We Got Engaged in Machu Picchu
BY RYAN
There’s no sugarcoating it, climbing Huayna Picchu is not for the faint of heart.
The base of the trails begins 1,180 feet above Machu Picchu, which means we were not only subject to thin air but also constant waves of nausea from altitude sickness. From there, the trail shoots up over 1,000 feet to the summit over a rocky, dirt path that will often require you to climb ropes and steep stone staircases on your hands and knees. One wrong step during this 4-hour trek could send you toppling over the side, and there’s been more than one recorded death from people who have tumbled off the side.
The only thing harder than summiting the mountain is proposing at the top, but that was my plan: getting engaged in Machu Picchu. For the entire week we toured through Peru I carried a diamond ring in my back pocket waiting for this perfect moment to pop the big question. However, I still wasn’t sure if the months of training was enough to get us to the top.
The Morning of the Hike
by Wilmarie
It was Friday, May 25 the day we visited Machu Picchu, a day I’ll remember well. After four months training for this hike, and reading blogs about its difficulty, the day had finally arrived. After already falling in love with this country, I wanted it to end on a high note. But our journey was far from over, getting to the mountain from our hotel was a process.
Visitors can hike the 5-mile trail from the city of Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu, but the route is a strenuous, 90 minute, 1,279 feet climb up mostly stairs. We instead opted to save our strength and take the bus. Tickets to the Machu Picchu entrance must be purchased at least a day in advance at the kiosk located near the train station. If you’re planning a trip, make sure the day of your visit to get up early before the hike. We woke up well before sunrise, around 4:30 am, and even then the line snaked for blocks past the bus station.
In terms of supplies for the trip, we’d also advise coming prepared. We brought a light backpack filled with provisions we bought the day before, but as we waited for the bus we noticed a number of stands open selling snacks and sandwiches. Here’s just a few hiking supplies we’d recommend taking with you for the climb:
- Food/Snacks for the whole day. There aren’t any restaurants or food stands at the site.
- Water. Even if you aren’t climbing Huayna Picchu and it’s not very hot, the ruins have tons of stairs and very little shade.
- Medicine to combat altitude sickness. Machu Picchu is located 7,970 feet above sea level, so trust us you will need it.
- Cash. Restrooms in the park are gated with a toll and an attendant. There isn’t even a secluded bush to be found due to high tourist traffic.
- Weather appropriate clothing. Dress for the season you’re planning to see the site. We went during the shoulder season between Fall and Winter. In the morning we needed a light jacket but as the day went by it got warmer and a tank top was enough.
After departing the busses we found ourselves in yet another long line to enter the ruins, fortunately the reward was worth the wait. The morning rays streamed in from behind the mountain onto the sun bleached stones and rolling green grass of Machu Picchu. The photos don’t do justice to the astonishing beauty that could be seen, but also felt. Whether from the magical feeling of being transported in time to the untouched home of such a resilient civilization, or the altitude, it felt good to my spirit. There isn’t much we could say about Machu Picchu than hasn’t been said a thousand times, in thousands of travel blogs, already, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the sacred beauty of this place.
| 1. | The Morning of the Hike |
| 2. | Machu Picchu |
| 3. | Huayna Picchu |
| 4. | Engagement at the top |
BY RYAN
There’s no sugarcoating it, climbing Huayna Picchu is not for the faint of heart.
The base of the trails begins 1,180 feet above Machu Picchu, which means we were not only subject to thin air but also constant waves of nausea from altitude sickness. From there, the trail shoots up over 1,000 feet to the summit over a rocky, dirt path that will often require you to climb ropes and steep stone staircases on your hands and knees. One wrong step during this 4-hour trek could send you toppling over the side, and there’s been more than one recorded death from people who have tumbled off the side.
The only thing harder than summiting the mountain is proposing at the top, but that was my plan: getting engaged in Machu Picchu. For the entire week we toured through Peru I carried a diamond ring in my back pocket waiting for this perfect moment to pop the big question. However, I still wasn’t sure if the months of training was enough to get us to the top.
| 1. | The Morning of the Hike |
| 2. | Machu Picchu |
| 3. | Huayna Picchu |
| 4. | Engagement at the top |
The Morning of the Hike
by Wilmarie
It was Friday, May 25 the day we visited Machu Picchu, a day I’ll remember well. After four months training for this hike, and reading blogs about its difficulty, the day had finally arrived. After already falling in love with this country, I wanted it to end on a high note. But our journey was far from over, getting to the mountain from our hotel was a process.
Visitors can hike the 5-mile trail from the city of Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu, but the route is a strenuous, 90 minute, 1,279 feet climb up mostly stairs. We instead opted to save our strength and take the bus. Tickets to the Machu Picchu entrance must be purchased at least a day in advance at the kiosk located near the train station. If you’re planning a trip, make sure the day of your visit to get up early before the hike. We woke up well before sunrise, around 4:30 am, and even then the line snaked for blocks past the bus station.
In terms of supplies for the trip, we’d also advise coming prepared. We brought a light backpack filled with provisions we bought the day before, but as we waited for the bus we noticed a number of stands open selling snacks and sandwiches. Here’s just a few hiking supplies we’d recommend taking with you for the climb:
- Food/Snacks for the whole day. There aren’t any restaurants or food stands at the site.
- Water. Even if you aren’t climbing Huayna Picchu and it’s not very hot, the ruins have tons of stairs and very little shade.
- Medicine to combat altitude sickness. Machu Picchu is located 7,970 feet above sea level, so trust us you will need it.
- Cash. Restrooms in the park are gated with a toll and an attendant. There isn’t even a secluded bush to be found due to high tourist traffic.
- Weather appropriate clothing. Dress for the season you’re planning to see the site. We went during the shoulder season between Fall and Winter. In the morning we needed a light jacket but as the day went by it got warmer and a tank top was enough.
After departing the busses we found ourselves in yet another long line to enter the ruins, fortunately the reward was worth the wait. The morning rays streamed in from behind the mountain onto the sun bleached stones and rolling green grass of Machu Picchu. The photos don’t do justice to the astonishing beauty that could be seen, but also felt. Whether from the magical feeling of being transported in time to the untouched home of such a resilient civilization, or the altitude, it felt good to my spirit. There isn’t much we could say about Machu Picchu than hasn’t been said a thousand times, in thousands of travel blogs, already, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the sacred beauty of this place.
Machu Picchu
by Ryan
We didn’t explore the ruins of Machu Picchu until after our climb, but we can see why the site is one of the New Seven Wonders of The World. Originally constructed in 1450 AD, Machu Picchu was the lavish vacation home for the Inca emperor Pachacuti. The sprawlings ruins of the estate, which at one point housed a population of 750 people, overlooks the rushing Urubamba River and surrounding ice-capped Andes Mountains.
The Inca city is expansive. Residential houses, sacred temples, farming terraces and military guard stations are all open to wander and explore, but their precarious position atop the mountain means nothing is accessible without stairs. We only purchased a 1-day ticket, and after designating much of the day to climbing a mountain we still didn’t get to see everything.
If we had more time, we would highly recommend hiring one of the many tour guides at the entrance to the ruins. Although we did not hire one, it would’ve been helpful since there are barely any signs throughout the ruins. It wasn’t until we got home and performed our own research that we realized all the stones in the buildings were cut to fit together tightly without the use of mortar. On the other hand, getting around on your own allows you to go at your own pace and to take in the views, from vistas, llamas, ruins, and spectacular mountain tops. It helps to go at your own pace, especially if you’re planning on getting engaged during your visit.
Huayna Picchu
by Wilmarie
As we crossed Machu Picchu and approached the gated entrance of Huayna Picchu, butterflies filled my stomach. I knew before we started that people had died on the mountain, but after months of training I wasn’t ready to back down. I had already fallen in love with this country, and I wanted it to end on a high note (if I had known I was about to get engaged at the top, I probably would have been more enthusiastic.)
Only 200 people are allowed to climb Huayna Picchu twice a day, in the morning (8 a.m.) and the afternoon (10 a.m.). We opted for the earlier option and did not regret it. The views of the mountain in the morning are spectacular and there was far less foot traffic as well. In the afternoon when we came down the mountain we noticed both the descending morning group and the ascending afternoon group made the climb slightly more challenging (although the 200 visitor cap keeps this inconvenience to a minimum.)
Huayna Picchu is not a difficult hike, it’s a difficult climb. While the trail starts out flat, it quickly turns exceptionally steep. Many times while on the trail we found ourselves on our hands and knees scrambling over rocks, squeezing through narrow stone caverns, or pulling ourselves up slippery dirt paths with steel cables. One especially tricky section, the infamous “Stairs of Death,” challenges visitors to climb a series of stone steps without a guardrail or rope for protection. The “Stairs of Death” are too narrow to get a full foothold on, so you’ll have to stare down the sheer cliffs below as work your way up (and down them) turned sideways.
Getting Engaged at the Top
by Ryan
After a strenuous 4 hour climb, the peak of Huayna Picchu felt like the top of the world, but not because of the spectacular view. I handed my GoPro to two of our closest friends and felt for the diamond ring in my back pocket. For the past 9 days an intense fear of loss and theft kept it by my side, but now I was finally ready to give it away forever to the woman I love.
For Wilmarie this was already more than just another hike. It was a victory over her earlier defeat in Phi Phi, the culmination of months of training, and a landmark achievement in our 4 year relationship. But summiting Hyuanna Picchu was just a precursor for things to come, another adventure in a line of many that had finally come to a fantastic close. As we prepared to take one of our last photos on the mountain together overlooking the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu I got down on one knee. The rest is history.
