Salkantay Trek

I took a collectivo Mollepata and shared a taxi with some quebecois to get to the trailhead in Soraypampa. It was mid-afternoon by this point. I hiked the mile up to Humantay Cocha, the lake was beautiful but very crowded. After that, I started hiking up towards the pass. After my hike in the Huayhuash, the 15,000 foot pass did not feel bad at all. I walked a few more miles into the fading light and found a nice cave in which to spend the night.

The next day, the hike changed dramatically in character, passing through small villages and along roads. I still had another day until my Macchu Picchu reservation, so I was in no hurry. I met two french couples during the day, and one final one at camp. Throughout the day, multiple taxis offered me rides to skip ahead on the trail which I politely declined. As with many of these “treks” in South America, the hiking went by far too quickly and I wanted to make them longer and not shorter.

I paid a small amount for a campsite that night perched high on a ridge looking across at Macchu Picchu. I had a nice conversation with the family running the campsite and with the other french tourists. I awoke early the next morning and made my way down towards the railway tracks, which I followed to Aguas Calientes. The 10km hike on the railroad tracks are also a common back way to get to Aguas Calientes for those not wanting to pay for the train. In total I only saw 10 other tourists along the Salkantay Trek (4 french couples and a Quebecois couple), but I began to see more people as I neared Aguas Calientes. The deep canyon and river were beautiful. The hike is along an active railroad, but trains are very rare and infrequent.

I stayed the night in Aguas Calientes, which is a beautiful town nestled deep in the mountains. The only way in or out is by foot or train. While I was sitting by the river, I someone approached me asking if I was a thru-hiker, we talked for a while and played a round of cards. I went to bed early to prepare for an early start the next morning up Machu Picchu.

I had booked a mid-morning entry knowing that would be my highest chance of clear views. This was one of those mornings where I jumped out of bed well before my alarm, so excited about what was to come. I flew up the steps to Machu Picchu, surprised to see no one. Everyone else had opted for the $15 bus ride. I met up with Keirin whom I had met in Huaraz, and we walked through the sacred site along with her friend. Machu Picchu is absolutely stunning, in many different regards. Yes, there are a lot of people there, but the site is so big and grand, that this did not take away from the experience at all. Something that can be hard to appreciate from pictures is that the site is perched high on a very unlikely saddle, thousands of feet above the surrounding canyons. This incredible perch only adds to the magnificence of the place. Clouds came and went, only further enhancing the beauty.

After my beautiful morning on Machu Picchu, I said goodbye to Keirin and decided to hike the tracks out of town. I headed east, towards Piskacucho. I had heard from a person I met in Quito that this was the secret third way out of town. I was certainly off the tourist track, having to fend off aggressive dogs, and dodge more frequent trains, but I am not sure that I can in good conscious recommend this route to any friends. After a few harrowing experiences, I camped midway along the route, and made it out the next day, taking buses back to Cusco.