Machu Picchu: What Could Go Wrong?

Machu Picchu has definitely been a high point of our time here in Peru. In a later post we’ll each talk about our favorite memories, but today I want to talk safety at Machu Picchu. 

I can’t speak to life safety hazards associated with the other six of the seven wonders of the world but there is a complete lack of visitor controls when it comes to falls. The whistle guys will blow their whistles and chase people off who sit on any portion of the ruins….but wander to close to the edge of a cliff and nothing happens. 

Well I say nothing happens but that is not quite the truth. One of my LinkedIn contacts is responsible for training the Search and Rescue members of the police department in this area. Couple of fun facts:

• There are no rescues, only body recovery attempts
• Not all bodies are recovered because you just can’t get there from here safely
• Reasons people fall off the cliffs: selfies

I have never seen so many selfie sticks in my life. It’s one thing to be stupid when on flat ground but when there is nothing behind you except an exhilarating 10 second free fall. ( Laws of physics, a person falls y = 0.5 g t² feet, where g is the acceleration due to gravity (32 ft/s² on Earth) and t is the number of seconds in free fall. Substituting, you get 1600 = 0.5 * (32 * 10²)  As you can see after about 10 seconds it is no longer exhilarating so make them count. 

It also is bad form to test the patience of the llamas present at Machu Picchu. Llamas are remarkably sure footed on a variety of terrain because of their unique adapted feet. Humans have no such features. We are supposed to have the greater brain, which if our observations of llama:human interactions are an indicator, llamas may have tourists beat on that one too.

Picture this. You’re a llama, eating grass peacefully. Some loud mouth with friends wants their picture taken with the llama, gets between the cliff edge and llama and rests their arms on the llama’s back. If I were a llama, simple side step or shake of my fur and whoops….there goes Bill.

Tammy has already mentioned the lack of signage and such as it’s all about job creation. Well how about having Peruvians with sharp sticks to poke the tourists away from the llamas? How about having Peruvians with a sharp stick near every ledge to poke the tourists back a step or two?

Tammy and I took the trail to see the Inca Bridge. There was a gate attendant before you took the trail where you had to sign in and sign out so they can give an accurate tally of how many people fall off the side of the mountain each day. There were signs that warned it was narrow. I’m thinking OK, narrow so they’ll put up a railing, a cable a wall, a something to keep you from certain death.

The scenery is amazing but you had to walk with your head down most of the time to make sure your feet stayed on the trail. We talked with one normal appearing family and the husband was taking a photo of his wife with her foot on the edge of the cliff looking over. Blink blink….I’m thinking how many pounds of llama and human carried cargo has passed that spot? How much has the rock degraded over time from the elements? What the heck do they think will happen when their stunt goes bad?

When I think back to all the rocky stairs Tammy and I climbed with no railings or safety lines I have to wonder what these Peruvians are up to. Maybe they are planning on hiring “catchers”. Swarms of people with blankets who will lie in wait at the bottom of the more common swan dive locations. If they catch you, s/200 to get you back to the top. If they miss? It’s unlikely anyone is going to try and go down there anyway.  

Visit Machu Picchu, it’s amazing and hard to capture in photos. But I’d practice my knot tying skills, carry a small length of rope and leave the selfie stick at home.