Adventure Advisor:

Most travelers to the Inca Trail pick it up at the Km 88 train stop on their way from Cuzco. But you can extend your trip to Machu Picchu by three or four incredibly scenic and much less crowded days by starting instead at Mollepata.

The bumpy, dusty bus ride from Cuzco to Mollepata takes about five hours. The town itself is not set up for tourists--there isn't even a hotel. So it's not a bad idea to start your trek as soon as you get there.

From Mollepata, you'll hike past the impressive Salcantay glacial range to the town of Huayllabamba ("grassy plain"), where you connect with the Inca Trail. This may be where your peaceful isolation ends, but that's no reason to divert your course. Hiking through cloud forests from ruin to ruin tends to help you forget about the tourist density.

If you plan to explore other trails on your own, the South American Explorers Club is a great resource for detailed maps. You can also connect with tour operators that lead treks all over Peru. Amazonia Expeditions (800-262-9669, www.perujungle.com) runs cloud forest camping expeditions led by natural history experts.

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