On top of the world: Scary but spectacular walk on the edge of a 3000m mountain in Peru
THERE are no hand-rails or safety harnesses, just a narrow path and a 3353m plunge if you put a foot wrong.
THERE are no hand-rails or safety harnesses, just a narrow path and a 3353m plunge if you put a foot wrong.
Let’s just say it’s not the best place to wear thongs.
Trekking the path that winds up and around the mountains in Pisac, Peru - at times perilously close to the edge - is not for the faint-hearted.
But the reward awaiting the adventurous is worth it - it's truly a sight that's out of this world.
A spectacular view of the Sacred Valley below awaits travellers who dared the walk through caves and up steep walkways right on the side of the mountain.
The 360-degree view takes in Inca ruins perched on the peak of a mountain as well as ancient agricultural terracing on the sloping hillside, still used today to produce more food than normally possible at such a high altitude.
The Inca Pisac ruins were thought to have been built after the year 1440 and lie at the hill at the entrance to the valley. There are a series of partially destroyed buildings, walls and baths.
The main focus of the ruins is the Intihuatana, a volcanic outcrop carved into a "hitching post" for the sun and believed to have served an astronomical function.
The first complex is the Qanchisracay buildings were used as a military garrison. The walk also leads tourists by an ancient cemetery called the Tankanamarka, built into a towering rock wall with visible holes, before winding down to the valley and closer to a safe level.
The writer travelled as a guest of Contiki.
GETTING THERE
LAN Airlines flies daily (one-stop) from Sydney to Santiago, Chile, with onward connections to Lima or Cusco, Peru. Ph 1800 558 129 or see lan.com
TOURING THERE
Contiki has six itineraries for South America including the Inca Panorama – 11 days taking in the highlights of Peru including Lima, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. From $1839 a person, twin share, with accommodation, most meals, domestic flight, transfers, sightseeing in all major areas/entrance fees, local taxes and service charges.
MORE INFO
See contiki.com.au/southamerica
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