Stairs of Death - FULL ENTIRE HIKE - Wayna (Huayna) Picchu at Machu Picchu, Peru

Full entire hike up Wayna (Huayna) Picchu's Stairs of Death at Machu Picchu, Peru.

[TDawson]

Great video. I climbed Huayna Picchu in November for my 70th birthday, along with my sister who is 72. Since I am from Colorado, I didn't have as much trouble with the altitude, but my sister is from Georgia and had to acclimate in order to do the climb. Her doctor prescribed Diamox to assist her with the altitude. It was the most memorable hike for me. Thanks for reminding me of this hike.

[iquitos]

I've been to Machu Picchu/Huayna Picchu 4 times back in the mid '90s.Once I went with a group and 3 times I took small groups with me. It looks a lot different now. Lots more safety stuff and way too many rules. We would go early morning and just hang out, go where we wanted when we wanted and head back in late afternoon. The heavy breathing reminds me of just what a bear climbing Huayna Picchu is. On a couple of trip I took teen age kids from the jungle area with me. They were so blown away, almost crying at times saying, "Our people did this." So proud of their heritage. Folks wonder how the Inca did this. Get to know the local people from the area, they're barrel chested, their lungs acclimating since birth to the altitude. They are tough, hard working people, very admirable individuals. I'm getting too close to my 80's to do it again but for anybody young enough Go There! Its amazing. On the bus trip down a little boy would wave to us at each of the hairpin turns, then he'd run straight down the mountain side to meet us at the next turn. When the bus got to the bottom the driver would stop to let the boy ride the rest of the way. Everybody on board gave the kid a few Sols (Peruvian Currency). Their little butts were exhausted but it brought in good money for their families. I talked with one of the boys who sat by me, gave him snack food and a drink. Amazing little guys. All of Peru is full of surprises, different environments different kind of folks but all of them great to get to know. Be generous to folks, their lives are much harder than our own. Go there with an open mind and leave your reality at home, experience their reality when you can...Mind blowing!

[jimfaust]

Thanks for posting this on behalf of us who will never see it in person. Awesome job.

[AvalexLLC]

In my opinion, Puru is far more impressive than Egypt and the great pyramids. What it may lack in quantity is made up with quality. The stone work is an absolute impressive bewilderment that escapes the imagination like no other. And the secrets that it holds of earth and man's ancient past is a riddle that I often contemplate. How many times have civilizations risen and fallen over 10's of thousands of years and the knowledges that have been lost and regained, with some just being absolutely lost! The abundance that it takes to spend such efforts on such grand endeavors and scale in otherwise seemingly unproductive places makes me wonder if it was truly out of spirituality or nessesity.
Thanks for the post. Great job! That is a difficult hike!

[donnawoodley]

Cool video. I hiked in for 3-4 days to Machu Picchu in 2009 but didn't have time to do this. Now I can see what I missed! Incredible place. Most people who come in on the train don't understand the journey of the trail is the best part - I believe it is truly sacred. I'll never forget the feeling I had throughout - unlike any other trip. I wish I could complete it again but at 60 I might be too old.

[tuberhubris]

Thanks for the video! I went up Huayna Picchu back in 1994 or so, when I was much younger. I had completed the Inka trail the day before and by 1 pm I was done with walking around Machu Picchu so I proceeded to the Stairs of Death. Do not remember any chains along the way. Still, it 's a hard climb but I was in good shape and acclimatized. The view from the top was glorious and I remember the swallows flying about the chasm. That side of Huayna Picchu is terrifying, as if someone with a mighty knife sliced it all the way down to the Urubamba river, which, from that height, looks like a brown thread winding its way around the mountains. It looks they fixed up the lookout at the top, when I was there the top was a bunch of rocks you had to climb to have the view. A few years later I went back and my father came along with me. I was itching to do Huayna Picchu again but he wanted to go up with me. I took a look at his leather soled shoes and I told him that I was not feeling well. Too bad, missed my chance, I am glad your dad made it. I also filmed my way to the top, aYouTube

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[shooter]

We were at Machu Picchu July 19, 2022. Unbelievable beauty! They are only allowing 400 people per day to climb now. Get your reservation in early!!

[SarahAndrews]

Omg, this is what I was looking for, the entire hike up wayna pichcu, I was skipping one vlog after another where the vloggers kept the camera focused mostly on themselves, this is tough but I guess I can do it, a very big thanks and a bigger smile, this video is spectacular!

[cristinaabudayyeh]

I'm just so glad to see this video !!!! I will not even dare to walk a step into it...This is way too adventurous for me....
Thanks for posting...I got so short of breath watching you hike every step of the stairs....

[SocialNetArchitecks]

WOWZR! You all made that look Challenging but fun! You father made all us dads proud! I lived in Hawaii where i had plenty of hills to climb, but i moved to Brazil which is below sea level. So Im sure i would have to prepare my body and mind for that climb! But maybe one i will share a link of me and my two boys making this climb! Thanks for sharing!

[adrianruiz]

Climbed this today, some of the stuff was roped off so I couldn’t see too much of the ruins up there, but the hike was genuinely terrifying. It was raining and cloudy and nobody told me how high it went so i just kept going, slipped twice going back down. It was also super windy up top, stayed for about 10 minutes before I headed back down.

[Emy]

I can hear very breath you took. I couldn't do it at my age, but doubt I would have wanted to do it at any age. I am happy to watch this video, and by the way...I am already out of breath just watching. It's beautiful and spectacular. Thank you.

[cinnful]

Ever since I found the gigapixel picture of Machu Picchu and subsequently looking into the distance of the higher cliffs and seeing stairways I've always wanted to see what it would be like, thank you for the upload, gives me something to add to the bucket list. Would love to take my kids and grandkids on this trek someday. What a magical place.

[glendacimino]

astonishing = thank you so much for recording this hike I would never be able to make.

[mrsoikawa]

Where is the section at 30:10? That's not an essential part of the climb is it? I didn't see it in the actual video

[cnelsen]

This might be the most impressive/terrifying video on YouTube. Congrats on your amazing climb.

[frogsmoker]

A few changes on the trail since I was there: the remnants of a stone building which was not there at all, the trail going thru a small tunnel, the addition of a few new trails with direction signage. The top had huge rocks to climb up on to get a bird's eye view of Machu Picchu far below. A good climb but well worth the views.

[brandonox]

Imagine building all of that. Holy crap

[jimgriffiths]

Millions upon millions of perfect stones. Where did they come from? Anyone who has actually built a stone wall by hand knows that finding the right rock is extremely difficult, and this was done on a mountain peak. Mind blowing!

[chivy]

So spectacular, thank you for the great trip, stay safe!