Peru

Dominating the valley of the Urubamba, the relics of an ancient imperial inca residence fascinate the walkers: the Huchuy Qosqo. The trek of Huchuy Qosqo counts among the most spectacular treks in the south of Peru.

Huchuy Qosqo, or the fortified palace of Viracocha

The region of Cusco has kept many historical monuments that exalt the greatness of the Inca empire. Here is the site of Huchuy Qosqo, which we propose you find in favor of descent in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Is it a cottage of country, a military fortress, or an agricultural domain? The magnificent summer palace of Wiracocha crosses these three types of dwellings. According to scholars' estimates, the site was occupied between the 11th and 16th centuries. The visit will reveal the social organization system of the time, the workers enslaved to work, the chiefs managing great domains, and the women making refined textiles. Ruins of cisterns are to be discovered inside the palace. However, one must be warned that the beauty of Huchuy Qosqo must be earned, and its accessibility is limited. Impossible to get there by road; it can only be reached by a trek reserved for experienced hikers in good physical condition. Notice to the mountain trekking fans who would like to stop time for a cultural visit on the road between Tambomachay and Ollantaytambo!

Historical notes

Although the first traces of human activity on the site date back to the year 1000, Huchuy Qosqo - or Little Cusco - did not house the imperial palace until 1420. Foreigners are the only ones to call it that. The natives kept their original name of Kakya Qawani or Kakya Shakishawana which could be translated as "Lightning Viewpoint."

The lucky owner of the palace was Wiracocha Inca, the eighth ruler of the Inca empire. To acquire excellent goods without oppressing the people, the Inca chiefs resorted to a clever way. Instead of abusing taxes, they controlled the factors of production, especially the land and the work. This system of wealth grabbing is recorded in the memoirs of the Spanish Pedro de Cieza de León, who, at the age of 16, undertook the journey to the New World.

To recruit enough workers for their domain, Wiracocha instituted the mi'tà, a compulsory chore imposed on all kingdom subjects. The toil was not drudgery since people saw it as a testimony of conscious and voluntary submission to the imperial family in exchange for its protection. It was, in fact, the payment of a tax in kind, without forgetting that during the works, the sovereign opened his warehouses and supplied the workers without counting the cost. Another class, the yanakunas, received special treatment. Working full-time in the service of the imperial court, the people of this class were rewarded with an advantageous social position.

In addition to being a magnificent palace, Huchuy Qosqo also served as a citadel. You only have to see the imposing fortifications that protected the villagers from possible attacks. The Inca empire did not exist yet, and the Incas dominated only a relatively restricted space. Neighboring tribes threatened to invade them. This is what happened around 1430. Wiracocha was ready to submit to the Chancas, people of the north jealous of the wealth of their neighbors. The kingdom could have disappeared if Pachacuteq, one of the sons of Wiracocha, had not risen to defend the tiny realm of the Incas, which was reduced to the valley of Cusco, to the plain of Anta, to the plateau of Chinchero and to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Although this was not his favorite, Wiracocha had to give up the throne to Pachacuteq. The palace had the time to age well until 1530, the date of the Spanish conquest when Gonzalo Pizarro sacked it. It then exchanged its residential and military vocation for that of an agricultural farm. As for Pachacuteq, after his victory over the chancas in the battle of "Yawarpampa" (the "Plain of Blood" in Quechua, which today is the pampa of Anta), he took advantage of it to pursue the chancas to their territory and invade them. He thus started the process that would extend what would become the Inca Empire, the Tawantinsuyu.

Walk in the ruins of Huchuy Qosqo.

Perched at 3,600 meters above sea level, the Inca site of Huchuy Qosqo offers a stunning view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Few visitors jostle at the gate. The problematic access to Huchuy Qosqo deprives it of tourist success.

It isn't easy to imagine how Little Cusco looked six hundred years ago. This place of desolation was once a colorful and dashing summer palace. The laughter of children, the noise of steps of the princes and the dignitaries, and the intrigues of the court resounded behind these thick walls.

Upon entering the compound, tourists will be delighted to study the architectural works. The builders used stone and adobe for the walls. Small wells were built to carry water inside the buildings. The function of these wells was the management of water between the dry season and the rainy season. For this purpose, an enormous water tank is still visible behind the Temple of Lightning. This one would go up late, that is to say, after the arrival of the Spaniards. Some Inca buildings were razed for their construction. We also note typical elements of the Inca architecture, such as the "kallanka," rooms of food storage, and "conjeras," cold rooms before the letter.

Practical information

When to visit

The archaeological complex of Huchuy Qosqo can be visited in all seasons, and it is also possible to go there in the rainy season when everything is green and flowery. However, the rains never last very long and are often only "misti manchachiq" (in Quechua: "that scares the man," "misti" about the inhabitants of the cities and nowadays to the gringos).

How to get there

There are no roads to reach Huchuy Qosqo. An attempt was made to build a road from Calca, but the vegetation took over again, and the road was too dangerous and prone to "huaycos" (landslides). The municipality of Lamay, motivated by a spirit of competition with the city of Calca and considering that the site is on its territory, also immediately tried to create a road to reach the area and began the work with a bulldozer without prior studies. But, of course, the road project never came to fruition, stopped short by the imposing cliffs above Huchuy Qosqo. The site is accessible from Tambomachay on the heights of Cusco on a beautiful day of the walk, but especially from the small community of Patabamba, where we arrive by car in one hour and a half from Cusco.

The trek of Huchuy Qosqo

The path passes on the side of the mountain at 800 m above the Sacred Valley of the Incas, sometimes on a balcony trail, sometimes in zig-zag to pass the pass and to arrive at the village of Pukamarca where an ancient Inca Tambo allows to make a well-deserved picnic break. The "Tambo" (stage of the Inca roads) is on the Inca way, which left Cusco and joined the palace of Wiracocha Inca. From Pukamarca, we follow the recently restored Inca royal road that passes through the gorge of "Leónpunku," where the Inca path is genuinely magnificent. Finally, the trail leads to the majestic site of Huchuy Qosqo. We usually leave the next day for the community of Taucca near Chinchero or to go down in the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the village of Lamay, two places from where it is also possible to go. The trek from Huchuy Qosqo generally takes 2 to 4 days.

It is possible to go down to Lamay and then up the slope facing Huchuy Qosqo, continuing to stay with the locals in Huayllafara, Paru Paru, and Amaru communities. From this last one, it is possible to pass a pass to go down to Pisaq, arriving directly at the sector of the tombs of the archaeological site.

In the surroundings

Did you like the trek of Huchuy Qosqo? Other routes are waiting to be visited, combining the patrimonial visit with spectacular panoramas:

• Lares trekking routes.
• The Vilcanota and Carabaya mountain trekking routes range for the more athletic accessible from the villages of Tinki or Ocongate or even from Pitumarca near Checacupe.
• The trek of Choquequirao, which also allows you to sink in the Vilcabamba mountain range by the pass of Choquetacarpo or to join Machu Picchu through Yanama Pass.