Salkantay Trek

I had made a decision that I wanted to hike Machu Picchu approximately 6 months prior to my desired target date. I generally prefer to travel the "shoulder" seasons or slower seasons because as a landscape photographer I don't love tons of people in my photos. A more personal reason though is that living in a large city I crave the freedom of space to take in the sounds of nature. In my research it seemed that by far most people who travel to Machu Picchu opt for the classic 5 day Inca Trail. Note that as permits are required for the classic Inca Trail so if this is something you are interested in I encourage you to book as early as possible. The Salkantay Trek is listed as one of the 25 best treks in the world by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine and is a lot less travelled, so I welcomed the smaller group nature of the hike. While the Salkantay Trek is more physically challenging (higher altitude & steeper slopes), the trek offered a spectacular change in ecosystems from snowy mountain tops to a tropical jungle paradise. Truly a photographer's dream. My itinerary was as follows:

DAY 1: Cusco | Mollepata – Challacancha – Humantay Lake - Soraypampa (Sky Camp)

DAY 2: Soraypampa | Salkantay Pass - Huayracmachay - Chaullay

DAY 3: Chaullay | Collpapampa - La Playa - Lucmabamba

DAY 4: Lucmabamba | Llactapata – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes

DAY 5: Machu Picchu

The snow-capped mountain, Salkantay, rises to 6271 metres above sea level (20,574 ft. above sea level) in height. Salkantay’s prominent peak is located less than fifty miles northwest of the city of Cusco in south-central Peru. It is viewed as a sacred mountain by many locals and has been climbed by professional mountaineers since 1952.

I knew that the trek would be challenging so I scheduled myself to arrive 2 days in advance of my commencement of the hike to acclimitize. In addition, I also started training about 3 to 4 times a day by increasing the intensity of my cardiovascular workouts as well as other weight training exercises for my legs. I would describe my fitness level as moderate. The other thing that I felt helped my increase my pleasure while hiking is having good equipment. I cannot stress how having good hiking socks, shoes, sweat wicking shirts, and base layers made for a very comfortable hike. Note that there is a drastic change in temperature during the 5 days so layering is an absolute necessity.

I had booked my trek with a company called Salkantay Trekking and I would whole-heartedly recommend them. The company is extremely professional and my guide and crew were amazing. I paid for this trip myself and in no way is this post sponsored. My guide and crew offered warm words of encouragement and always had safety as a priority for the group. My trekking group consisted of approximately 10 trekkers. I feel so grateful that the group dynamic was so fun and everyone got along really well. Travelers in general are a great bunch!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave them below.