Salkantay Trek

Hello to all! Sorry for the delay on the latest update, but I have only just returned from my Salkantay Trekking adventure! Let´s just start by saying WOW - in every possible aspect, this trip was a wow. The people I´ve met from our trek are absolutely amazing and really bring unique personalities to the table! I learned something from each and every one of them, whether they knew it or not. Once again I have to send a huge shout-out to Ashley Curl for being herself and for being my personal life coach and motivator for this particular trek. Ashley, I am not sure I could have made it without your constant encouragement - thank you. That being said, here is our trek...

We started out Day 1 driving 2 hours through these really small Andean villages that were absolutely beautiful and, on occasion, we were able to catch a glimpse of the way of life in these villages (we watched men guidng mules, women washing clothes and preparing food, and children roaming around finding pleasure in the simplest of things). After a quick breakfast in Limatumbo, we started our trek at Cruzpata (3200mts) walking about 3.5 hours before stopping to have our first lunch on the trail! First wow = damn we are high above sea level. Second wow = we keep going higher. Third wow = this amazing meal came from only one skillet and propane tank? It didn´t take very long to realize that looking forward to the meals would be my primary motivation to keep hiking during the day. After lunch, we hiked another couple hours to our first campsite at Soraypampa (3850mts), which did offer a great view of the Salkantay Mountains that rest at 6264mts. Thank the heavens above and good ole PachaMama (the Incan Mother Nature) we did not have to hike those snow-covered peaks. Fourth wow = these mountains are BRILLIANT! Fifth wow = nights here are paralyzingly cold. Sixth wow = it´s literally 6pm and I´ve never wanted to go to bed like I do right now.

Day 2 - As we were warned in advance by our two lovely guides Mauro and Orlando, this would be the roughest day of the whole trek. Was a little nervous starting out the day because the altitude was testing me a bit, but was interested to see what the day would bring. Seventh wow = holy crap, I am wheezing like an old donkey going up this mountain - UN-NECESSARY! So this mountain, the Apacheta pass is 4590 mts high. Twenty minutes after beginning the 3-hour uphill battle, it started to rain. About an hour later, we realized, "huh, this rain is surprisingly soft and sticky...oh wait, it´s snow!" Eighth wow = we are higher than the clouds, it´s snowing, and yet we are going higher...loooove it! I had a bit of trouble making it to the top of the mountain without a little help from my friend, mule #3...interesting experience, but I was slightly bitter due to the fact we were only 5 minutes from the peak (apparently my wheezing prompted Orlando to insist I get on the "medical help (aka mule #3)." Anyways, once we reached the top, due to the fact it was snowing and we were in the clouds, we unfortunately did not get a great view of the Salkantay mountains. But that is okay because it was kinda neat to hike in the snow, a realization I made only after changing into dry clothes and eating the fabulous food our master chef made for us that afternoon. We ended up hiking 20+ kms that day...yea, that would be the ninth wow.

Day 3 - This day was amazing for me because it consisted of constant up and downs...thus, no hiking uphill for hours at a time. It is on this day that we first entered the "jungle" of Ceja de Selva. The only thing I really remember of this day was that we hiked for 6 hours in the morning and once we reached "the beach/la playa" for lunch, we were done hiking for the day. This was a fantastic day for that reason alone, but it also gave me the opportunity to learn more about my fellow trekkers. I spent the afternoon playing cards with 4 kids from Holland, 2 French-Canadians, and our two Peruvian guides. As we neared yet another feeding time and the remaining trekkers emerged from the slumbers, the entire group of 15 people sat around in a circle and played a massive game of Bullshit, which was soooooooo much fun! The games continued on into the night until my bedtime of 9pm emerged. Sad but true and absolutely necessary.

Day 4 - We hiked up Llactapata (2700 mts) for four hours to the peak, which was home to some recently-discovered Incan ruins that overlooked Machu Picchu and its surroundings. The weather when we first arrived to the ruins was very cloudy and misty. However, as we sat on the grass looking out into the white abyss in the general direction of where Machu Picchu was supposed to be, the mist began to lift and the Incan wonder slowly came into sight. Within the 30 minutes that we were on the overlook, the mist lifted and the sun started to shine! Pretty amazing transformation. After we enjoyed the newly revealed sights, we headed downhill for another two hours in order to reach the hydoelectric plant where we were to catch a train to Aguas Calientes, the base town for travelers going to Machu Picchu. The train to Aguas Calientes was amusing, as we were all tired, sweaty, and hallucinating (primarily about things we desired...chocolate and showers). Once at Aguas Calientes, we all darted to our rooms and fought each other for the first shower - probably the best shower of my life because it was hot and the water pressure was phenomenal. Alter getting clean, I wandered the markets of Peruvians selling their handmade crafts in tents that lined the river and bridges of the town. We ate dinner at the hostel (had some of the best lasagna I´ve ever eaten...and it was made out of quinoa) and the resumed our fun of playing Bullshit in a large group. Sleeping in a bed was much welcomed, though felt a little weird after having slept on the ground for the prior nights. Tenth wow = showers are NOT overrated as I have previously stated on many occasions.

Day 5 – MACHU PICCHU = Eleventh WOW!!!! It´s quite obvious why it´s one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. It is absolutely amazing what the Incans did to build this beautiful white city overlooking the world. It is really hard to say anything more about it because it was indescribeable. We made a collective decision to hike Wina Picchu to get the best view of the ruins, as we realized it might be our last chance to do so. SO MUCH FUN! Everything was great. Even waiting three hours, in the middle of the train tracks in Aguas Calientes for our train back to Cusco was unforgettable. Out for the night in Cusco for some dinner and drinks with the group before we all head out separate ways on our separate adventures! Twelveth wow = Thanks to all that were a part of making this trek amazing.