CUSCO AREAS

General Information:
About 30 miles from Cusco is the Sacred Valley of the Incas. A fertile slash of green in the centre of the inhospitable Andes, the Valley is even now place of extraordinary peace and beauty. Guarded at its two ends by the massive fortresses of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, it was the Incas’ granary, feeding both Cusco and the Lost City of Machu Picchu.

It was clearly an extremely important city, strategically placed at the gateway between the Andes and the jungle, its position so well chosen that there are still only two possible - and difficult - approaches, either along the Urubamba River or over the high passes of the Andes.

The traditional Inca Trail was the ancient Inca highway that connected Cusco with Machu Picchu via the high Andean route. The new route taken on this trip is one that has been reconstructed from a series of old Inca paths, first along the river and then up into the cloud-forested mountainsides to join the main trail and descend into the Lost City on foot.

Climate and Weather
Our tours are scheduled during the Andean dry season (winter in the Southern Hemisphere), which usually begins in April and runs through November. In Cusco itself at this time of year, the weather is usually sunny and warm most of the day, though clouds are common in the afternoons and occasional brief showers are always possible.

Afternoon highs in Cusco average about 65ºF/18ºC, and night time lows about 35ºF/2ºC. Even though the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu are less than 100 miles from Cusco, they are in a warmer and moister climate zone.

Clouds and fog are more common, and it can rain almost any time, especially at night, though rain is not usually a major problem during the dry season.
At this latitude (only 13º from the equator), as between summer and winter there is much less difference in the length of daylight vs. darkness, and in seasonal temperatures, than temperate latitude people are used to. There are almost 12 hours of daylight even in mid-winter. The primary difference between seasons is that “summer” is mostly rainy and “winter” is mostly dry.

Altitude
The Incas were a mountain people; Cusco is located at about 10,656’/3,248m, which means some amount of altitude acclimatisation will be necessary for almost everyone. For that reason, maximising the use of vehicles and the amount of resting time during the first days, because rest is the most effective way for the body to adjust to the change in atmospheric oxygen content and ambient pressure. Upon arrival in Cusco, some visitors may wish to try the locally recommended anti-altitude remedy, tea brewed from whole coca leaves. Almost all our clients pronounce it to be quite effective. Coca leaves act as a stimulant, not a narcotic; they are said to facilitate acclimatisation by dilating blood vessels, thereby enhancing blood and oxygen circulation, and also by regulating the heartbeat. Unprocessed coca leaves are not only perfectly legal in Peru, but also very common, brewed or chewed.




Water
Visitors are always concerned about drinking the water, and it is a legitimate concern. The problem is not so much a difference in the quality of the water; rather, the flora and fauna in the are different, creating adjustment problems for the gastrointestinal system, and two weeks is usually not enough time for such adjustment. So we strongly recommend that our clients use only bottled water for drinking, tooth brushing, etc.--and check the seal on the bottle before buying; avoid ice in drinks unless you know it was made from purified water. Bottled water is available everywhere we go except on the Inca Trail, where we use treated and purified water for all drinking and cooking needs.

Things to brings
Camera, sufficient supply of films, a strong carrying strap, preferably metal or chain reinforced; summer-weight clothes for daytime in Cusco and most areas in countryside; short and long-sleeve shirts; light to medium sweaters and rainproof jacket for night time and at higher altitudes; rain pants; swimsuit (for warm springs); bandanna; sunglasses; minimum 12 sunscreen, hat that shades face and back of neck (preferably rainproof); medium-weight, well broken-in hiking boots, warm sleepwear; Gore-Tex or otherwise waterproofed hiking boots (do not try the Inca Trail in brand-new boots); thin liner socks and heavier wool or polypro socks for boots; shopping bag, personal medications (in addition, we suggest to bring Tinidazol and/or Imodium against intestinal disorders, moleskin or other protection from foot chafing and blisters; insect repellent (30% DEET suggested); extra glasses or contact lenses; one or two one-litre water bottles; lockable luggage or duffel bag; additional, smaller lockable bag for items left behind in hotel; comfortable sport/running shoes for town and campsites; sleeping bag; concealed money/document carrier; pocket dictionary or phrasebook (Spanish-English); day pack; alarm clock or watch; torch or headlamp with extra batteries; heavy duty sealable plastic bags for keeping things dry inside pack and luggage.

Not necessary, but useful to bring: trail mix (very expensive in Peru); inflatable pillow for use on plane and while camping; telescoping ski/trekking poles; binoculars; collapsible umbrella; collapsible pad-chair; reading/writing material (lightweight); electrolyte replacement powder; transformer and/or adapter for appliances such as battery charger.

Do not bring too much clothes, a couple changes of each type of clothing (more perhaps for underwear) should be sufficient in general.

Luggage
In order to ensure that you arrive with the most important necessities intact, we recommend that you wear your hiking boots on the planes, and make sure that money, credit cards, cameras, shoes, medications and all valuables are either on your person or in your carry-on luggage during your flights.

Maximum weight allowed in the Inca Trail is 35 lbs. (15kg) per person; this applies directly to the National Park of Machu Picchu. These regulations are compulsory for all treks within Machu Picchu areas for the conservation of the Sanctuary.