Adult Adventures: Discover the Mystery and Wonder of Machu Picchu

One of the greatest legacies that the Incas bestowed to mankind is the archeological wonder of Machu Picchu. The ruins of this once-great city are situated 8,000 feet above sea level on a ridge overlooking Peru’s Urubamba Valley. Archeologists believe that the Incas built “Old Peak” as an estate for Emperor Pachacuti. The Incas abandoned the site during the time of the Spanish Conquest in the early 1500s. Although located only 50 miles from the Incan capital of Cusco, Machu Picchu was not discovered or plundered by the conquistadors. It provides a rare perspective into the culture of the Inca civilization.

The ancient citadel remained unknown to the outside world until Hiram Bingham, a historian from Yale, discovered the site in 1911. This amazing urban environment is located in a beautiful setting amidst a pristine mountain forest. The site consists of three districts known as Sacred, Popular and Nobility.

There are temples, homes and storehouses in this ancient community. An adult adventure travel excursion with Moondance Adventures provides a remarkable opportunity for visitors to learn how the builders used ashlar, an innovative masonry technique. This is a process where stones are precisely cut so that they hold together without the aid of mortar or concrete. Archeologists don’t know how the laborers moved the massive stone blocks. There are hundreds of flights of stairs. Some of the structures are carved from a single granite slab.

During the adult Machu Picchu trip with Moondance, you can see the Intihuatana Stone. It is one of the last remaining Incan ritual rocks. Scientists believe that it served as an astronomical clock or calendar. Visitors participating in one of the summer programs will see the Room of the Three Windows, the Temple of the Sun and the Royal Tomb. There is evidence that an irrigation system supplied water to the homes. The natural setting encompasses a rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Machu Picchu is one of the most important cultural sites in South America and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, this majestic, primeval city became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Over the years, Moondance Adventures has offered several adult programs in addition to the dozens of programs the company runs for teens during the summer months. Other Moondance adult programs have included a Wind River Range expedition in Wyoming as well as a Pacific Northwest sea kayaking tour, a mountaineering expedition to Mount Rainier in Washington State and a Kilimanjaro expedition in Tanzania, Africa.

About Moondance Adventures
Founded by Hayes Hitchens in 1996, Moondance Adventures is a teen outdoor adventure travel program offering a wide variety of 13-23 day experiences including community service and wilderness-based leadership opportunities. Headquartered in Asheville, NC, Moondance offers 17 co-ed, non competitive teen summer adventure programs for teenagers ages 12-18. Moondance provides fun, education and character-building with each program’s curriculum. Moondance has been has been conducting unique adult and teen summer camp adventures in many of the finest teen adventure travel areas in the world with courses offered in Africa, Central America, Europe, North America and South America.