Aug. 8, 2002

LIMA, Peru - Peruvian authorities have temporarily closed the Inca Trail to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu because of heavy snow and mist along the mountainous hiking route, an official said Thursday.

Moises Cuba, a spokesman for the National Culture Institute, said the trail would likely reopen within two weeks after the unusual wintry weather in southeastern Peru subsides. In the meantime, authorities have opened an alternative trek to Machu Picchu.

Thousands of tourists every year hike the four-day Inca Trail, a route cleared by the pre-Hispanic empire that leads to the stone-block citadel of Machu Picchu. The hike crosses three mountain passes and goes by several secondary Incan ruins. Some trail sections are still paved with original Incan stonework.

July and August are peak hiking months because weather in those months is normally clear and sunny in Peru's Andes mountains.

Machu Picchu, a meticulously restored hilltop complex that sits amid jungle-shrouded mountains, is Peru's top tourist attraction. The Incans ruled Peru until the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.

An abbreviated two-day hike to Machu Picchu also used by many tourists remains open, Cuba said.

Heavy snow made parts of the four-day hike too treacherous for tourists, particularly at one 13,500-foot (4,100-meter) mountain pass, Cuba said.

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