The Incas laid many trails to Machu Picchu. There is one called the Inca Trail. Numbers are limited on this trail and requires early booking. The Salkantay trail takes one day longer - 4 nights in a tent and one in a hostel at Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu.
The Salkantay trail is very beautiful and stunningly quiet until you meet with the Inca Trail around AC.
We left Cusco at 6.00am - 9 trekkers of various backgrounds and ages but I was the oldest by a long way.
The trek start was Mollepata - a small town at 2850m. On the long drive we had many outstanding panoramic views including the beautiful white snow capped Salkantay mountain at over 6200m.
I cannot easily describe the trek. I attach some photographs below. All I can say is it is a wonderful trek. Beautiful, quiet and spiritual. The Inca dominate - not so much by direct evidence but by the fact we are aware of the Inca and conversations with Mike our leader are dominated by the Inca and their relationship with water and the mountains.
Unusually the highest point on the trek came on the second day. The Apacheta Pass is at 4590m. I have been much higher before but I found this day inexplicably hard. In fact in truth I know the explanation. I underestimated the altitude and a day and a half at Cusco did not amount to a serious acclimatisation plan. Anyway I paid for it. Some vomiting at around 4000m. Mike helped me with some Inca smelling potion which helped. He also gave me a bundle of coca leaves with banana skin charcoal to chew and suck. It seemed to help but it was a grim struggle to the top and while it was then mainly downhill it was a further 6 hours. I went to bed without food (no appetite) and slepped for hours despite the cold.
It is not really possible, certainly not practicable to trek straight into Machu Picchu. Unlike say Kilimanjaro or Everest Base Camp which you can only get to be long trekking Machu Picchu itself is now accessible by road and dozens of buses are up and down at 5 minute intervals from Aguas Calientes deep down in the valley below. From my point of view this detracted from the purity of the trek but not from the joy of doing it.
The most memorable moment for me was seeing Machu Picchu mountain for the first time. For some reason I was ahead of our group, going well under large drops of warm wet rain (the approach to MP is high jungle). I come round a trail bend and there it is - immediately recognisable. On my own for a couple of minutes the enormity hit me. A few tears welled up. A prayer for my family - no idea where that came from but there is truly a sense of being in a special place.
Stating the obvious Machu Picchu is a major attraction. The base for the visit is Aguas Calientes. This is a small town with a river torrent flowing through it - masses of hotels, hostels, restaurant's, bars and gift shops and even a tram system squeezed between steep mountain sides. It was a fun place to be and really the end of the trekking part of our trek - so shower, beer and lovely food - the national tipple Pisco Sour, Alpacca steak and grilled guinea pig - and a pool table - and great Peru dico music!
Entrance to MP is ticketed - a bit like entering a theme park. When we arrived at 6 in the morning to try to avoid the crowds MP was in the clouds so visibility was impaired. We had a 3 hour guided tour which was fascinating. I admire the Inca very much. They were so industrious and clever - but of course they had their dark side too. Much of MP is down to interpretation. A lot about siting of windows for solstice sunlight and it was unfinished of course because the Spaniards arrived. MP was hidden from the Spaniards and as far as I understand they never found it.
Although MP is only 2430m it is high enough to make the steep steps and terraces a challenge but I have to admit it is the large numbers of people that make the visit most challenging. Trekkers have put a lot in to get there but all sorts of other groups are bused in from it seems every nation and sometimes giving the impression it is only about selfies! With the numbers some of the magnificance is lost I think. It is hard to find space to contemplate.
Having said that I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu mountain. It was a hard 45 minute scramble. For a minute or two I was entirely on my own looking down on the Machu Picchu citadel. A fantastic and memorable privilege.
I attach some photos. They are from my mob. I will update with camera ones when I get home.
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| Salkantay trail. |
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| Arguas Calientes - a fun place. |
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| Machu Picchu - a privilege to see. |
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| Looking down on Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu.There was a short period of solitaryness - wonderful and moving - above it all and looking down on the citadel. |
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