Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu

Hello again from Cusco!  Today I took a day of rest after 5 days of great hiking, including walking to, from, and all around the amazing, not-so-ancient (1450 AD) city of Machu Picchu.

My wonderful trekking buddies looking fresh on the first day!

The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu consisted of 5 days of walking, 3 nights camping, and 1 night in a hostel the night before going up to Machu Picchu.  Horses carried tents, sleeping pads, food, and 5kg of gear per person (I opted to carry all my gear on my own back), and two guides kept everyone together while providing some interpretive information along the way.

On day 1 (Tuesday 4/22) our group of 19 trekkers from USA, England, Canada, Spain, Holland, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Singapore, Brasil, and Peru arrived at the main square in Cusco at 5am to drive to our starting point in the small town of Mollepata.  I think we all tried to get some extra sleep to get ready for 8hrs of walking uphill.  We ascended 1000m (3300ft) the first day, and it was challenging, but everyone in the group seemed to adjust to the altitude (3900m or 12870ft above sea level) without any problems.  I enjoyed partaking in the local tradition of chewing on Coca leaves throughout the hike, which eases hunger and thirst, and helps with any symptoms related to altitude sickness.  Our first campsite was in the shadow of Salkantay (Wild Mountain in Kichwa), and its ´little´ brother, Umantay (Head Mountain), while the rivers coming from their respective glaciers lulled us to sleep.

Salkantay Pass, where the clouds parted just for us.

After a mediocre night's sleep due to cold temps and thin sleeping pads, we all rose early to hike 3hrs to Salkantay Pass.  As we approached Salkantay, the clouds continued to dissipate, with glaciers and craggy peaks stairing down at us throughout our ascent.  We rose to 4650m (15345ft), and after working hard to get to the top, the mountain air and our sweat quickly cooled us down, requiring us to whip out all our cold weather clothing.  Plenty of glorious photos were taken, and lucky for us, one of our guides led a traditional ceremony of offering and appreciation to the mountain, giving coca leaves, a traditional drink, and a song played on the Kenachu, a large Incan flute.  The rest of the day was a pleasant hike downhill, through rocky terrain (where I saw a Chinchilla!), and eventually dipping back down below the treeline for our second night of camping.

Walking along the Lluksamayu River for much of day 3.

Nothing like hot springs to rejuvenate tired legs!

Day 3 had us walking through rainforest along a beautiful river for most of the morning, with plenty of up and down to keep the hike interesting.  We hiked for 5hrs in the morning, and then took a short van ride to our camping site in the town of Santa Teresa.  Most of us then took another short ride to the nearby hotsprings, a lifesaver for those of us with achy muscles.

Day 4 came with a couple of morning options, either to walk for the first three hours, or to do a zipline tour and get driven to the town of Hidroelectrica to meet the walkers for lunch.  I opted for the zipline option!  Six cables, one over 1200ft long offered great views of the river below, and one line barely skimmed above the trees!  The zippers met up with the walkers for lunch, and we all continued the rest of the way on foot to Aguas Calientes, the hotel/restaurant town that serves as the launching point for Machu Picchu.  All our long walks on this trip made for great conversation with all of the trekkers.  I managed to land in a group of highly intelligent and globally aware world travellers that have inspired me to continue to search for that which makes me happy, and to never stop learning, questioning, and seeking out new experiences.

Saturday morning we woke up before the sun to arrive at the start of the trail to MP before 5am.  A slight drizzle brought out lots of ponchos, and every other person had a headlamp to help with the 1 mile walk that brought us up about 1200ft to the entry gates to the archeological site.  When we arrived inside around 630, the clouds covered everything in sight, giving us a slightly anticlimatic arrival to the cornerstone of our 5 day trip.  Our tour guide led us along the important sites that we could see right in front of us, and we waited patiently for the clouds to part.

After our tour I climbed nearby Huayna Picchu, the big mountain in all the classic MP photos, only to find everything still enveloped in fog and mist.  I waited about 3hrs for the sky to clear, and without any success I continued on the circuit trail that lead around to some caves on the back side of the mountain.  When I got back around to the path that led up to the top, the skies were clearing!  I climbed the mountain again, and even though the pictures only show half the city, I had a great view from the top.  There was another small mountain, Huchuy Picchu, between Huayna Picchu and MP, so naturally I climbed it as well to get a closer view of the city as the skies continued to clear.  By 1:00pm the whole place was visible, and I could walk the ruins with a view of the whole city.  What a great place for a city!  I was glad I chose a long route into the ruins, and walking most of the way made me feel like I 'deserved' the access a bit more than if I had taken a train or bus to get to the top.  Next up is Arequipa and Colca Canyon, and then I will drop down into Chile as far as Santiago.  Peace to all, and talk to you soon!

The best view of Machu Picchu that I managed on Wayna Picchu.

The Incan city in all its glory, with Wayna Picchu looming in the background.