Inca Trail mountain biking holiday, Peru
| country: | Peru |
| location: | Inca Trail |
| trip type: | Challenging and adventurous mountain biking holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 22 May, 18 Sep |
| price: | From CA $2195 (11 days) excluding flights and bike rental. Price includes accommodation, meals and all transport during tour. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Inca Trail mountain biking holiday, Peru
The Inca Trail
CA $2195 (11 days) ex flights
Does 30,000 km of singletrack to choose from get your attention? How about 6,000 m/20,000 ft. mountains? And if that's not enough, then how about centuries-old cultures, Inca archaeological sites and the world-renowned Machu Picchu?
Peru may well just be the best mountain biking destination in the world, and we have the Incas to thank for that. During the reign of their empire, they built over 50,000 km of trails from Ecuador to Argentina, most of it in Peru. Many of these trails are ideal for mountain biking, with long downhills and challenging climbs through remote Quechua-speaking villages.
On this trip, you'll experience firsthand the vibrant and fascinating culture of this South American country and ride epic cross-country and all-mountain singletrack while doing it. We have developed this exciting trip with the help of two local partners: Wayo Stein, renowned DH rider; and Russo Covarrubias, Peruvian XC champion.
Highlights:5,600 accumulated meters of downhill! 270 Km. of mountain biking in 8 days. The spectacular Inca site of Machu Picchu The Cactus Trail, Santo Domingo de Los Olleros, Cusco Valley, Lares and much more!
CA $2195 (11 days) ex flights
Does 30,000 km of singletrack to choose from get your attention? How about 6,000 m/20,000 ft. mountains? And if that's not enough, then how about centuries-old cultures, Inca archaeological sites and the world-renowned Machu Picchu?
Peru may well just be the best mountain biking destination in the world, and we have the Incas to thank for that. During the reign of their empire, they built over 50,000 km of trails from Ecuador to Argentina, most of it in Peru. Many of these trails are ideal for mountain biking, with long downhills and challenging climbs through remote Quechua-speaking villages.
On this trip, you'll experience firsthand the vibrant and fascinating culture of this South American country and ride epic cross-country and all-mountain singletrack while doing it. We have developed this exciting trip with the help of two local partners: Wayo Stein, renowned DH rider; and Russo Covarrubias, Peruvian XC champion.
Highlights:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in Lima. Your shuttle will meet you at Lima Airport. From there we will take you to our hotel in Miraflores. If you have time, feel free to explore Lima's beaches and history. |
| Day 2: | Pachamac - skills training. A large Inca fortress with impressive construction dominates the entire Lurin Valley at this important Inca archaeological site. We will have the opportunity to discover hidden Inca constructions deep inside the valley and the mountains. It's also possible to visit the main Inca Fortress in Pachacamac after our ride. We'll spend the morning working on skills development, then break for lunch. After lunch, we'll take a ride up to the top of Chiromoyo mountain for an incredible downhill back to the valley. |
| Day 3: | The Cactus Trail. Early in the morning, around 6:30 am we will have breakfast in our hotel. At 7:00 am we will be transferred to Huaral, a fertile valley located 100 Km. north of Lima. It takes approximately 1 1/2 hours to reach Huaral where we will visit our friend Jose and his guinea pig farm. We will take some fresh fruits directly from the plants and start riding our bikes. Jose knows the trails on the mountains of Huaral like the backs of his hands. He will show us his incredible local trails that he has developed by hand in these scenic hills. We will have unique views of Huaral and if the day is clear it?fs possible to see the Pacific Ocean. We will ride approximately 30 Km. in 4 hours. In the afternoon we will enjoy a delicious lunch that consists of BBQ chicken and salads served in the middle of his farm. At the end of the day we will return to our hotel in Miraflores. |
| Day 4: | Santo Domingo de Los Olleros. We will start our 4th day in Peru with this amazing downhill trail that was one of the first big downhills in the Andes to be discovered by local people. This is a full day trip to one of the most recognized downhill & free ride trails for MTB in Peru with more than 20 Km. of pure downhill singletrack. This trail ends on the beach, where we can take a refreshing swim and eat ceviche by the Pacific Ocean. On the way, we'll have multiple stops where we'll work on various mountain bike skills, including braking, cornering, descending and switchbacks. |
| Day 5: | Transfer to Cusco and riding in Cusco Valley. We will pick you up from your hotel at 7:00 am and take the am flight to Cusco. The rest of the morning is free to establish on our hotel and complete the acclimatization process. We will also build our bikes again for the afternoon ride.After a local lunch near the main plaza, we will pick our bikes and start riding from our hotel to the upper part of the city. We will pass through main Inca sites and have a great introductory ride in Cusco. Once we are on top of the city, we will ride down a main Inca trail straight into the city. We will end our ride on our hotel and have the rest of the day to explore the city of Cusco. We will ride approximately 20 Km. in 3 hours. The altitude range goes from 3,400 to 3,700 meters (11,155 to 12,139 ft.). |
| Day 6: | The Incas Backyard Trail. Early in the morning, after we take breakfast, we will be transferred to the village of Salkantay located on top of the city of Cusco at an altitude of 4,150 masl (13,615 ft.). We will ride an ancient Inca trail that was used as a shortcut to go from Cusco to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. As we descend this amazing trail, we will reach the Inca sites of Saqsayhuaman, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay to finally reach the village of Yuncaypata and end in Cusco. We will ride approximately 30 Km. in 4 hours. The altitude range goes from 4,150 to 3,300 meters (13,615 to 10,827 ft.). |
| Day 7: | Sacred Valley Inca Treasures. Early in the morning, after a nutritious breakfast, we will be transferred to Chinchero, a strategic Inca site near the Sacred Valley. Chinchero is located at an altitude of 3,700 masl (12,139 ft.) and from this place its possible to see the entire plateau of Maras and the Vilcanotas Mountain Range with its +5,000 meters glaciers like Chicon and Veronica. We will cross agricultural fields, border Lake Huaypo and reach the Inca site of Moray at an altitude of 3,600 masl (11,811 ft.). We will stop here and explore this Inca agricultural lab and its round terraces. After our visit to Moray and experience the special energy of this place, we will continue our tour riding an Inca Trail that will take us to the town of Maras and its Inca Salt Mines. It is a spectacular place where we will have amazing views of this salt mine and also the Sacred Valley below us. Finally we will end our tour on a side of the Urubamba River, at an altitude of 3,000 masl (9,843 ft.). Its possible to continue with our bikes to the town of Ollantaytambo, where we will stay for the next three nights. We will ride a total of 40 Km. in approximately four hours before we reach Ollantaytambo. |
| Day 8: | The Origin of the Inca Empire. There are three theories that explain the origin of the Inca Empire. The three of them agree that its origins were near Ollantaytambo, in the Patacancha Valley. Early in the morning, we will be transferred to the top of the Patacancha Valley at an altitude of 4,000 masl (13,123 ft.) and where its possible to find the origins of the Inca Empire on the Patacancha Village. We will visit some Inca sites and see how people still live and dress like 500 years ago! Then we will continue riding our bikes and visit the village of Huilloc where we can interact with local people helping them on their farms or developing clothes, just like the Incas did more than 500 years ago. Finally, we will continue riding down the valley and after a 30 minutes climb, we will reach the Inca site of Pumamarca and see the impressive terraces that goes from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountains. From this place we will ride one of the best singletracks in all Cusco and we will descend directly to Ollantaytambo. |
| Day 9: | Machu Picchu. For those of you who have never been to Machu Picchu, this destination is a must-see on any adventurer's list. The Lost City of the Incas is beyond words - a sublime and spiritual place that boggles the imagination. This optional trip features a 2-hour train ride through the Sacred Valley and a bus ride up to Machu Picchu. For those who have already visited the City, we'll have the option of doing some more spectacular rides around Ollantaytambo. We'll spend the night back in Ollantaytambo, resting up for the final day's epic ride! n.b. the Machu Picchu trip is not included in the price of your tour. The all-day trip to Machu Picchu includes the return train ride through the Sacred Valley, bus from Aguas Calients to Machu Picchu, guide and admission. Cost is $200/p.p. If you prefer to ride, we will have a fantastic half-day ride to a nearby valley surrounded by Inca terraces. |
| Day 10: | Lares - Cusco. This is one of the best trails for mountain biking in Cusco. This epic trail starts at an altitude of 4,350 masl (14,271 ft.), on the mountain pass that divides Lares with Cusco, and goes downhill following the shape of the mountain ending in the town of Calca on the Sacred Valley, at an altitude of 3,000 masl (9,842 ft.). At the middle of the trail we will cross a deep canyon. |
| Day 11: | Cusco and transfer to Lima. We have reached the last day of our amazing trip in Peru and it's time to say goodbye to Cusco and its wonderful Inca Trails. Flights depart every hour until 3:30 pm, making it possible to do some shopping in the Indian markets of Cusco. We'll offer an optional morning ride in Cusco for those sticking around until the afternoon or next day. |
how this holiday makes a difference
 In accordance with Responsible Riding, our sustainable travel mandate, all efforts are being made to ensure environmental and social responsibility on our Peru trips. Here are some of the steps we are taking to ensure your responsible holiday in Peru. We hire local guides who are paid North American guiding rates, as opposed to the subsistence wages paid by some other companies. Your guides will consist of one of our guides and two Peruvian guides, Wayo and Russo. Russo is a Quechua-speaking XC champion from Cusco and grew up in the mountains near Cusco. He knows the people and landscape of this area well and will ensure that you have a memorable holiday. Wayo is a DH champion and passionate mountain biker from Lima, who has been exploring Peru's mountain biking for over 7 years. We are working with local suppliers. Your driver Joselo owns his own van and runs a small guiding service in the Cusco area. Your dollars will help support Joselo and his family, in addition to other suppliers such as hotels and restaurants, bike hire & transportation in areas of Peru that need tourism dollars. 5% of the tour cost will be donated to local development projects in the areas we ride, including GlobeAware's Cusco orphanage, which will we visit on our tour. We are working with NGOs to identify programs in the more remote areas of Peru that we visit. A portion of the carbon emissions of your trip will be offset by donation to Zerofootprint.net, an organization that works with companies to help them offset their carbon emissions by investing in renewable technologies and treeplanting projects.  We will be distributing books and pencils to schoolchildren in many of the villages that we pass through. These essential school supplies are extremely valuable to children whose parents cannot otherwise afford them.We follow strict IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) guidelines for minimizing the impact of mountain biking, and our environmental policy is based on 'leave-no-trace' guidelines. When travelling in remote areas, all of our waste is packed out. All routes in Peru travel mainly through private lands, and permission Of the landowners has been cleared. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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