19 December 2023

Salkantay Trek – Peru

Day 1:

The adventure begins

4 a.m.:

Riiiiing, Riiiiing! Alarm goes off! Grab our stuff and off we go!

Finally, our trekking tour, which we had been eagerly anticipating for so long, began. First, we drove for about 2 hours to Mollepata.

In our group were two couples (a Colombian, a Chilean, and 2 Englishmen), and additionally, there were two Americans. In total, we were 8 people, all more or less the same age. Great team! Good start! Upon arrival in Mollepata, we had a hearty breakfast. YUMMY!

Strengthened and absolutely motivated, we drove 1 hour further to Challacancha. From here, we started our first 7 km hike to Soraypampa. Around us were huge, snow-capped mountains and an Inca canal, which still transports water to the villages today. The narrow paths, the incredible views, and the light mist somehow made it all feel a bit mystical. Mystically perfect. Three hours later, we reached our first campsite, where we had lunch.

And lunch: Oh my God! It was so delicious!

Quote from our tour guide:

,, You will not loose weight on this Tour .

You will get some’’

How true. How true.

After lunch, we took another 3 km round trip to Humantay Lake. First, it was quite a hike uphill.

This time, we were surrounded by horses, lots of greenery, and again, gigantic mountains.

Some were already struggling due to the altitude and slowed down.

Despite the rainy season, the sun shone all day long, so we continued in T-shirts quite quickly.

After all the effort, then: Humantay Lake. Wow. Just WOW! Take a look for yourself:

About 2 ½ hours passed, and we finally reached our campsite again. Small glass domes with breathtaking views of the stars! What more could you want?

*To prevent the glass domes from reflecting too much, they are covered during the day.*

In the meantime, we were treated to delicious coca tea and given plenty of snacks and a mega dinner!

Finally, a few pictures from the tour:

Day 2:

The toughest day of the tour

On the second day, the most strenuous hike began. Already at 5:00 a.m., there was a knock on our door, and TADA a fresh Coca Tea was delivered to our bed. After (as always) a fantastic breakfast, we tightened our hiking boots, grabbed our trekking poles, and quickly stuffed a snack or two into our pockets. And off we went. A full 3 hours (7 km) uphill towards the Salkantay Pass.

Arrived. Way up high!

Let's go on! 6 km downhill. However, with those 1000 slippery stones, it was quite exhausting! But for some reason, we had incredible luck again. It only started raining when we stopped for lunch in Huayracmachay and stopped exactly when we continued.

Unfortunately, the stones were even more slippery now!

Everyone made at least one funny "slip-up move" until eventually, the path became a bit flatter.

Suddenly, we were surrounded by a tropical forest. Plants were blooming everywhere, birds and butterflies flew past us in their various colors, and the temperature rose.

We were in the so-called "Cloud Forest," which stretched over 9 km.

*Why is it called the Cloud Forest, you might wonder?*

A few more pictures:

Hot. Tiring. Legs and feet noticeably sore.

What could help? Cold beer!

For this reason, we took a break at a bar where an old lady worked. Our tour guide was once very good friends with her husband before he died. After a short time, the lady's eyes became teary, and she told us about her loss. She misses him very much. She is alone. Has little money. Has to take care of everything herself. Bears great responsibility, and due to COVID-19, there are no guests. Despair. Great despair.

How we hope that everything returns to normal!

The journey continued towards the destination. The Salkantay team has opened a completely new accommodation, which we all should inaugurate.

A bit excited, our path led us alongside rivers and waterfalls.

Done!

*In the background, you can see the accommodations.*

Wow. Wow. Wow. Have you ever seen anything like it? Absolutely wow. Definitely an extraordinary overnight stay. And I thought that the first night in the glass domes with a view of the stars couldn't be topped. Well, here's the proof:

After we had calmed down from our amazement, it was time for dinner. Afterwards, we played a few rounds of Uno and emptied one or two bottles of whiskey.

In my eyes, there is nothing more disgusting than whiskey. Sorry - whiskey lovers!

The day ended slowly after a 22 km hike, with an ascent of 730 meters and a descent of 1700m.

Starting altitude: 3900 m

Highest point: 4630m

Put your feet up! Good night!

Day 3:

Hiking. Coffee & Jungle Dorms

Like every day, we were awakened with a Coca Tea, but this time at a somewhat more bearable time of 5:30 a.m. After breakfast, we all gathered to bid farewell to the horse guide. Our luggage, such as our change of clothes, was transported by horses, and the horse guide made sure they arrived safely! With a big hug, a few kind words, and some tips, we said "Hasta Luego!"

But what about all our luggage now? Up to this point, the cook, the assistant, and the horse guide had also been hikers, just like us. But from today onwards, the paths allowed the use of vehicles again, in which our stuff could be taken along.

Hooray! Finally, we set off.

On the sides of the road, large avocado and banana trees stood out.

We could hear the water splashing, while in front of us, the huge variety of plants and insects appeared.

This time, the hike was rather "easy," I would say. Super flat route. No big ups and downs. However, some had already developed problems with their knees or hip joints. Most likely from yesterday's downhill hike.

A few hours later, we stopped at a small café in the middle of nowhere. There we tried the delicious, sweet-tasting Granadilla, ate mangoes, and also had a nice, fresh orange juice.

Two dogs played beside us, who then followed us everywhere.

Rain. Damn. Put on the rain poncho. Let's go on!

A total of 18 km later, we visited a family who showed us how they make their coffee.

Shortly thereafter, we ate and moved into our new sleeping quarters in the "Jungle Dorms."

But sleeping was not yet on the agenda! First, we went to the beautiful hot springs.

Pure relaxation with a water temperature of about 32 degrees and surrounded by huge mountains.

What a beautiful end to the day for only

Before I forget!

After that, we encountered such a dog. Mhh... Okayyy... Personally, I don't find it really pretty. However, here in Peru, it's an absolute hit.

A Peruvian Hairless Dog. Elegant, expensive, and incredibly valued. The advantage: With such a dog, you definitely have to vacuum less often! Honestly, it reminds me a bit of the hyenas from The Lion King. But for some reason, it still had something sweet when it looked at you so faithfully.

Day 4:

This day turned out differently than planned!

It rained heavily the night before, making it too dangerous to climb the mountain to LLactapata.

Besides, we wouldn't have had any visibility from the top anyway.

So, we first continued by bus and later hiked for 3 hours towards Aguas Calientes, along the train tracks.

Again, we were surrounded by a tropical forest and wonderful animal sounds.

Indescribable.

In the evening, we checked into the hotel and took a long, hot shower first.

After stuffing ourselves, we lounged in front of the TV.

Well-deserved!

Day 5:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The time has come. We're visiting one of the seven new wonders , and that too on Christmas Eve! Oh yes!

Machu Picchu. Be careful. Be careful.

With this word, please pay attention to the pronunciation, otherwise, it could quickly mean

"old tail" for the locals instead of"old peak"!

The Inca city of Machu Picchu is located at an altitude of 2400 meters and remained a hidden city for over 400 years.

Particularly impressive was that every 10 minutes, the view of Machu Picchu changed from completely covered with clouds to completely clear. So, we quickly grabbed our cameras and took photos, photos, photos.