We have just completed the four day and three night Inca trail to Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) and it was absolutely amazing, even if the second and third day we couldn't see much due to the clouds and rain.

The trek is four days covering 42km but it could easily be covered in 3 days . The first day is an easy 12km to camp with a stop at an Inca site for a look round, this is a warm up for the second day. While the second leg is just 10km it involves climbing to 4,200m over Dead Woman´s Pass, which was very cold, very wet and very, very steep up various sized steps, some so large you have to jump up them. We set off at 7.10am. As there are no ruins to view on this day we are allowed to go ahead all the way to camp at our own pace with the guide following in the rear. Myself and the three guys in our group (the other chap has opted to do a different trek, Lares trek) push off and bust our guts to get to camp as soon as we can due to the weather. We stop three times and two of us arrive at 10.50am, a few minutes later the other two arrive. We are some 20 minutes ahead of our porters, a first so we are told. These porters carry all of our equipment on their backs and literally run up hills and skip down the other side, it is frightening. Apparently the fastest someone ever did the whole trail was 3 hours and 45, he was a porter, though they didn't make him carry anything when we he set the record . Taking away our three stops totalling 50 minutes we made leg 2 in 2 hours and 50 - the guy that set the record for the whole 42km trek must be super human as we were pushing it big time and only covered 10km. We take shelter and play cards until everyone else arrives between 1pm and 2pm.

We are fed like kings every day, breakfasts of pancakes and porridge, two course lunches and three course dinners. We pile back on the calories that we burned during the day. The 2nd night was much colder and Julie and I get snuggled up in our two man tent. The following morning we have 17km to cover and three Inca sites to visit, it rains pretty hard for a couple of hours in the morning and we get sodden. Thankfully that nights campsite has showers and also a bar. After dinner we present our guides, cooks and porters with tips and all share a beer. It is a great comaraderie moment. We are ready for the big day.

Justin (the Aussie) and me want to climb Waynapichchu (new mountain), on the postcard shots it is the giant gherkin looking mountain in the background of Machu Picchu, but there is only 400 tickets handed out each day due to safety issues and you have to get there early to get one . The climb is very, very steep, slippy and dangerous and our guide shares some stories of horrible injuries from falls but from what we have heard the views are amazing. We aren't put off, Justin and myself steel ourselves to get there as soon as we can once we set off on the last 6km stretch at 5.30am the next day.

After a wake up at 4am we head to the checkpoint, which opens at 5.30 am for the last stretch. I kiss Julie goodbye and Justin and I set off like trains, passing the two groups that were ahead of us in the queue and make the Sun Gate in 30 minutes. Machu Picchu is much bigger than I envisaged and much higher too, it rides above the valley like the hull of ship with cliff faces on either side acting as giant green waves. At the Sun Gate we were treated to a spectacularly clear view. We push on down and within minutes clouds descend on the site, we were lucky we had gotten there when we did as 5 minutes later it was like a white blanket had been put over the area. We arrive at the upper part of the site and the "Guardhouse" after another 30 minutes . As we arrive the clouds part again as if realising visitors have arrived and the show must begin.

From here the view is spell-binding and kicks what little oxygen I have left in my lungs out. Waynapicchu looks down on the site and it reminds us of our first task to get a ticket to be able to climb to the top. We head to the main gate get our admission authorised and rush across the site to the Waynapichu gate to get our ticket. We are the first trekkers there but so many people have already arrived direct via bus that there isn't too many left, so it was definitely a good plan to get their early. We head back to the Guardhouse to wait on our group, who arrive a short while later and I get some pictures with Julie.

After many, many more pictures we get our guided tour, which is fascinating. We learn about why things were built a certain way, how different stones and finishes were used on different buildings, the water systems, the astrology areas of the site and why they believe the city was evacuated, it is thought it was due to a contagious disease such as small pox . After the tour ends, our bodies stiff and weary the group goes for a wander round, bar Justin and I as we start our climb of Waynapicchu.

It was tough, may be worse than the second day in terms of intensity, parts are done almost on hands and knees. If Bolivia has the "death road" then perhaps this is Peru's answer, "the death climb". The drops are unforgiving, straight 500m falls, may be more. Every so often the narrow steps provide a handrail, which is a life saver as the rain of previous days has made it desperately slippy. We make it to the top, lungs bursting, for a unique view of the Condor shaped site. I daren't look straight down, vertigo would set in, so I look across at the rainforest surroundings and Machu Picchu, the pain was definitely worth it.

After negotiating our way down we go to meet Julie and take another look around the site. At 1pm we head down on the local buses to Aguas Calientes, seven hours. A superb, never forgotten day and trek. This is why we travel.