Inca Quarry trail or Cachicata are great alternatives to Inca Trail where the difference is because we'll can interact with people of the area and learn the lifestyle of day by day. The most frequently advice is acclimatize to the weather because the highest point during the hike is 4450m it's more than Cusco (3399m). A few days in Cusco before the hike would be nice for the body, do this to avoid the altitude sickness because the dizziness are annoying. However, if you suffer the sickness try to drink a plenty of water and during the nights prepare a coca tea that can reduce the shymptoms.
Coca tea is very useful, also when you chew a bit of coca, it magically can provide you energy and resistance to continue and finish the rigorous hike.
Every day the difficult of the trek is moderate but we have 32km approximately to walk, so the physical condition is very important before the tour. A good tip is prepare your body especially the resistance, the food and exercise are essential to develop your fitness. Eating lentils and vegetables will be useful during your hike, about exercises, running everyday and swimming twice a week are great for the trek, with both tips well done you'll can finish the excursion without problems. Alnother advice is take good pictures because we'll se beautiful landscapes, snowy mountains, the diversity of flora and fauna and the most important, the wonderful from Machu Picchu. In comparison with Lares Trek the path is more strenuous because the weather affect us each day but the kind of tour is almost the same, a social hike. Is important have a good trekking shoes, many times shoes are break, if the shoes are new is necessary before the trek walking with them to have more adequate in the hike's moment.
The backpack also is very important during any hike you can realize in the future, because is an alternative to the Classic Inca Trail we can carry the same things, don't worry for the campment equipment because the porters will bring it. Waterproofs and additional clothes have a good importance especially in rainy seasons which the wet clothes is heavy and annoying because it's possible to develop a cold, doesn't matter the season of the year you'll have to carry a waterproof. One of the highlights is about visit Ollantaytambo Inca city located in Urubamba approximately 90Km from Cusco city. The architecture is extraordinary of each monument we can find during the excursion, see the ruins and explore the place while hear the stories about the archaeological site. Other highlight we can enjoy is the hot waters from Lares, a beautiful and relaxing site where we can take a breath and relax the muscles for then continue with the hike. About the booking for this wonderful trek is better realize with anticipation either in rainy or dry seasons, many times the tickets filled up and your plans go down especially Huayna Picchu where all the permits are bought because the best panoramic views of the citadel is from Huayna Picchu, of there you can take the most beautiful pictures of the landscape. Anteriorly told, the hike is some challenging, is for that if you are older person or have some cardiac problem or realated with that is better ask your doctor for a fitness test.
"The surface of the rock looks rough, but when touched it feels as soft as a bathroom mirror, which means that some kind of vitrification process was used in. At the bottom of where this hole has been cut, we can see a pattern crossed, in my opinion, in fact you see marks, for me this pattern is irrefutable evidence of advanced technology in ancient times" Giorgio A. Tsoukalos.
Thousands of years after the construction of Ollantaytambo, archaeologists and researchers still can not explain how exactly ancient humanity was able to exploit quarries and transport huge stone blocks of more than 50 tons each. How did the ancients cut gigantic rocks extracted from the mountain, transport them across the plains, move them across the rivers and elevate them and locate them where they are now?
Looking at Ollantaytambo we find a particular place of extreme interest, especially for the enigmatic gigantic blocks of stone that present patterns of precise cuts. These patterns -according to many- seem as if they were made by some type of machinery after being removed.
What kind of technology could have allowed such patterns to be made thousands of years ago? Some have even ventured and said that these fascinating patterns of interweaving are, in fact, marks that could have been created by some type of laser or saw machine, pointing to the possibility that thousands of years ago, former builders of sites, such as Ollantaytambo, Tiahuanaco, and Puma Punku had in their possession technology lost today, which allowed them to easily exploit the quarry, and extract the colossal blocks of andesite.
There are many theories about the perfection with which the rocks were molded; some local legends tell that the Incas knew a liquid derived from a native plant, which made the rocks could be molded as if they were made of plasticine. This possibility was mentioned many times by explorers like Percy Fawcett or Hiram Bingham The amazing technique of stone molding can be found in other parts of the world, such as the pyramids of Giza (Giza) in Egypt, the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia or the Mayan temples in Mexico. In case of places like Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Sacsayhuaman and many others; There are indications of a paste obtained from native plants, which could make the rocks could be molded for a period of time, then harden again.
Cachiccata is located 9 km from the town of Ollantaytambo, near the great entrance to the magnificent Machupicchu. The quarries of Cachiccata is one of the most important attractions, these quarries were widely exploited in the Inca period. From this mine they selected and transported the stones from the archaeological remains of Ollantaytambo. By means of own bearing and thrust techniques, the stones were transferred to this old center. On the way we can see giant semilabrated stones that were being transported. Near the quarries we can also visit some pre-Hispanic chullpas (ancient funerary tower).
To make this trekking it is advisable to have about two days of acclimatization before climbing up to the Cachiccata quarries, for this you could rest in Ollantaytambo and take short walks and these will help you for an easy ascent to the Quarries. The Cachicata quarry is located at an approximate height of 4,100 masl and Ollantaytambo is at 2800 masl. This walk is beautiful for the adventure lover as it will take us to one of the sites of great importance since this site was where the Incas took (extracted) the stones to realize its incredible constructions like that of Ollantaytambo.
The Inca Trek quarry is one of the newest and least crowded trekking routes to Machu Picchu. This wonderful hike will take you to high waterfalls, Inca ruins and beautiful scenery. This hike is relatively easy compared to some other excursions to Machu Picchu making it a great option for less experienced hikers.
This trek will take you through remote villages, passing impressive mountains and intact Inca ruins. It reaches altitudes of 4,400 m and is a less traveled route. At the end of the walk we will transfer you to Aguas Calientes and then take the bus to Machu Picchu. The alternative hike can be added to any Inca Trail trip based on minimum numbers. The Cachiccata Trek is a great alternative to the famous Inca Trail hike.
The Cachiccata Trail was built by the Incas and used for hundreds of years to access local communities and transport goods. This trail is not as well known as the classic Inca Trail, so many fewer crowds and a more serene trekking experience are expected in Peru. This hiking adventure not only visits Peru's cultural past, but also explores modern Inca communities and customs. The trail takes us through isolated waterfalls, ancient terraces and exotic fauna, while offering fantastic views of the Sacred Valley and the snowy mountains of Peru. Visit with local families and explore an active quarry. Each step brings a new look to the Inca culture.
