Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
PERU | Monday, 30 June 2008 | Views [204]
We made it!
After gettin wild in the jungle (and the debacle trying to get out), we found ourselves back in Cuzco. We had just a day and half to rest up, at which point we visited the ruins in and around Cuzco and the Sacred Valley. As the traditional Inca Trail to Machu Picchu had been completely booked way in advance, we had signed ourselves up for the alternative Salkantay Trail, a 5 day/4 night trek to MP. After finally figuring out how to pronounce our trek (Skaltany, Salkanty), we had yet another early morning pick up, this time at 4:30 AM. Our tour company, PIE, had arranged for us to meet our guide (first it was Ricardo, then Fernando) at the bus station. We were met eventually by Henry, who informed us at the last moment that he would be our guide. Tired and confused, we just got on the bus and fell asleep until we reached the trail head at Mollepata.
After breakfast, we geared up and started the trek to camp. The first day was relatively easy, as Henry guided us through a few short cuts and most of the trail followed the flat road. We even arrived to our lunch site early and were able to enjoy a leisurely 2 hour break in the hills and sunshine. The sun was just setting as we reached the first campsite at 3800 meters (12,500 ft.), with the Salkantay and other glaciers in full view. It was damn cold (far below freezing) and windy the first night at camp, but with the help of a spectacular show of stars, we survived.
I should mention that our trek included our guide, Henry, who turned out to be great; our headphone-wearing chef, Walter, also wonderful; our hardworking yet silent burro wrangler, Simon; and our assistant, Miguel. What can I say about Miguel? It was his first time on the Salkantay as well, and he was something else. On the outside, he looked pretty intense: tall, dark, thuggy, wore a DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) shirt and black skull cap, and was in his mid-forties. Miguel was hardly intense though, as he probably took more pictures than we did, lagged behind the others, lost our breakfast bread on the second day hike down and loved to chat with Ben during down time. I caught him looking at our group wistfully each morning as we set off, as if he wished he could hike with us rather than the donkeys. We definitely had a few laughs when it came to Miguel, who in the end, did not pull his share of the weight and Henry and Simon had to step in more than once to help out. Ah Miguel.
The second day of the trek was definitely the most challenging. We started out great and reached the 4600 mt. (15,000 ft.) Salkantay pass in what Henry said was a record 3 hours (most groups take 4 hours), but the trek down took a bit longer. The worst part of the day had us searching in vain for our lunch tent around 2PM. We were all running on empty. By the time we rolled into camp, it was pitch dark. Little did we realize that our campsite was right on a family's farm...that is until we heard piggies oinking nearby all through the night.
The third day trek was fairly easy as we made our way down through jungle vegetation again, and just as my knees were really starting to give out, Henry arranged for us to truck it to our lunch point. As proof that anything can happen at anytime in Peru, Henry proceeded to buy 20 just-plucked avocadoes from a local farmer that we picked up on the ride. It was quite comical watching him pick through a sack of avos as we bounced along in the bed of the truck. At Playa, we were literally eaten alive by mosquitoes as we lunched on the Henry's avocadoes. The plan then was to take "transportation" to our third campsite at Santa Teresa. After Henry found a van for the group, we found ourselves on a local colectivo, packed to the brim with Peruvians heading to Santa Teresa. In a van meant for 10, there were at least 20 of us, with one guy sitting on the roof. Ben even had an sassy abuela holding onto his knee the entire ride. We were sure the van would tip over, give out or just tumble off the road, but we made it in one piece to Santa Teresa. After a few relaxing yet mosquito filled hours (one can get a sense at this point how much Trish loves mosquitoes) at the local hot springs, Walter had prepared for us a huge feast complete with Chinese rice, fried yucca, and a parrot carved out of a cucumber, which was really impressive. The meal was amazing. We spent our final night in the tents parked right outside of a discoteque, truly roughing it.
Our fourth day started out in the pouring rain, which meant we saved three hours of walking and drove instead to Hydro Electrica, where we hopped on the train tracks to walk the final 3 hours to Aguas Calientes, the gateway town to Machu Picchu. We had made it!
Disclaimer: If you ever have an opportunity to walk 3 hours on train tracks...take the train.
Tags: the great outdoors
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