The project, executed in co-operation with the local NGO Kuntur, is now working with the first experimental tourists, giving local people and tourists the opportunity to:

The Inka Naani Project

The Mountain Institute and Kuntur saw the Inka Naani as a shared value of the communities along this road and as a possibility for conservation and development.

The first step was to understand the actual relationship of the communities along this road with the Trail. They showed a great local knowledge about the road and had a feeling of pride that this knowledge was being appreciated.

Vision

The Inka Naani project departs from two main assumptions: a) that the conservation of natural and cultural values brings tangible and non-tangible benefits that strengthen the base for conservation and thus development; and b) that it’s the local strengthened capacities and leaderships that form a main axle of sustainablility to long-term development

With the participation of the rural communities and The Mountain Institute and Kuntur, the following vision of the Inka Naani is developed:

“The Inka Naani and its natural and cultural environment is a model for sustainable tourism, which is well preserved for the communities and the local organizations”.

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Description of the route of Inka Naani

General information

Before describing the Inka Naani route, it is interesting to say that important references for this project are the investigations of Ricardo Espinosa, and the Great Inca Road Initiative by the IUCN. Espinosa said that this section of the Road the best-preserved and most beautiful section of The Great Inca Trail.

As seen on the picture, the section we call Inka Naani is only a small part of the entire Inca Trail, about 80 kilometers long, starting from the Pomachaca Bridge and finally leading to the archeological site of Huánuco Viejo (or Huánuco Marka) near La Unión.

Day 1

The route starts at the Pomachaca Bridge crossing the River Mosna. A lot has been written about this bridge, because when the Spaniards crossed it, the Inca captain Chillicuchima told them that there was a meeting with the people of Guáscar, who where waiting for him. The Inca defended themselves for two or three days, when finally they were defeated. Since they saw that they were losing, they burned the bridge, and the Inca people started crossing the river swimming, and many Spaniards were killed this way.

The first part of the Inka Naani is mainly going up, passing by a town called Castillo and at the end of the inhabited area lies Soledad de Tambo. This is one of the pilot-villages chosen by The Mountain Institute.

One of the things we are going to visit in Soledad de Tambo is the Inca Ushnu at Pincos. This is a truncated pyramid with an opening that could have received offerings during the Inca ceremonies.

Day 2

The road continues climbing up, until it reaches some corrals (enclosures to protect animals from running away). This part may have been a Tambo as well and therefore it is called Tambillo. From here the Inca road is about 9 to 10 meters wide, with the stones still in their original position and it keeps on going up until the highest point of the Trail: Waga Punta at 4,500 m. The road passes a beautiful lake called Tinya and another tambo called Quinhuajirca. After a long day we will arrive at San Cristóbal de Tambo to rest.

Day 3

In the morning we will begin our descent crossing the small village Inca Ayash and the river. From there the road will climb about 600 meters, but sometimes we use alternative transport to Huamanín to avoid the tiredness of this hard climb.

From Huamanín we continue walking in a valley with humid parts and filled with birds, cattle and horses, passing the beautiful lake Sacracocha, possibly camping there enjoying the day with families who live with their alpacas at the borders of the lake.

Day 4

The valley gets narrow and the road starts to follow the river Taparaco, just like the great royal tambo on this side of the river. The village next to this archaeological site is called Taparaco (which means “large butterfly”). The site consists of over 70 enclosures, but they are unfortunately much deteriorated.

Day 5

The road follows the river and is covered by stones that have rolled down the hills. We walk through a valley filled with native grass, small fields and an ancient history. We will arrive at the village of San Lorenzo de Isco, attractive because of the amount of quenual trees that grow there.

Day 6

From this village on, the Inca Trail splits in two different roads. The western road has a variable width of up to 10 meters, climbs up from San Lorenzo de Isco on the west bank of the Vizcarra river and it is much better than its eastern alternative. It descends to the river and leads straight down to the bridge over the Vizcarra, known as the Huánuco Viejo Bridge, but is now called the Colpa bridge. The original Inca Bridge maintained unchanged until a flood destroyed it in 1980, today a modern bridge has replaced the original one.

From here the trail almost totally disappeared due to the construction of the road from Huallanca to La Unión. The Inka Naani climbs up from the other side of the road, but is difficult to find. But finally it arrives at royal tambo of Huánuco Pampa, nowadays known as the archaeological site of Huánuco Viejo. This complex was a provincial capital and is perhaps the largest Inca site outside the department of Cuzco. It is located on a great puna at 3600 masl with a great view on the surrounding mountains.

Huánuco Marka used to be first-level administrative center, and investigations have shown that it was also an important astrological observation center, and thus important for the organization of agriculture. Because of its importance, this city counts with an impressive Ushnu, and separate housing amenities for the Inca, as well as around 500 colcas; alimentation storage rooms. It’s still possible to see and visit these structures. The construction of the site started in 1460 and its functiones were interrupted by the Spaniards in 1539.

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Inka Naani – Experimental tourism groups

During the years 2004 and 2005 the project concentrates on the development of the local capacities to design and manage tourism products based on giving value to culture and nature. An important component of the methodology is to invite “real tourists” to train with and to improve the capacities of the local families to give services. The knowledge shared by these selected tourists has also helped to develop the “Code of Ethics” of the Inka Naani, amongst others.

During these two years we have had 12 experiences with experimental groups, which have enabled us to try out different programs which help to revalorize the local culture and strengthen the leadership in the communities.

Although this has been a tough experience for almost everyone, they also enjoyed to be the first tourists that participated in this program. Some of the experiences of the experimental tourists are:
 
“I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and being intimate with the Pachamama along the whole trek, walking the steps of the Inca, living simply.”

“I like our time in the communities when we shared with one another. I wish there had been more of this.”

“I liked the trail itself, culturally and historically significancy, a great way to see the real Peru in all its beauty and simplicity. Meeting villagers, learning about their ways of life. Our guides, they were all wonderful.”

“Seeing the change in the land, vegetation as we moved along. The scenery is stunning and beautiful; I loved hearing the local stories about the importance of plants and topographical features. I loved hearing about the traditional Incan uses of the Nani and the ceremony we did to respect the mountains at the highest pass.”

“I loved how the communities welcomed us, they danced and sung and shook our hands and seemed to take their work for us on with pleasure.”

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Program options

For the Inka Naani we identified four different programs. Every program has a letter which serves to see at which date the program departs. Every program also has a maximum amount of participants.

Itinerary A – 4 days   

(Maximum 15 persons)

Day 1:    Lima/Huaraz – San Marcos
Day 2:    San Marcos – Antamina* – Punta Huamanín** – Taparaco
Day 3:    Taparaco - Isco                                                                  
Day 4:    Isco – Colpa – Huanuco Marka* – Lima/Huaraz

The shortest itinerary starts with a trip to San Marcos where we sleep the first night and where we will leave the following day to Punta Huamanín by private transport. We will arrive after about a six hours walk in Taparaco to sleep. The third day we walk to Isco, and the last day we walk to Colpa to go by car to Huanuca Marka. The same day we travel back to Huaraz or Lima.

Itinerary B – 5 days

(Maximum 12 persons)

Day 1:    Lima/Huaraz – Chavín – San Marcos*
Day 2:    San Marcos – Antamina* – Punta Huamanín** – Sacracocha
Day 3:    Sacracocha – Taparaco – Isco
Day 4:    Isco – Colpa – Huanuco Marka**
Day 5:    Huanuco Marka - Lima/Huaraz

The first day we visit Chavín and sleep in San Marcos. From San Marcos we drive to Punta Huamanín and walk to Sacracocha in 2 hours. We sleep in Sacracocha and the next day we walk (approximately six hours) to Isco, passing through Taparaco for lunch. The fourth day we walk from Isco to Huanuco Marka where will we sleep as well. The fifth day we return to Huaraz or Lima.

Itinerary C – 5 days

(Maximum 10 persons)

Day 1:    Lima/Huaraz – Huari*
Day 2:    Huari – Pomachaca – Castillo** – Soledad de Tambo
Day 3:    Soledad de Tambo – San Cristóbal
Day 4:    San Cristóbal – Ayash – Chavín*
Day 5:    Chavín – Lima/Huaraz

The first day we travel to Huari where we will sleep. The next day we go by transport to Castillo and walk to Soledad de Tambo (one hour and a half). The third day we walk in six or seven hours from Soledad to San Cristóbal. The fourth day we descend to Ayash where we our transport will be waiting to take us to Chavín. After a visit to the ruins and one night in Chavín we return to Huaraz or Lima on the fifth day.

Itinerary D – 7 days

(Maximum 10 persons)

Day 1:    Lima/Huaraz – Huari*
Day 2:    Huari – Pomachaca – Castillo** – Soledad de Tambo
Day 3:    Soledad de Tambo – San Cristóbal
Day 4:    San Cristóbal – Ayash – Punta Huamanín** - Sacracocha
Day 5:    Sacracocha – Taparaco/Isco
Day 6:    Taparaco/Isco – Colpa – Huanuco Marka
Day 7:    Huanuco Marka – Lima/Huaraz

This itinerary simply includes all the communities on the Inka Naani: one week filled with fysical activities and intercultural contacts.

*     End of a part that will be done by car
**   End of a part that can be done by car or by foot.

The places that have no asterisk are the parts where one should walk to.

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Prices

We give you two different prices for the Inka Naani project. The first price includes the cost of transport of your trip, the entrance at Chavín (if this is part of your itinerary) and the costs of one day of food and one night in the hostel in San Marcos, Chavín or Huari. Please note that this price is only an indication; the actual costs can vary. The Center Yachaqui Wayi can help you to organize the transport you wish.

The second price is the fixed price which should be paid to the Inka Naani project and includes food and stay in the communities, local guides, animals for the luggage and an emergency horse, and administration costs for Yachaqui Wayi and its field staff, which has to walk to all the communities to notify them of each visit and the amount of travelers.

ving you a clear idea of the costs of your visit to the Inka Naani. For any kind of information please contact the Yachaqui Wayi Center.

The two prices together help gi

Please remember that:

The options are:

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