Monday, August 10, 2026 - 8:38 pm PT

We made it to Machu Picchu today! Through the Sun Gate, down into the citadel, six days of trail behind us and somehow it still didn’t feel real once we were standing there.

After the downpour yesterday and all through the night, we figured we were done for, views-wise. We hiked up this morning in intermittent rain and heavy clouds. By the time we reached the Sun Gate, it was fully socked in. Nothing. We played the mind games anyway, telling the clouds they’d never clear, half-hoping that saying it out loud would jinx them into doing exactly that. Eventually we gave up and started the descent into Machu Picchu.

About a minute after we took off, the clouds started opening up. And then there it was, the whole citadel and the mountains around it, in and out of this mystical fog like it was showing off on purpose.

We took a stupid number of photos and celebrated like we’d won something, because we had. This whole trip has been extremes: cloud forests and downpours, dust and dry high altitude, brutal trail days to long quiet nights in a tent. Somehow it all resolved into that one minute of clearing sky.

Tonight we’re in Aguas Calientes, showered, fed, and saving what’s left of our legs for one final hike tomorrow.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Machu Picchu team