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Trujillo & Chiclayo / Chachapoyas / Trekking / Multisport / Rafting / Biking

Gran Vilaya Expedition
The Inca Trail to Kuelap -
the Machu Picchu of Northern Peru

This area was first explored 20 years ago by Gene Savoy who claimed discovery of over twenty thousand stone structures of the Cloud People. Kuelap - the Machu Picchu of Northern Peru - is a mystic place and the Inca Trail through Gran Vilaya is better than the "Camino del Inca" of Cusco and Southern Peru in every way. It has more ruins and lost citadels, better panoramas, Inca roads and ecology, no tourists crowds, and perfect temperatures. At the end of this mystic trek is the largest edifice of the Americas, calculated to have three times the materials of Egypt's largest pyramid. Kuelap is more mysterious than the Incas and contains over 400 stone buildings inside multiple huge towering walls.

You start this Peruvian trip in the dry Utcubamba River Valley in the Department of Amazonas, then pass up through orchids & bromeliads in the cloud forest (Eyebrow of the Amazon, or La Ceja de Selva), and cross the treeless nightly freeze line and spine of the Central Andes Cordillera of South America. You then drop into incredible ruins located all over peaks while descending into the valley of the main trunk Amazon. This trek follows ancient Inca roads, and a mile a long Inca staircase into Grand Vilaya, then back out over the freeze line, and on to Fortress Kuelap.

During the Inca Revolution against the Spanish, Inca Manco knew his Andes and wanted to establish his capitol in the Andes' most defensible zone, so he made a desperate march towards Levanto to relocate in the Andes' most fortified zone. The Chachapoyan Cloud People were reputed to be tall fair skin warriors, and didn't want to be under Inca control. They forced the Inca to turn back to the jungle below Machu Picchu.

Departure Dates: from the first week in May through November

Challenging: Combination of horseback and hikes, 4 & 8 hours daily, with steep climbs and descents. The trip is moderate on (self steering) horses, but vigorous if you prefer to hike.

Day 1 Karajia – Belen
Bus station pick up service in Chachapoyas and transfer to hotel to rest. We will pick you up at 8:30 a.m. to start the tour to Karajia to see the sarcophagus, then to Cohechan, and trek down to Belen. This is an ancient glacial tarn above the nightly freeze line with a meandering river panorama extending for miles. Dinner and camping. (L, D)

Day 2 Congon- Vilaya Valley - Descend to Congon on a mile long Inca staircase past the ruins of La Pirquilla to a level of bananas and coffee in the Congon Valley. Dinner and camp. (B, BL, D)

Day 3 Cacahuasha - Gran Vilaya - Hike to Cacahuasha, the mountain top ruins hidden by the cloud forest and covered with orchids and bromeliads in Gran Vilaya, found by our guide Damian on the original Gene Savoy expedition. They claimed discovery of thousands of ancient round stone structures all in fortified citadels hidden in this cloud forest. Return to camp. (B, BL, D)

Day 4 - Lanche- Choctamal - Cross the spine of the Cordillera Central on horseback through the cloud forest and the ancient Lanche citadel, looking down at the clouds. Despite missing pavement, all of these ancient roads were incredible engineered to follow the most efficient grade, and often with a buffer shoulder on the steep side. The Abra Yumal pass has views with clouds below where the main trunk Amazon River violently carved out a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon to enter the Amazon Basin. Jacuzzi and night at our Choctamal Marvelous Spatuletail Lodge located on the road to Kuelap. (B, L, D)

Day 5 Choctamal- Kuelap - Chachapoyas
We will spend the day at Fortress Kuelap known also as “The Northern Peru Engineering Masterpiece”. Kuelap has over 400 buildings inside 3 levels of walls and is the largest stone structure of both Americas. Orchids and bromeliads cover the walls and trees inside this undiscovered gigantic fortress. On the way to Chachapoyas we will check out the decorated Platforms of Macro located on a cliff overlooking the Utcubamba River. Transfer to Chachapoyas bus station for your night bus to Chiclayo. (B, L)

2011 Rates per person in US$: 1 pax = $1432, 2 pax = $960, 3 pax = $892, 4 pax or more = $772. Single Supplement: $98

THE TOUR INCLUDES: All entrance fees, All meals (breakfast, lunch or box lunch and dinner), Hotels and taxes, Private transportation specified in the program (vehicles, horses, arrieros, etc), Transportation between cities (Chiclayo/Chachapoyas - Chachapoyas/Chiclayo), Bilingual Guide

NOT INCLUDED: Tips, Alcoholic beverages, internal flights , Airport taxes, sleeping bag