Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

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Day 1– Cusco to Mollepata to Soraypampa

Despite being told by the internet and our host, we didn’t take the collectivos or buses that left between 3:30-5:00am to the start of the Salkantay Trail, so we had to pay for a private taxi (120s?). The bridge en route from Cusco to Mollepata is being worked on and is only open until 7AM each day to allow the busses carrying tourists to pass through. It worked out fine though and we made it to Mollepata and then caught another private taxi for 100s to Soraypampa where the Salkantay Trail officially starts.



Some folks walk that 6km to the start of the trail. Maybe you’d say we were sissies for catching a ride, but I truly don’t feel that way. The road is dusty dirt and quite bumpy, sometimes riding along the edge of cliffs (as per the usual in South America) so it was an adventure in itself. We had a quick rice and beans lunch before we set off along the trail.



Soraypampa sits at 3,880 meters (12,467 feet) high, whereas Cusco is 3,400 meters. Considering we took less than one of the recommended 3 days for altitude adjustment, we were feeling it immediately. Setting out along the trail with high hopes, we learned very quickly that this would be a slow road. I think we literally stopped every 50 feet to catch our breath and I stopped a few times to hunch over swearing I’d throw up. The sign at the beginning of the trail said we had 7.5 km to the peak of Abra Salkantay.



I really have no concept of how long we walked for, but maybe it was 3 hours on that first day. We made it past the tour groups that were set up in preset tents and posted ourselves at the first flat spot we could find. Orion’s dad was having an especially tough time as he had packed some unnecessary weight, and maybe also because he’s a 66 year old trying to hike a trail that’s hard even for fit kids.



The sun sets around 5:00pm so we set up camp and cooked dinner so we could get into our tents by 6:00pm. It was too cold to do anything outside, not to mention there was nothing to do. Trying to keep ourselves occupied, we played Rummy in the bigger of the 2 tents until going to bed around 7:00pm for a frigid night’s sleep.



Day 2 –Abra Salkantay 4,630m

We reached the 4,630m pass of Abra Salkantay on our second day. Woo! Fortunately, there were a bunch of tour groups, so we were able to ask questions as they passed us. The tour groups hike the entire trail but they only have to carry their water and a small backpack for sweatshirts and snacks. Horses carry their tents and all the other supplies, which magically get set up before they make it to their next camp. Our packs were about 33-40 pounds each as we carried about 3 liters of water, food, and camping gear.



Siete Culebras is a switchback section of the trail that the horses take, but we took the much rockier path on the right to avoid the extra walking. One kilometer before the peak we passed Suyroqocha at 4,480m.



The pass was brutal. I was feeling pretty good that day and got pumped up by each group of real hikers that we leapfrogged with, so I made it to the top of Abra Salkantay first. The hike from that point is all uphill with the giant glacier of Salkantay looming in the distance. When we finally reached the pass (it doesn’t actually go over Salkantay Glacier itself), all the hard work was worth it. The pass is really windy and pretty cold so we snapped a few pics and headed downhill after about 40 minutes.



Someone had told us to camp at the first spot we found over the pass, but we had only hiked for a few hours that day and decided to continue on to Whoknowswhere. I don’t regret it, but Orion was having a hard time breathing that day and we had skipped lunch so by the time we made it to a camp spot we were pretty exhausted. It’s always about going that little bit further to find the perfect place, and this was no exception. We paid 10 soles to a landowner to camp on a perfectly flat spot right next to a tiny river just short of where the tour groups stopped. I’m not sure where we were but it was just slightly before Caserio Wayramachay at 3,911m.



Day 3 – thru Wayramachay at 3,853m

Our path was all downhill from here. After the pass, things descend very quickly into a steep slope and move into dry tropics. You’ll know you’re in the tropics because there are new kinds of plants and a billion bugs. The frickin bugs. Anytime you stand still or leave an area of skin uncovered, the sand flies eat you alive. They are tiny and bite you leaving little blood blisters. At first they don’t itch, but about 2 days later the blisters swell and itch like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It’s been a week now and I just counted 11 on my pinkie finger. Ridiculous.



We played leapfrog with a few tour groups and it seemed like each time we asked, we were told we were 30 minutes from the next town. Let’s just say that in Peru, 30 minutes can range from 25 minutes to 3 hours. With our slow pace (Rick had to stop every frequently), it took us 3 hours to make it to Chulay, a tiny little town that seems to exist only to host hikers. We ate lunch and then continued a little further, maybe an hour to Colpapampa where we camped.



Rick’s shoes had completely fallen apart by this point. I brought duct tape with me and we used the entire stash to tape the sole back onto his boot. Orion’s sole had started to peel away as well so when we reached the little town, the first guy we saw agreed to fix their shoes. 30 soles for him to do it or 20 soles for one tube of glue for us to do it. Not sure where his business skills came from because he admitted that it would take at least 6 tubes of glue.



The town of Colpapampa only has 10 families and while were there, we saw 2.



Sand flies and mosquitos here were vicious as well so we didn’t spend much time outside of the tent aside from having spaghetti and lentils for dinner at the only store in town (same guy fixing shoes and renting the camping spot).



Day 4 – La Playa

By now I realized I had made a huge mistake by slipping my hiking shoes on and off rather than tying them tightly each time. The blisters on my feet had all connected with eachother and all but one toe on each foot was bubbled. Nasty. The walk was really slow from here due to my sore feet, Orion’s sore calves, and Rick’s general exhaustion. We chose to walk along the dirt road rather than cross the river to walk along the trail. We had a view of the trail the entire time, which was certainly more beautiful and passed through some populated areas, but was definitely a more difficult walk. Along our path we scored some passionfruits and avocadoes that had dropped from trees on farms alongside the road. Treasures!



When we reached the town of La Playa I was absolutely delirious. My feet hurt beyond explanation and I had been eaten alive even though I never took my sleeves off. We camped at a nice spot that allows free camping as long as we buy some food so we had soup and rice. Peruvian cuisine is really not vegetarian friendly. Orion and I splurged on an Inka Cola just to see what it’s about. 5 soles for a super sweet, vibrantly yellow cream soda.



Day 5 – Santa Teresa hot springs and Aguas Calientes

With our array of complaints we agreed to skip the 4 hour walk from La Playa to Santa Teresa and instead took a 40 minute taxi ride directly to the hot springs (39 soles). The town really did an amazing job (and are still working on it) to make the spring a resort like destination. For 10 soles each we spent the morning lounging in warm pools overlooking the river and nursing our sore muscles.



Needing to arrive to the town of Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu Pueblo before dark, we caught another taxi to the hydroelectric station where tourists can either pay $45 to take the American owned PeruRail trail to town, or walk along the tracks. We started walking and immediately realized that the trail said to take 2.5 hours was going to be much longer. I wore my hiking sandals with socks because my blisters had become unbearable. The pain contributed to my impatience and I opted to not wait for Rick any more (he had started taking long breaks every 25 feet or so), so Orion and I left him behind and followed the tracks to the end. While Rick has no Spanish skills whatsoever, we knew he would make it with his sign language and by following the tracks.



Orion and I reached the camppground after a little over 3 hours, set up camp and then headed back to the tracks to wait for Rick. While we cooked dinner we considered all the worst case scenarios, but after about 2 hours he showed up and trucked right past us to get to the campground. It was a rough night as we had planned to get ourselves set up for our 3:45am wake up, but Rick just laid in the grass getting demolished by the flies and mosquitos.



Aside from the frustration, sleeping that night was impossible as the dogs would start barking for no reason at all and then the entire fleet of them would be running around barking and howling. Grrrr.



Day 6 – Machu Picchu!

Finally! We made it to Machu Picchu! We woke up just before 4:00am to be among the first at the gate to hike up the mountain. The gate opened at 5:00 and like a trail of sleepy but determined ants, we marched up the steep stairs to the main gate. Rick says it’s 800 steps- I just know it was tough.



Orion and I were both frustrated with his father and Orion wasn’t into communicating so when we got through the gate I headed in the opposite direction of the crowds towards Huayna Picchu as Orion went up the main path. I’m so glad I took the alternate route as I got to explore the ruins by myself and watched the sun rise over the mountains with only the sounds of birds.



When you see photos of Machu Picchu they are typically taken from Huayna Picchu, the large mountain that stands adjacent to it. Only 400 people a day are allowed on the mountain so we had tickets for 7:00am. The climb was incredibly steep and possibly even more difficult than Salkantay Pass, but the view from the top was what I had hoped for. I was still alone at this point but my selfie stick saved the day so I could get pictures proving I was there.



Since Machu Picchu is primarily American owned and operated, the food was insanely expensive. For $40 we could have the buffet (open at 11:00 and serving eggs and salad as the vegetarian options). As we had woken up early and worked hard, we were starving and needed to leave the mountain to eat. I never got to walk around the main part of the ruins, but I think what I saw was more gratifying anyway.



The town of Aguas Calientes was nice and we found food we could eat. The American influence was so apparent. It’s a town that exists solely to care for tourists visiting the ruins. I wish we had more time there, but we had to rush back to break down camp and then catch the $45 train at 2:30 on Inca Rail to Ollantaytambo. Aguas Calientes has no roads leading to/from it, only the train. Locals can’t afford the train so they walk or get to take a specific train for locals only.



Our train ride was super pleasant and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to sit in a squishy chair for an hour and a half. They served lemongrass tea and dried fruits.



When we arrived to Ollantaytambo, Rick had put on the brakes and absolutely refused to walk any further so we booked a room at a B&B called Full Moon Lodge and took a taxi there. At $20/night/person for a shared 3 bed room it was by far our most expensive accommodation, but there was a bathroom with toilet paper and a shower and everything a hiker’s dreams are made of.



And so concludes our version of the Salkantay Trail. Broken shoes, bug bites, super slow walking. Unbelievable vistas, Incan ruins, and the bragging rights of saying I hiked 60 kilometers and passed a 4,650m peak. Overall, it was definitely a moderate to difficult trek in my books, but one of those experiences that makes me look back and say “Hey Gina, remember when you were certain you were about to die but then you didn’t? Nice job!”

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