The Salcantay Hike - Day 4 - Machu Picchu to Huayna Picchu

Just some of the hundreds of steep stairs that lead all the way up to Machu Picchu
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From Santa Teresa we took yet another harrowing mini-bus ride to the train station at La Oroya - Hydroelectrica. From there, we caught the train through the backside of Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes "Hot Springs". This is where everyone goes on their way to the great Machu Picchu.

That morning, we found ourselves low on cash and my buddy Jay Gard caught a bad abdominal bug that was really pulling him down. That didn't stop us from hiking an hour in the heat up to the top of Machu Picchu. The Inca Bridge is cool, Machu Picchu is great, but nothing compares to the tip top of the neighboring Huyana Picchu. That was it. That was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. To reach the end of my adventure I had to climb the narrowest, and probably the highest, stairs to the top of the mountain. One slip, and you fall the whole way down, 4,214 feet. The trip was amazing, worth every step, and I can't wait to do it all over again!

On top of the World!