JOHN QUARENGHI
The Chaski Trail to
MACHU PICCHU
THE CHASKI TRAIL
TO MACHU PICCHU This trip, also known as the Cachicata Trail, will take three to five days to complete and is considered to have a medium difficulty level.
HISTORY OF THE TRAIL The chaski messengers were the main means by which the ancient Incan outposts stayed connected to the wider Incan Empire; these messengers were, according to legend, so fleet of foot that they could deliver fish that was still fresh to the Emperor in Cusco from the Pacific Ocean 300 miles away.
THE ROUTE The Chaski Trail follows some of the same routes that these messengers would have run and will
The famous ruins of
take walkers alongside several little-visited Incan
Ollantaytambo are
buildings, quarries and water channels. This
the end point of the
provides a great opportunity for walkers of the route to get an idea of how the ancient Incans
trail, and from here
obtained the stones they used to build with. The
hikers can catch
stunning waterfall of Perolniyoc, and further ruins
the train to Machu Picchu itself.
close by, also feature on most versions of this trail. The famous ruins of Ollantaytambo are the end point of the trail, and from here hikers can catch the train to Machu Picchu itself.
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