The day has arrived and it’s finally time for the long-awaited departure. At the airport you will meet the rest of your team and the Charity Challenge representative, before saying goodbye to family and friends and starting your challenge.
Touching down in the ancient Inca Capital of Cusco (3,350m), we will be greeted by a local Charity Challenge representative and transferred to our hotel for the next 2 nights. As altitude sickness can be a problem, you will spend the rest of the day acclimatising to the altitude with an afternoon free to take things at your own pace. Relax in one of the many cafés overlooking the plaza, visit the Incan monument Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), or head to the vibrant market to soak up the surroundings before a full briefing and the first team dinner.
Acclimatising to the altitude is all-important, so we will spend the day walking around the Cusco area and stop for a picnic lunch. Later we’ll head back to city for dinner, before returning to our three-star hotel.
Rise and shine for an early start! We drive out to the Sacred Valley, from where we will trek over high mountain passes to the Lares Valley. Along the way, we stop at a local market and some much needed relaxation in the famous Lares hot springs. After lunch, it’s a long hike to the small village of Cuncani, where we will camp for the night.
After breakfast, we take a long hike over a pass to the small community of Huacahuasi. Spot the alpacas and llamas roaming along the way, though careful they don’t try to share our picnic lunch! We will spend the night in a wild campsite by the river in Huacahuasi.
Hopefully the sun will shine for our morning’s trek. Gradually gaining height, we take a little-used route through the Ranrayoc valley. Dig deep for the high pass at 4,600m – the reward being the inspiring view. Lunch will be served at 4,378m, in the shadow of snowy mountain Tirijhuay. It’s around three-hours downward, followed by an hour driving to the campsite on the outskirts of Ollantaytambo.
It’s an early train journey to Km 104 (along the railway from Cusco), where we will be dropped for our trek towards the Sun Gate. Following the traditional Inca path, we climb some 3,000 steps today. We catch our first awe-inspiring view of the sacred site of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate, where there is plenty of time for photographs. Overnight in hotel in Aguas Calientes.
It’s back to Machu Picchu to spend the morning exploring these extraordinary Inca remains. We then catch an early afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, from where we will travel by bus to Cusco. It’s party time later at a local restaurant, as we celebrate achieving our Charity Challenge goal and discovering the majesty of Machu Picchu. Overnight at a hotel in Cusco.
After breakfast it's time to say "adios" as you travel to the airport to begin your journey home.
As we touchdown in the UK it’s time to head to arrivals to find your family and friends. Don’t forget to swap details with your team mates, as only they share the memories of your incredible journey.
BELIEVE >> ACHIEVE >> INSPIRE
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