Evolution Treks Peru completed the first women-only trek in Machu Picchu
After a long period of closure in 2020, Macchu Picchu it slowly began to welcome those avid travelers who wanted to succumb to grand views and magnetic scenery. But on this occasion history has also been made, because just a few weeks ago the first all-women walk. Yes, porters, travelers and a photographer , all together have embraced a unique moment at the summit that stands out for its singular archaeological beauty and inconceivable nooks and crannies.
Before letting ourselves be enveloped by such a feat, let's go back to the beginning, to 2016, when Rudi Gongora, Miguel Gongora, Amelia Huaraya and three more porters decided to start the travel company Evolution Treks Peru. Mobilized by the lack of good working conditions for porters in their old companies and after working for more than 25 years as Tourist guides , finally decided to set up a business under a vision of equality, fair pay and respect.
Travelers, porters and a photographer in search of the top
"I have always had the conviction that nothing can be called sustainable if women are not taken into account . It is an incoherent social point of view. I had the idea of women porters for about ten years, when I worked for a company. At that time I had shared the concept with my boss and she wanted to, but she had a macho husband, who believed that it was not a profitable business option. So when the company was created, that became more latent," says Miguel Gongora in a Zoom interview for Traveler.es.
However, everything was a real challenge when creating the company, not only because of the infinity of tasks and bureaucracy that setting up a company entails, but also because many of those who were summoned at that time felt somewhat reticent about it, and ended up rejecting the proposal. "We invited dozens of porters and guides to join our project but they didn't want to, who knows their reasons."
Thus, after establishing themselves, they decided to give life to the concept that values the place that women should always have occupied on the Inca Trail and in Machu Picchu. "After two years of being the only company that hires women carriers constantly, we decided to take it to a higher level by creating the treks to Machu Picchu only for women "Michael emphasizes.
Evolution Treks Peru trained porters to travel the Inca Trail
Seeking to distance himself from other projects that were using the banner of women's empowerment just to monetize it, Miguel approached the Andean native women to tell them of his vision, but after training them for a period of six months to be porters on the Inca Trail , when it comes to processing permits, fathers and husbands were in disagreement. "It was a total disappointment."
However, being strong women, the story could never end there. "What message are we going to give to the rest of the women?" they mentioned, and only one of them stepped forward, actually the leader, saying that she wanted to do it. With this experience, Evolution Treks Peru managed to summon more women.
Although there are many women who have permits today, not all of them have gone through the inca trail . Lucía and Sara, two tour guides, were trained by Evolution Treks Peru, and became in 2018 the first female porters to traverse Dead Woman's Pass . "What happened is that Sara and Lucía, in a metaphorical way, bring the dead woman back to life, because never before has a female carrier he had. They said that it was not for women, that it was only for men.
At the beginning of the previous year, 300 women were registered to work as porters, and 42 of them were part of Evolution Treks Peru . With this data, Women Only Inca Trail Tours It was going to be launched in February 2020, but the pandemic caused by the coronavirus put a stop to this movement.
The Inca City constituted the final stretch of the route
THE FIRST WALK ONLY FOR WOMEN IN MACHU PICCHU
After overcoming challenges and complications due to the restrictions of each country, on April 5, a small group of travelers, porters and a photographer ventured into the first trek only for women in Machu Picchu . Once on the road Huchuy Qosqo , the Two-day Inca Trail , camped in the community of ccorccor , then they ascended to the highest point, the Wallata pass, they descended to Leon Punku by a stone path built by the Incas and during the second night of the tour they camped in the Inca city of Huchuy Qosqo , with majestic views of the sacred valley of the Incas.
From Huchuy Qosqo they moved to the town of Lamay, rested in the camp in Urubamba and, during the fourth day of the expedition, headed towards Chachabamba, located within the Historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu . On April 9, the Puerta del Sol and the Inca City constituted the final stretch of the tour.
Sara and Lucía were the designated porters for lead the first walk , but they did not manage to arrive on time and, instead, other women were in front of the route, being, in this case, their first time in visit machu picchu.
The experience you can be part of in Machu Picchu
"The goal is to solidify the presence of female porters on the road once and for all . We want to force operators to hire women and pay them the same as men. We want customers to book with companies that do these things on a regular basis. Every group that goes out on the Inca Trail and other routes must have at least one woman in them. In addition, we want the porters and the men to have fair working conditions : receive adequate camping equipment, (the same quality of equipment as the travelers), adequate food (the same quality of food as the travelers) and more integration between visitors and locals," Miguel told Traveler.es
This year, and from October, the Experience Women Only Inca Trail Tours It will be available once a month, while in 2022 they hope to carry it out once a week. The tour includes a bilingual tour guide, roundtrip transportation, entrance fees to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu , meals, tents for 2 people and oxygen bottle.
"We want this model to be replicated around the world where porters do this work: Nepal, Tanzania, Pakistan and other places," he concludes.