Salkantay, after the Ausangate, is the second highest mountain in the department of Cusco.Also known as Apu Salkantay, snow capped peak of Peru located in the department of Cusco; It constitutes one of the main elevations of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range, an extension of the Eastern mountain rain, a mountain branch of the Peruvian Andes. It reaches an altitude of 6,271 meters. It presents two summits covered by snow, known as China Salkantay and Salkantay female, separated by a port that opens to the Santa Ana Valley in the province of Urubamba. Both the mountain pass and the fluvial course that is born there are called Salkantay. This river pours its waters into the Urubamba on its left bank .When one travels along the road from Limatambo to Cusco, the Salkantay with a height of 6,271 meters appears imposing above the other mountains of the Vilcanota mountain range. Its importance lies in being one of the access routes to the high forest of Santa Teresa and in its snow, source of life for the valleys below, which makes it one of the mountains or apus tutelary of Cusco. To make the trek, you have to go first from Cusco to the old Mollepata farm, crossing part of the road to Abancay. The natural heritage constituted by elements that nature has created over thousands of years and that is represented by the variety of geological, physiographic formations that together they are part of the scenic beauty of the heterogeneous environment, in which the different ecosystems, plant formations with the diversity of flora species, which in turn are bitat of the variety of species of fauna characteristic of the area and constituted by all those elements and tangible or intangible manifestations produced by the companies, the result of a process; where the reproduction of ideas and material are factors that identify and differentiates Salkantay's natural space as a cultural landscape, evidenced in its different manifestations and cultural expressions from a territorial dimension illustrating this adventure at one of the most unforgettable experience.
Day 01: Cusco - Challacancha - Soraypampa
Day 02: Soraypampa - Salkantay Mountain - Huayracmachay - Chaullay
Day 03: Chaullay - Playa Sahuayaco - Local Bus to - Hidrolectrica - Aguas Calientes
Day 04: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Both the trekking fanatics and the adventurers who go for the first time will recognize the majesty of the sacred snowy Salkantay and its 6271 meters of altitude. Its snow-capped peaks and the Andean landscape as well as the challenger are worthy of any cover photograph. The highest pass during the road is 4650 meters of altitude. Conquering such a height is a privilege for the most intrepid and challenging. Do you dare to go through rough roads and a lagoon to get to Salkantay?
When you reach the Salkantay pass, you will notice an atmosphere of mysticism in the place and we are sure that you will be curious about the piles of snow-covered stones that can be seen everywhere in the Salkantay pass. The apachetas are offerings made by the walkers to the apus, the sacred Inca mountains and the Pachamama, the mother earth. Before continuing, the guide will make an offering of the best coca leaves to ask for protection during the trip and as thanks. Apachetas are considered sacred, so you have to be careful with them. Do you want to see this ritual more closely?
Machu Picchu is an Inca city surrounded by temples, platforms and water channels, built on top of a mountain. Its construction was built with large blocks of stone joined together, without the use of amalgam. At the moment it is considered cultural patrimony of the humanity when being recognized like important political center, religious and administrative of the Inca time.
We will pick you up at your hotel at 05:00 hrs. - 05:30 hrs. with the transportation of the agency to travel for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, during the route we will observe beautiful views of the mountains that surround the Cusco Valley including the mountain of Salkantay and several high Andean towns and extensive areas of potato and corn cultivation . We will arrive at the town of Mollepata (2,900 m / 9,514 ft) in this town we will have the option to make the last minute purchases (ponchos, batteries, sunscreen, etc.). Then we will take the transport again to travel for an hour to Challacancha (3,675 m / 12,057 ft) during this short tour you will observe the impressive valleys of Mollepata. In Challacancha we will meet all our road team (cook, muleteers, horses) will give us a warm welcome and then prepare for our adventure in the mountains we have the option of putting the backpack on the horse, then we will walk for 3 hours during our hike, we will observe the Humantay Snow (5,917 m / 19,413 ft). The place to walk is Andean flat to acclimatise better for the rest of the way. Arriving at our campsite Soraypampa (3,850 m / 12,631 ft) we will observe the impressive mountain of Salkantay, in the camp our team will be waiting for us and then proceed to have a New Andean lunch, after enjoying lunch we will have a nap for 30 minutes and then start our hike to the beautiful lagoon of Humantay 1 hour and a half approximately in ascending way to the Humantay lagoon we will have time to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the lagoon and the glaciers in the mountain, then descend for 1 hour to the camp, we will arrive to Tea time where we can talk with the group, then enjoy dinner and finally rest.
The day starts early, then enjoy a good breakfast we will prepare to undertake the most difficult walk of the way, we will put our luggage in order and start walking for about 1 hour to the site called Salkantaypampa (4,100 m / 13,451 ft), here we will have a short break and continue walking uphill for 1 hour to the place of Soyrococha (4,400 m / 14,436 ft) ideal time to rest, rehydrate and enjoy the snack. The road continues for 1 more hour to the highest point of the Abra Salkantay trek (4,632 m / 15,197 ft) the highest point is located between the 2 imposing snow peaks of Humantay (5,917 m / 19,413 ft) and Salkantay (6,271 m) / 20,574 ft) - "The wild mountain" in the Quechua native language, on this site we will observe the snow-capped glaciers of Salkantay, the magnificent view of the entire mountain range and observe an original Inca Trail, which over the years It was collapsing. Then, we will descend for about 1 hour and 30 minutes to Wayracpampa where our team will be waiting for us with lunch. After enjoying lunch we will start the descent to the cloud forest and observe the change of weather and vegetation, we will go down to Chaullay where our camp will be, here we will have tea time and dinner. And so ends the longest and hardest day of the walk.
We will get up very early, have breakfast and start our walk. This day will be unforgettable because along the way we will see a lot of flora and fauna, the road is Andean flat; by parts we will go up no more than 100 meters and the rest of the way is lowered. We start from the place of the camp, we will walk for 40 minutes to the Town of Collpa (2,850 m / 9,350 ft), from this place, we will observe the beginning of the Santa Teresa Valley, the Totora Valley, the road we walked the previous day, the mountain chain and you will feel another kind of weather. And the road continues for 2 and a half hours until the Town of Wiñaypoco, during the walk we will have beautiful views of waterfalls, natural formations of thermal waters, as well as orchids and strawberries. In Wiñaypoco people harvest the "Granadilla" a tropical fruit of the area that you can taste. After a while, we will continue descending through the jungle edge to the place of the beach (2,200 m / 7,218 ft), where we will have lunch. After a short break we will take the transport to Hidroeléctrica, for about 1 hour. Once in Hidroelectrica, we will again start walking for about 3 hours to Machupicchu town (Aguas Calientes), the road is totally flat. When you arrive at the town of Aguas Calientes or Machupicchu town, the Guide will take you to the Hotel and will coordinate the time and meeting point for the dinner. Finally proceed to rest.
Today is the most important day of our trip, we will wake up around 05:00 in the morning where we will start our trek to the lost citadel of the Incas "Machu Picchu". We will arrive at the Machu Picchu sanctuary at 06:00 am to begin our guided tour for approximately 2 hours through the most important places of this archaeological center, after our guided we will have free time to visit the places of greatest interest and at the same time to visit the mountain of Wayna Picchu or the Machu Picchu mountain (Optional and early recharge). In the afternoon we will return to the town of Aguas Calientes where we will board the return train until arriving at the town of Ollantaytambo. This is where our mobility will be waiting for you to return to the city of Cusco, so we will finish our hike from Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.
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