Days – 6 – 10
Moderate Salkantay Trek! Private group
5 days/4 nights
70 km – 43.5 miles
Elevation 6,233’ – 15,091’
Includes
- Transport from Valley to Hike start (apprximately 1.5 hour drive)
- All meals with the exception of breakfast on the first day (we will take a bag lunch from hotel)
- Coca tea served every morning (highly recommended, helps with altitude acclimatization – If you cannot or prefer not to have it, we recommend you bring a tea of your choice. There will be alternatives, including chamomile, mint and Muña, and Andean mint)
- Boiled H20 and snacks
- Bilingual Guide
- All camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, camp pillow, air mat, etc.) Recommend you bring a liner for the first couple of nights since it will get cold.
- Large dining tent
- Andean toilet – highly recommended you bring TP with you. while it will be provided at our camps, TP is not always available during the hike or in remote restrooms
- Horses/mules to carry equipment
- A Dry Bag for your belongings – will will provide you with a duffle bag (limit 8 kilos per person) to stash the items you will need at our campsites, including changes of clothing, toletries, etc.
- First Aid kit, including O2 monitor and O2 bottle
- Access to private property along the way
- Train transport to Aguas Calientes or Vertikal zipline ticket
- Entry to Machu Picchu
- Guided visit to Machu Picchu Sanctuary
- Bus to and from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
- Train ticket back to Ollantaytambo
Does not include
- Breakfast on 1st day
- Lunch on the last day
- Trekking poles (can be rented or purchased isn Cusco – recommend you bring your own)
- Entry to Huayna Picchu (We recommend you purchase this even if you think you may not climb the peak)
- Horseback Riding (Additional Cost)
- Tips (Cook, guide, driver)
Day 6, Hike # 1- Valley – Soraypampa, Laguna Humantay, Slakantay Base Camp
Meals: Includes Lunch and Dinner
Accommodations: Camping
Max altitude: 12,000ft
Min altitude: 9,300ft
Distance: 8.5 miles
We will get picked up at around 5 am from the hotel for a 1.5-hour drive to Soraypampa. During the drive we will see the Salkantay and Veronica snow peaks, both important ancient Inca Apu (mountain in quechua) Gods. We will also get some spectacular views of the sacred valley below. Our first stop will be in the small town of Mollepata, where we can have some last minute snacks and a simple breakfast at La Casona De David. The drive will continue to Soraypampa, the starting point of the trek. From Soraypampa we will head out on the first leg of our trek, an arduous hike to Lake Humantay (13,800ft). Once at the lagoon we’ll have an opportunity to see the Humantay Glacier before continuing to our first to camp for dinner. Our camp site is located in a glacial valley just below Salkantay. If we are lucky we will be able to see the Milky Way in all its glory.
Day 7, Hike #2 – Soraypampa – Salkantay Pass – Huayramachay – Chaullay
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accomodations: Camping
Max Altitude: 15,000ft
Min Altitude: 9,500ft
Distance: 14 miles
We’ll start very early to head to highest point of our trek. This will be the most difficult part of our hike, but likely the most rewarding, reaching the 15,000ft Abra Sakantay is a tremendous accomplishment! For those who want it, we’ll get some coca tea early in the morning along with a hearty breakfast. The distance to the highest point of the hike is approximately 7km and will take around 4 hours to complete. Along the way we’ll have some spectacular views of the Salkantay peak. We’ll also get to see “chinchillas” (local squirrels) running around us. Once we get to the highest point we’ll get to see several peaks, including Salkantay, Umantay, and Pumasillo. Salkantay is the second highest peak in the region and an important Inca God, “Apu Salkantay”. After we summit, we’ll take a side trail and climb a little more to get a glimpse of the Salkanty Lagoon, a spectacular turquoise lake below the snowy Salkantay peak. From there we will begin our descent to Huayramachay (approximately 3 hours) where we will have lunch before continuing on for another 3 hours to Chaullay Village (9,500ft), where we will camp for the night. During the second part of the day we will begin to see dense forests punctuated by colorful flowers, including Orchids. The temperature will also rise dramatically as we descend into the “Ceja de Selva”.
Day 8, Hike #3 – Chaullay – Collpapampa, Lucumabamba, Santa Teresa
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Camping
Max Altitude: 9,500ft
Min Altitude: 6,900ft
Distance: 10 miles
The hike will take us toward La Playa along the banks of the Slakantay river and the Rio Blanco through a dense jungle along a gradual path, for many this is the highlight of the Trek. The trail descends narrowly on the side of the mountain offering breathtaking views of the river below and the surrounding Andean peaks. Along the way we will stop by several local family settlements to sample some local fruits and vegetables (Banana, passion fruit, coffee, aguacate, mango, orange and papaya). If we are lucky, we’ll get to see a famous bird known as the “rooster of the rocks”. Our campsite for the night is located in Lucmabamba, a small town surrounded by coffee fields and home to several local families. Once we arrive we can walk around the area and purchase some souvenirs from the locals. We will also have the opportunity (HIGHLY recommended) to take a short drive to the thermal waters. Upon return we’ll be treated to a full dinner.
Day 9, Hike #4 –
Option A: Lucmabamba – Llactapata – Hidroeléctrica – Aguas Calientes
Option B” Vertikal Limit Ziplining – Hidroeléctrica – Aguas Calientes
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
Max Altitude: 6,700ft
Min Altitude: 9,500ft
Distance: A: 14.9 miles, B 8 Miles
Option A: Today’s hike will take us along several coffee plantations and past a craft coffee mill along a broad and well conserved Inca trail that once reached Quito! Along the way we will also get to sample some of the local craft coffee and see butterflies, orchids, rocky streams and stunning views of the Santa Teresa Valley. We’ll also start to see the first hints of Machu Picchu. Our descent will take us to the Aobamba river and finally to la Hidroelectrica where will will have our final lunch with our cook (we should tip him/her ;-). After lunch we will continue along the railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes. We’ll register at our hotel and then head out for a group dinner at a local restaurant. Birthday party included ;-). This is an arduous hike with a long ascent before descend got la Hidroelectrica.
Option B: After a “late” breakfast we will get picked up by a transport and taken to Vetikal Zipline where we can experience some exhilarating canopy runs on some of the area’s best zip line cables. Fear not, for those that do not want to take part, they can take a break or hike a series of valley trails while the group plays above the valley. AFter everyone’ has had a chance to fly and taken a hearty snack, the group will be transported to la Hidroelectrica for the final Hike of the trek, an 8 mile relatively flat walk along the Peru Rail train tracks to Aguas Calientes, formally known Machu Picchu Pueblo, where we will check into our hotel for the night before venturing to Macchu Picchu early in the morning.
We will convene as a group at a local restaurant for dinner before calling it a night.
Day 10 – Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu Tour – Ollantaytambo
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations: Valley Hotel
We will take the first bus (6:00 am) to Machu Picchu and we will get to see the sun rise over the Sanctuary. Our expert guide will give us a comprehensive 2 hour tour of the ruins. If you opted to climb Huayna Picchu you’ll have the opportunity to do so now. For those that did not opt to hike up to Huayna Picchu you will have ample time to visit and explore the ruins on your own or return to the Sanctuary entrance for a beverage at the hotel restaurant. A hike to the Sun Gate is encouraged. Finally, we will return to Aguas Calientes, pick up our duffle bags and board the train to Ollantaytambo to our Valley hotel for the night.
