Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: Highlights and Lowlights

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I look back at the highlights and low points of our salkantay hike to Machu Picchu in Peru to help future trekkers prepare for the upcoming challenge

There are three things that I feared when I went on our one -year trip around the world. First, the mistakes (let's be honest, that was justified).

second: Our Salkantay-Trek several days to Machu Picchu in Peru (was I fit enough? Did I cope with the height? What about the lack of chest of drawers? Would I collapse after a long round?). Third: dealing with the Patagonian winter (I will face this fight when I get to it).

After completing the 5-day Salkantay hike with Alpaa Expeditions, I can enjoy reporting that it was much easier than I expected. Day 1 was indeed the most challenging with several hours, but after that everything was pretty simple.

I have put together a list of tips, highlights and lowlights to help future trekkers prepare for the upcoming challenge.

mark

Arrival in our camp on day 3 and a first look at Machu Picchu in the distance. Of course it was a highlight to see it right on the last day, but the view from this point was really majestic, not to mention the masses of tourists.

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We had the entire campsite for ourselves. Eating, reading, sleeping and waking up before such an epic view was really something special.

little light

on day 2 it rained all day, my clothes were soaked and even my loyal hiking shoes had long since revealed the relentless rain. When we arrived at our campsite, every single piece of clothing was wet on my body.

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to take everything off while I was trembling in the tent was a low point. The next day we had to wear all plastic bags to protect our socks from our soaked boots.

most exciting moment

On the second day we tried to cross the river for about an hour. The bridge we wanted to use had been washed away. There was a zipline and some baskets that could transport people back and forth, but since the river raged angry at the bottom, our guides decided that it was simply too dangerous.

We continued until we came across a landslide area. Our leaders discussed whether they should bring us over, but since we had no other option, we convinced them that we could carefully cross. And so we made our way over the slippery, rocky path.

A misstep could have dropped down, but we came across. Our Guides Lizandro and Amirico had to take one of the girls over their hand to pack it when something went wrong. It all felt very much like Indiana Jones.

the least exciting moment

After three through and through exciting days, day 4 ran relatively prosaically with walks of several hours along the train tracks. Unfortunately this is the only way to get to Aguas Calientes on the hike, and so we went on and on and on.

best conversation

with Amirico about his efforts to learn English, and his hopes to speak a leading travel guide like Lizandro one day. He has only been learning for six months, but his performance level was already so impressive. I tested his English and he my Spanish. I am modest enough to admit that it was much better!

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The worst conversation

let's just say that Lizandro has to work on his jokes.

would not bring

snacks. Alpaca offers a hearty breakfast, snacks in the morning, delicious lunch, a "happy hour" in the late afternoon with even more snacks and a feast at dinner, so that you really don't need any additional food.

would bring

An additional pair of socks. How many you pack, they pack one more. Five is a good number six, even better. In addition, a drinking system in camelbak style would be useful. I had a standard bottle, but drinking from a camelbak is much easier and encourages them to stay hydrated.

things that I did correctly

  • Take up super slowly on day 1. The combination of uphill immigration and 4,600 meters of altitude would have exhausted me and left me away if I hadn't consciously tried to drive more slowly than I could. Do not take care of keeping up with the group; Go at your own pace. This is particularly important if you decide like me not to take anything against altitude disease.
  • choose the use of hiking sticks. I had never used them before and was doubtful about their usefulness, but they were so helpful on the long uphill drives.
  • buy rain pants at the last minute. I picked them up at the last minute (around 10 p.m. the night before the hike) and they were super useful. Pack a few when you hike in the rainy season.
  • do without a shower for three days. I finally found out what I did wrong when I went camping and hated it (as in Fiji and Colombia). I insisted to take a shower that were either ice cold or dirty. Actually, it was so much easier not to shower. Fortunately, I had a lot of wet wipes with me.

things that I did wrong

  • eaten too little in the evening: After 10 kilometers hiking, I was mostly too exhausted to eat properly. Despite the festival meal prepared by chef Mario in a miraculous manner, I generally poked around in my meal before I apologized to collapse in my tent. That meant that my energy level was low and that I was colder at night.
  • don't wear my rain jacket under my poncho: the included rain ponchos are huge, so I didn't bother to wear a rain jacket underneath. Unfortunately, the rain was so strong that I got wet anyway. It was a mistake not to wear any additional waterproof layer.
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Salkantay trekking to Machu Picchu: The essentials

Was: 5 days, 4 nights Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with Alpaca Expeditions. The hike meanders through the Vilcabamba mountain chain and leads through a series of landscapes, from fog forests to high mountains. Along the way there are wonderful views of the second highest mountain in the area of ​​Cusco, Salkantay ('Wilder Berg') with 6,271 m (19,685 ft).

Price: $ 575 per person. The group size varies from two to a maximum of 16 people (Alpaca tries to limit it to a minimum). We hiked in a nine -member group.

Where: Vilcabamba Mountains, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu-all in Peru.

When: The dry season lasts from May to November and is best suited for trekking. The busiest months are June, July and August, so at this time they count on crowds in Machu Picchu. If you travel during the rainy season (December to April), rain expect three to four afternoons per week.

How: The easiest way to get to Cusco is a flight from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima (booking via skyscanner.net). Arrival is also possible by bus. We recommend Cruz del Sur (21 hours, approx. 60 USD per person). It's spice

h surcharge for the 'Cama' seat instead of paying the 'semi-cama seat. There are fewer people on the floor, larger seats and a lot of legroom.

In terms of the actual hike, we absolutely loved Alpaca Expeditions (info@alpacaexpeditions.com). The food prepared by Mario was delicious, the equipment was comfortable, the organization was flawless and our guides were brilliant: knowledgeable, responsible and, above all, so much fun.

The price has loaded our budget and there are cheaper options, but we chose Alpaca because they are ethically treat their carriers and leaders. You ensure that there is a sufficient number of straps on a hike so that you are never overloaded, you provide adequate wages for a living with high -quality equipment and pay.

The owner, Raul, was once a guide and therefore knows how important it is to treat his employees well. That was decisive for our decision to choose Alpaka.

Lonely Planet South America contains a comprehensive travel guide for the country, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights as well as take less roads.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots 
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