I first met explorer John Leivers at South American Explorers in 2007.
Like many visitors to the clubhouse in urban Miraflores, he was dressed as if just about to embark on an expedition to search for El Dorado - breathable fabrics, khaki colours, wide-brimmed hat and a well-worn rucksack that did not leave his back. But unlike other visitors, this really was the uniform of his day job!
Since his first visit to Peru in 1991, the Australian has travelled the length and breadth of the country, working as an expedition leader and 're-discovering' pre-Columbian archaeology.
John Leivers with group at ruins of Inca tambo on Qhapaq Ñan.
His name has also cropped up in a number of books written by authors and researchers looking for a rugged, reliable and knowledgeable guide in their quest to understand Peru before the Spanish Conquest:
Hugh Thomson’s 2002 classic The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland detailing the search for Llactapata, a ruin within sight of Machu Picchu.
In Turn Right At Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time (2012), US travel writer Mark Adams hires Leivers’ services to assist with retracing the steps of Hiram Bingham on his famed and perilous 1911 journey, which resulted in the ‘discovery’ of Machu Picchu.
Our second meeting was a whole 10 years later, at Lima Cricket & Football Club; but I immediately recognised John from his unchanging explorer look!
He revealed that his upcoming adventure was to walk from Tomebamba in Ecuador to Cusco in Peru, following the route of the Qhapaq Ñan, a vast system of traditional roads that connected all sections of the Inca Empire.
John Leivers walking Qhapaq Ñan.
130 days after setting out, John Leivers and his group arrived in Cusco having walked nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km) following the Longitudinal Highland Highway section of the Inca road network.
Their expedition had aimed to:
Create awareness about this ancient route.
Promote its historical and cultural legacy.
Provide a push to the development of tourism in cooperation with the local communities that live along the route of the Qhapaq Ñan.
Explorer, trekkers & local kids at Huanuco Pampa.
The first fruit of this tourism initiative is a new five-day trek, with llamas doing the heavy lifting, on a rarely-visited section between Castillo in the Department of Ancash and Huanuco Pampa in the Department of Huanuco.
A video diary of the 130-day hike on the Qhapaq Ñan.