The management of Machu Picchu Archeological Park has announced that the trails on Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain will be temporarily closed in order to facilitate important maintenance. The work to be done will focus on the Incan sustaining walls, platforms, and niches as well as the modern, rustic stairways that assist on near-vertical segments of the trails.
To avoid inconveniencing travelers who may already have their hiking passes for either of these two popular peaks, both of which offer stunning views overlooking the ruins of Machu Picchu, the work has been scheduled for April 2016. According to Fernando Astete, who manages the site, the Huayna Picchu trails will close from April 1st through 15th, while the Machu Picchu Mountain trails will close from April 16th through 30th.
Currently, specialists from Dircetur, the agency charged with managing various historical and cultural sites in the region, have been undertaking limited and punctual work in order to maintain the trails' stone elements, such as ancient steps and paving. However, said work has become increasingly complicated due displacement caused by hundreds of daily visitors. A detailed evaluation of the state of conservation of the trail convinced Dircetur and Mr. Asteste that the sales of hiking passes would have to be temporarily suspended for a couple of weeks for each trail. From this point onward, the dates mentioned earlier will no longer be available on the machupicchu.gob.pe website.
The advance notice, and the selection of a low-tourism month, should limit the amount of visitors who will be negatively impacted by the closure.
