Serious birders should definitely get a hold of Birds of the High Andes, by Jon Fjeldså and Niels Krabbe. One of the best birding trips is from Ollantaytambo to Santa Teresa or Quillabamba, over Abra Málaga. This provides a fine cross section of habitats from 4600m to below 1000m. Englishman Barry Walker, owner of the Cross Keys pub (p251), is a self-confessed ‘birding bum’ and the best resident ornithologist to give serious birders plenty of enthusiastic advice. He has writ- ten a field guide, The Birds of Machu Picchu, and runs a tour agency, Birding in Peru, for bird-watching trips all around Peru, as well as into Bolivia and Chile.

Other Activities

The via ferrata – ‘Iron Way’ in Italian – is a series of ladders, holds and bridges built into a sheer rockface. First developed in the Italian Alps in WWII, it’s a great way for reasonably fit people with no previous experience to ex- perience rock climbing. The Sacred Valley Via Ferrata (%984-11-2732; www.naturavive.com; per person S150), located amid stunning scenery in the Sacred Valley, was constructed and operated by rock-climbing and high-mountain profes- sionals. It features a 300m vertical ascent, a heart-hammering hanging bridge 200m above the valley floor, and a 100m rappel. Active, adrenaline-pumping fun. The price includes pickup and drop-off in Cuzco or Urubamba, rock climbing and lunch.