Waynapicchu — on the way up

Just before you enter the trail up Waynapicchu there is a sacred rock that was carved to be a sort of outline of the surrounding mountains. It is supposed to impart a special psychic energy, and we saw several tourists "imbibing" there and so Henry thought it might be a good idea to fortify himself for his big climb.

Now the photos from the climb. Here is a shot looking back at the main Machu Picchu complex (note that he is about level with the Guardhouse, at the other end of the complex, so he's climbed a bit already) and one looking forward at the trail ahead (you can see a few climbers on the trail).

Now he's getting a little higher... In the photo on the right you can see the trail heading off to the left, toward the Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) about halfway up the mountainside on the other side of Machu Picchu, and just the top of the road the buses take down to Aguas Calientes on the far left in the middle of the picture.

Now he's really getting up there. On the right you can see Inti Punku, which is considerably higher than the main Machu Picchu complex; and he's noticeably higher than that! It's in the saddle between the two ridges.

Yes, it was very steep. Here are a few shots of the steps to prove it. The section shown at the right was close to the summit and so narrow there had to be little turnouts for passing traffic. Kathy and Joan were happy to be relaxing on a terrace down at Machu Picchu while Henry was making this climb!

Click here to see the stunning photos Henry took from the summit of the peak, and some shots of the structures there.

Back to main page

Back to Machu Picchu index page Link to Machu Picchu Index