Huayna Picchu

Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu (Quechua: "Young Peak") is a mountain in Peru around which the Urubamba River bends. It rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called "lost city of the Incas" and divides it into sections. The Incas built a trail up the side of the Huayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on its top. The peak of Huayna Picchu is about 2720m or 8922' above sea level, or about 360m higher than Machu Picchu.

According to local guides, the top of the mountain was the residence for the high priest and the local virgins. Every morning before sunrise, the high priest with a small group would walk to Machu Picchu to signal the coming of the new day. The Temple of the Moon, one of the three major temples in the Machu Picchu area, is nestled on the side of the mountain and is situated at an elevation lower than Machu Picchu. Adjacent to the Temple of the Moon is the Great Cavern, another sacred temple with fine masonry. The other major local temples in Machu Picchu are the Temple of the Condor and the Temple of the Sun.

Visiting

As of November 2006, visitors are no longer accepted after 1 p.m. to start the trail, and all visitors must be out by 4:00p.m. Only 400 visitors are allowed to enter this trail each day. A line forms early at the checkpoint to the trail. At 7:00 400 ticket numbers are issued and the first of batch of 200 hikers is slowly released. The second group of 200 can start any time between 10:00 and 11:00.

The trail itself forks to several points of interest. The climb is steep and at times exposed, and takes about 1 hour each way. Some portions are slippery and steel cables (a via ferrata) provide some support. Decent footwear is important. There is an extremely narrow passage near the summit (a cave).

From the summit, a second trail leads down to the Gran Caverna and the misnamed Temple of the Moon. These natural caves, on the north face of the mountain, are lower than the starting point of the trail.The return path from the caves completes a loop around the mountain as it rejoins the main trail. The hike from the summit to the caves and back to the checkpoint takes about 2 more hours. At times during the rainy season, the tours are closed.