Huayna Picchu

If you could take just one photo: Huayna Picchu

Arriving at Machu Picchu, one could almost be forgiven for missing the towering mountain directly next to this ancient hollow. However, Huayna Picchu is worth not only taking another look but more than worth taking a climb; provided one can find the entrance of course. After going in a few circles, asking people who mostly know nothing about it, you will stumble across a simple sign pointing the way. At the other end of the Machu Picchu ruins, past a couple of incredibly indifferent llamas is the fabled entrance.Nothing can prepare you for a climb that is both exhilarating and never-ending. The mountain is kind however and at a slow pace and with determination practically anyone can enjoy the ascent and the stunning views. I consider myself moderately in shape, and little too competitive, so I huffed and puffed my way to the top with great anticipation and gusto. Nothing could have prepared me for the stunning view of the top of the world. One feels as a jewel on the very top of earth’s crown. Surrounded by nothing but the blues sky and green mountains that the locals respectfully call Pachamama; one feels that the world makes sense up in that clear rarified air. In fact, some people come from around the globe to meditate at the top of the world, believing in the mountain exudes positive energy.If you are heart-set on this incredible spiritual experience, be sure to arrive early as Huayna Picchu is only opened twice a day to 200 visitors at a time. People are queue up early and the entrance does take time to find. There is a sign-in log as you enter which is also checked off when you leave. There is a very good reason for this. The drops at certain points in the climb are precipitous and people have been lost to the jungle below forever. So for those who visit Machu Picchu when in Peru, make sure to give that mountain’s taller and skinnier cousin, Huayna Picchu a try. A second look, a climbing experience and there is a front row seat to the heavens waiting to be had by all brave adventurers.

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Tucked within a mystifying fold of the Urubamba River valley, Huayna Picchu balances atop a cloud-cloaked Andean peak, reigning quietly over the ancient, intricate maze of Machu Picchu below. Accessible via a lethally steep path, Huayna Picchu offers a tremendous reward for a treacherous trek up. The thin air will shorten your breath, but the dizzying perspective will arrest it altogether. Find a rock, situate your weary body, and lounge at this majestic pinnacle until the poncho-ed tourists retreat, and you can claim this regal throne to yourself.

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