The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Where in the world…
In July 2019, I had the much-anticipated experience of hiking for 4 days thru the jungles of Peru along the Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu. I had known about this mystical place for years but never imagined I would ever go there myself. It seemed much too daunting and distant for me to be able to travel there. Remember “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” It took all kinds of special flights and helicopters to get him there only to show us a fully socked-in, “I promise it’s there beyond the clouds” view of Machu Picchu. Ultimately, things didn’t turn out too well for Matt, but almost 20 years later, I would get MY chance to see Machu Picchu, without the clouds.
The beginning
Around 2016, I saw some Facebook posts by some running friends about their trip to Peru and hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I was intrigued, to say the least. Then the next year, more friends went. A local business owner, who is originally from Peru, has a tour company, Solers Adventure Tours, that goes to Peru every summer. The main event on the tour is a 4-day trek through the Andes mountains that ends at Machu Picchu with options to add excursions before and after the trek. You can also bypass the trek altogether and meet the group in Aguas Calientes for the ascent to Machu Picchu. I sent them a message, put down a deposit, and started getting my gear together for the trip.
Preparations
The tour and trek are fully supported so aside from booking my flights to and from Lima, I only had to worry about bringing the right gear. Although July is winter in South America, the temps are fairly moderate with only a couple of cold nights at the higher elevations. Lots of layers! We would be staying in hotels while in the cities and in hiking huts during the trek. We only had to bring a sleeping bag, a day pack, and whatever clothes and personal items we needed.
I was technically going on this trip alone although our group ended up being 13 people along with 3 guides. There was another solo female on the trip and we ended up being roommates for two weeks. It was really the best of both worlds! The first week of the trip was spent seeing the sites in and around Cusco while we acclimated to the high altitude. The following 5 days were trekking to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. I added an additional day at the end to see the Rainbow Mountains. It was a SPECTACULAR excursion all around and was blessed with a great group of people and wonderful weather.
For sightseeing in Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley, click here. (Coming Soon)
For the Inca Trail/Salkantay Trek, click here.