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Published: October 1st 2011
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Our trek started with a very early morning and a cold shower (just in the hostal) then a spectacular drive to the trail head with Mark the Texan, our guide Fredy and our two cooks. Although the last two hours were rather hairy on a very narrow road and a big drop down to the bottom of the valley.
The first part of the trail was easy, just a gentle up. The steep up that followed was a whole different kettle of fish, especially with altitude and lack of fitness induced by a dissertation. We had lunch and stopped for the day in a sheltered valley which turned out to be our campsite. We had amazing views of Salkantay mountain which is really close, really high and covered in glaciers. Just looking at it makes you feel dizzy! When we woke the next morning it was snowing, although pancakes and chocolate porridge helped thaw us out. The food throughout the whole trip was amazing. We climbed upto the highest point on the trail at 4600 m and from there its downhill all the way. We came out of the snow line, through the rain and a part that looked like
Scotland, and into cloudforest.
Our second campsite had a dubious toilet consisting of a huge hole in the middle of the field, a rickety wooden platform with a hole to aim through, surrounded by plastic sheeting. The next day was jungle walking and ended with a relaxing time in Santa Theresa hot springs, although navigating the new landslide which covered the road on foot was dicey, particularly as Mark the Texan was swallowed by the mud.
Our final day we walked along the Urubamba river, and I´m telling you as a geologist (and to any geographers out there) that the power of this river (which feeds into the Amazon) is phenomenal! The hight of the damage from the floods last year is massive, and the size of the boulders in the river-it makes you glad you don´t have to cross the river in a ´cable car´. Oh wait a second, I do remember going on something like a tea tray with railings attached to a cable to cross the river. After that we passed a Herbal Essences advert waterfall on our way to the end of the trek. Although been the keen-o´s we are, we also walked round
the base of Machu Picchu mountain following a trainline, a suprising total of 20 km for that day!
Machu Picchu itself was spectacular, and pictures of course don´t do it justice. Its just one of those places you have to visit yourself! I will say though that Fredy our guide was extremely knowledgable, and provided us with many questions and discussions about the Incas. Anyone coming to Peru should look him up (Peru Path Foundation) and his new, not for profit travel agency that reinvests in rural education. We think he´s ´super good´.
perupath_foundation@hotmail.com for more info!
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