path. Today the trail is kinder, less challenging<\/strong>. I walk it with confidence. I feel unstoppable. I just want to be in the \u201cCradle of Gold\u201d for the first time, though little did I know that it wouldn\u2019t be the last time, nor could I have imagined it back then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I returned, several years later I returned, and this time I didn\u2019t sleep in Marampata; I stayed at the campsite set up by the Ministry of Culture<\/strong>, just 20 minutes from the archaeological park. That wasn\u2019t the only change. A visiting schedule <\/strong>had also been established (from Monday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), and entry was no longer free. Everyone who arrives pays 60 soles at the control point.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things change<\/a>, everything changes, as a song goes. If you decide to come, you\u2019ll find camping areas and even accommodations<\/strong>, along with small shops and restaurants. Today, even the archaeological site is different, because back on that first visit I long for, the terraced fields of the sun\u2019s llamas<\/a>\u2014one of the most impressive areas\u2014were hidden behind a tangle of vegetation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al fin en la \u201cCuna de Oro\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s almost there, very close. Choquequirao (3050 m a.s.l.)<\/strong> presents itself with a long stone wall<\/strong>. Just a hint, a fabulous preview of what will be revealed before my eyes when I enter the stone city visited by Hiram Bingham<\/a> in 1909, two years before his \u201cdiscovery\u201d of Machu Picchu<\/strong>, or when I climb the ceremonial<\/strong> ushnu<\/a> to observe the awe-inspiring Andean and Amazonian panorama.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did it. It wasn\u2019t impossible. I was in the city that is believed to have been built around 1450<\/strong>, “during the height of Inca power,” according to archaeologist Pieter Van Dalen of the National University of San Marcos in Lima. In an article published by BBC Mundo<\/a>, the scholar of the \u201cchildren of the Sun\u201d noted that \u201cChoquequirao could have had a population of around 2,000 people.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I found an empty and silent city. In that solitude, I wondered what the \u201cCradle of Gold\u201d truly was. A temple, an administrative center, an agricultural area as evidenced by its terraces, or an important connection point between the Andes and the Amazon.<\/strong> All or nothing. At that time, I didn\u2019t know that it was possible to extend the hike all the way to Machu Picchu<\/strong>. That remains an unfinished journey (a total of 8 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m in no hurry. I\u2019m guided by calm and fascination. I head to the main plaza<\/strong>, surrounded by two-story stone buildings, to the priest\u2019s residences, to the rooms known as <\/em>kallancas<\/a>, which could have served various functions, to the qolcas<\/em> where food was stored. I also visit the cemetery or triumphal wall where 17 funeral bundles were found.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 30 kilometers back to Cachora no longer matter to me. Now, Choquequirao is my refuge<\/strong>, just as it is said to have been for Manco Inca, the ruler imposed by the conquerors, but weary of their abuses, he rose up in arms<\/a> and besieged Cusco in 1536. Betrayed by one of his own, he retreated into the jungle, where the Neoinca state<\/a> would form, lasting until 1572.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third time’s the charm?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Manco Inca was never defeated. Until the last day of his life, he adhered to the customs and traditions<\/strong> passed down by his ancestors. Was Choquequirao truly his last refuge? There are doubts<\/strong>. The aforementioned article mentions that \u201cits difficult access has also fueled the theory that Choquequirao could have been one of the last strongholds<\/strong> of Inca resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truth or fiction? I don\u2019t know. What\u2019s certain is that when I was there, the first and second time, I preferred to believe. Traveling is also about surrendering to the paths of legends<\/strong> and myths. Perhaps I wanted to feel a little rebellious<\/strong> and like a warrior on the changing trails that are endless descents, followed by climbs that seem impossible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re not. They never are when you\u2019re convinced that the destination is extraordinary, and you understand that you can always take one more step<\/strong>. And if that\u2019s not entirely true\u2014perhaps, maybe, why not\u2014it\u2019s no sin to travel a few kilometers on the back of a horse rented from an indefatigable muleteer.<\/strong> This is possible on this route because the trail is not part of the Qhapaq \u00d1an or the secondary Inca roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did I do it on my first visit? I won\u2019t tell you, just as I won\u2019t share what I felt when I discovered the Sun\u2019s llamas on my second visit<\/strong>. That\u2019s another story, but I will tell you, as a preview, that it was worth returning <\/strong>to see the only terraces that feature the image of these noble camelids, outlined with white stones<\/strong> and facing the Apur\u00edmac River and the snow-capped Salkantay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll return. I hope I do. I would love to leave from Cachora and take my final step in Machu Picchu.<\/strong> Perhaps I\u2019ll do it soon, and maybe I\u2019ll meet you on the trail.<\/strong> You, experiencing your first time, and me, encouraging myself with the thought that third time\u2019s the charm<\/strong>. Let it be so, because roads exist to be traveled from start to finish, even if you have to count your steps twenty by twenty.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First times are never forgotten. They inspire us forever and remain in our memories. Our lives are marked by those groundbreaking and revealing experiences. Some are not very pleasant, like the inconsolable crying at the start of school, the unexpected defeat in the final of a sports championship, or the discovery of pain from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChoquequirao: A Trek at Altitude \u2013 Cusco Trekking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Choquequirao: A Trek Between Altitude and Verdancy \u2013 The Route to the Last Inca Refuge, a 4-Day Trek to Another Machu Picchu.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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