This post features student writing.

After six hours of a mental and physical hike, the feeling of exhilaration was flowing through all of us.

We walked up the final steps of the Sun Gate, and realized that the pain in our calves and our sore feet was worth it to see the view from atop the mountain. We looked to our left and saw ice caps, to our right was the trail where we started, and the town of Ollanta. Nothing could beat that moment, no matter what our attitude was on the way up — it all changed as soon as we walked through that stone gate.

I personally knew no history about the gate, but I felt like I walked into history. The days in Ollanta were filled with history about the Incas and getting to that peak felt like everything clicked. But by far the best part of the hike was seeing everybody walk through the gate, no matter if you were the first person through or the last, it was worth it. What you can see in this photo is a couple of worn-out bodies but a bunch of quality smiles.

— Eli O.