Rainbow Mountain

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Rainbow Mountain 1The Rainbow Mountain otherwise known as Motaña de Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colors) or Vinicunca (original Quechua name of the location – kunka means ‘neck’ in English) is stunning. The sedimentation of different minerals and the geological forces that lifted the peaks to 5,100m (16,732 ft.) resulted in a truly spectacular view that visitors from near and far come to experience. No need to be an expert outdoor person, however the hike to the top is challenging, so this trip requires good acclimatization – at least full 48 hours in Cusco altitude – and some preparation.

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Machu Picchu Mountain

Posted By : admin/ 1613 1

South America, Peru, Machu Picchu, Horizontal November 2006. "Dragoman" are an overland adventure holiday company that offer trips to most parts of the world with holidays varying from 2 weeks to 6 months. In Peru part of the trip includes the Inca Trail - this is a trekking "holiday" that will generally be anything from 1 to 7 days where the route and difficulty will vary and end at Machu Picchu. This picture was taken from a high view point at the sun gate to give a better overview. Machu Picchu - sometimes called the "Lost City of the Incas" is a well-preserved pre-Columbian Inca ruin located at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) on a mountain ridge. Machu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 70 km (44 mi) northwest of Cuzco. Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to international attention by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham who rediscovered it in 1911, and wrote a best-selling work about it. Peru is pursuing legal efforts to retrieve thousands of artifacts that Bingham removed from the site. Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire and since 1983 the site has been designated as a United Nations Educational World Heritage Site and has been the subject of concern about damage caused by tourism.It is thought that the city was built by the Sapa Inca Pachacuti, starting in about 1440, and was inhabited until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532. Archaeological evidence shows that Machu Picchu was not a conventional city, but a country retreat town for Inca nobility (similar to the Roman villas). The site has a large palace and temples dedicated to Inca deities around a courtyard, with other buildings for support staff. It is estimated that a maximum of only about 750 people resided in Machu Picchu at any one time, and probably only a small fraction of that number lived in the town during the rainy season and when none of the nobility were visiting.It is thought that the siteMachu Picchu citadel sits between two mountains: the Young Peak – Huayna Picchu and the less famous Old Peak – Machu Picchu Mountain or Cerro Machu Picchu. This mountain located opposite to Huayna Picchu on the other side of Machu Picchu between the city itself and Inti Punku – Sun Gate, which is the entrance point to Machu Picchu Citadel from the Classic Inca Trail trekking route. The location of Machu Picchu Mountain offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Inca Citadel, Huayna Picchu, Putucusi Mountain, the River Urubamba, and the surrounding landscape with the snowy Andean peaks in the background.

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