Day 1 — KM82 to Wayllabamba

The first taste of altitude, and the day that teaches you to slow down.

At a glance · 8.7 mi · +2,670 ft · camp Wayllabamba (9,757 ft) · moving ~6h30 · altitude test

The trail starts at a railway marker called KM82, with a wooden sign welcoming you in Quechua, Spanish, and English. From there the path follows the Urubamba river, past rapids and a swaying suspension bridge, before climbing up into farmland with snow peaks showing through the clouds.

The suspension bridge crossing near KM82, porters carrying gear across the Urubamba.

The high point of the day is Patallacta, a huge terraced Inca site you come across without warning. You round a bend and there’s a whole abandoned agricultural town spread across the hillside, the river curling around it. Whoever built this trail understood these mountains better than I ever will.

Patallacta, a terraced Inca agricultural site along the trail.

Weather went cold, then warm, then cold again, all in one afternoon. That’s normal here. What caught me off guard was the altitude. I don’t get real elevation sickness, but on the climbs my heart rate spiked fast, faster than I expected. It took a few hours to figure out what my body was telling me: slow down on the ups or pay for it later. Once I did, the day evened out.

Along the way there’s a small store selling cold drinks and wifi, one last taste of connection before the trail takes it away. We camped that night at Wayllabamba, just under 10,000 feet.

The Wayllabamba sign, just under 10,000 feet — camp for the night.

The Unk’as store — cold drinks, wifi, and one last taste of connection before the trail takes it away.

Trail Notes

Route: KM82 trailhead, along the Urubamba river past a suspension bridge and Patallacta, into farmland and up to Wayllabamba.

Camp: Wayllabamba, 9,757 ft — the last stop with real amenities (small stores, paid wifi) before the trail cuts off from connectivity.

Crew: Booked through TReXperience, a group of 16 trekkers supported by 23 porters and 2 guides — fully supported, so the crew carries camp gear and cooks every meal.

Food: Crew-cooked meals with a fish or vegetarian option at every meal, confirmed with the operator ahead of time.

Gear that mattered: Broken-in waterproof boots, trekking poles, and a wide-brim sun hat — the altitude sun is stronger than it feels.

Trail stats: 8.7 mi · +2,670 ft gain · ~6.5 hrs moving · avg heart rate 126 bpm on the main climb, spiking to 151 bpm on a short steep afternoon section.