Choquequirau sits in the saddle of a high Andean ridge, 3,000 m above sea level and 1,500 m above the roaring waters of the Apurimac River. Ringed by spectacular snow-capped peaks and flanked by plunging, thickly forested slopes, the city is an inspiring example of an elite Inca ceremonial center, dedicated to the worship of the mountain gods, the river and the elements of nature.
Day 1: Departing from Cusco in the early morning, we take a spectacular drive across the farmlands of the Anta Plateau, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. The winding road plunges more than 1,800 m to a bridge over the Apurimac Gorge, then climbs through lush fields and orchards before making a final descent to the village of Cachora, at 3,400 m, where we encounter stunning close-up views of the Cordillera Vilcabamba. Here we meet our crew and horse pack train and begin our hike, catching our first glimpse of distant Choquequirau at the Capuliyoc lookout before dropping steeply through dry cactus and orchid country into the Apurimac River Canyon. We camp at the small oasis of Chiquisca, 2000 m.
Day 2: We descend the last fifteen hundred feet of elevation to the Apurimac River –“Great Spirit Speaker” in the Quechua language of the Incas –and cross the mighty river on a suspension footbridge, at 1,550 m. A broad trail makes a zig-zagging ascent, which takes us out of the dry canyon zone past small sugar cane plantations to upland meadows where, across a deep valley, we meet our first panoramic vista of the buildings and terraces of Choquequirau. The final leg of today’s hike passes through the cool shadows of a native cloud forest as we approach the wooded ridgetop (3,000 m) where the Incas built their remote ceremonial center. We camp near the Inca ruins.
Day 3: We have the entire day to explore this stunning Inca settlement. As mysterious as Machu Picchu, its name means “Cradle of Gold”. Early Spaniards knew of this place, yet its remoteness protected it. French explorers visited it in the 19th century, and in 1909 Hiram Bingham was first to scientifically investigate the site. Some speculate that the emperor Topa Inca had it built as a personal spiritual retreat, to rival his father Pachacuti’s magnificent estate at Machu Picchu. Whoever built this place, it was undoubtedly an elite settlement, built for ceremonial purposes and occupied by Inca nobility.
Day 4: The sun rises over the snowy crags of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, and we make our way across the meadows of Maranpata, where a row of Inca storehouses marks the limits of the Inca settlement. We return to the depths of the canyon, gaining new perspectives as we face the immense, multi-hued cliffs on the south bank of the river. At the crossing of the Apurimac River, we can take time to cool off in a swimming hole among the huge boulders that line the river. We return to the shade of the fruit and avocado trees at Chiquisca, where we make our final camp.
Day 5: We hike up out of the Apurimac Canyon, with the river receding to a distant, white ribbon below us and the glaciers of the Vilcabamba Range filling the sky ahead. After winding our way beneath spreading, smooth-barked trees, dripping with orchids and bromeliads, we regain the mountainous grasslands that stretch toward the Capuliyoc Pass and the pastoral valley of Cachora. Our transport awaits us here. Bidding farewell to our trail crew, we begin the breathtaking drive back to Cusco.