Along the heights above the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a footpath of stone and earth winds across the mountains, and this is one tiny part of one of the greatest road systems ever built. The Qhapaq Ñan was the road network of the Inca empire, some thirty thousand kilometres of trail linking the coast, the Andes and the forests of what are now six countries. UNESCO listed it in 2014, and the Cusco region, the heart of the empire, has some of the best-preserved stretches, many of them with the original stone paving, steps cut into the rock and retaining walls that have survived five centuries of rain.
The road was a political tool as much as a trade route. Runners, the chasqui, carried messages in relay along it, and the army could march quickly from one end of the empire to the other. There were storehouses and rest stops along the way, and since the Incas had no wheeled vehicles, the paths are built for feet and llamas, with long flights of steps on steep sections.
None of this is a motorcycle road, of course; these segments are for walking. The bike gets you to the valley. Urubamba, at about 2,800 metres, is the natural base, with Calca, Pisac and Ollantaytambo along the same river. The highway through the valley is generally good tarmac, with long bends, mountain views and a lot of local traffic, including buses, trucks and mototaxis. Higher roads, including the climb over Abra Málaga, which reaches over four thousand metres, are far more demanding, with mist, hairpins and landslides in the rainy season, from November to March. The dry season from May to September is the best time, with brilliant mornings and very cold nights.
Fuel and supplies are easiest in Urubamba and Calca, towns of several thousand people. Choclo, the giant-kernel Andean corn, served with a slice of fresh cheese, is the classic roadside snack, and a pot of coca tea is a gentle help against altitude. Take your time, acclimatise for a couple of days before riding high, and respect the weather, which changes quickly in the mountains.