So 2011 is a big year for Peru, it’s 100 years since the Inca city Machu Picchu was “discovered”. I say discovered in inverted commas because it was around for hundreds of years before then, but in 1912, an American professor by the name of Hiram Bingham came to Peru in search of the last hiding place of the Incas, following the conquest by the Spanish. He arrived at the ruins to find a couple of local farmers living there, but the discovery was still attributed to Bingham. In the end, they realised that Machu Picchu wasn’t the fabled last hiding place, but it did become a very special part of South American history.

Since then, Machu Picchu has been a top destination for hundreds of thousands of travellers. Whether it is luxury travellers taking the train from Cuzco, or intrepid backpackers taking on the Inca Trail through the Andes. Quest teams have always tried to make this, the finale to many of our expeditions, that little bit more memorable. Whether it be walking the trek in tailor made suits, white water rafting to the start of the trail or trekking through rarely visited routes before taking on the trail itself, it has always been something to remember. Who know’s what this 100th birthday year will bring!

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