Salkantay trek - A party trek

Trekking to get to Machu Pichu is increasingly popular. Since slots for the traditional “Inca Trail” are booked months in advance – if not a year in advance – that left us exploring other options. A popular alternative is the Salkantay Trek.

The main attraction in this four day trek is the Salkantay pass, a high altitude pass at 4655 meters that can really test one’s ability to trek a in high altitude environment.

The first day was fairly easy. We started out in Mollepata, a small village in the Sacred Valley. Mollepata is also the place where we realized that we weren’t going to be alone on this trek, as we joined at least three other groups for the start of the trek. After a quick breakfast we were on our way.

The first day was nice but unspectacular. We reached our camp for the night at 3800 meters at the end of the afternoon. Much to our amazement, the camp facilities were permanent with a shelter to protect the tents. There was no doubt in our mind anymore: Salkantay trek is VERY accommodating to beginners.

The second day was by far the most challenging and spectacular. Our first objective was to reach the mountain pass before noon. Now this was challenging. The lack of oxygen gave us all a heck of a challenge, and a few unfortunate had to go back because they felt sick. It was difficult but rewarding, as Salkantay exposed itself in all its glory. What an achievement!

After lunch we descended a staggering 1700 meters, which saw us going from the high and dry altiplano to our camp down in the lush cloud forest. Our camp site had a spectacular view. The second day was definitely the highlight of the trek.

The third day was uninspiring. We trekked for about 6 hours before we took a ride to get to our destination, the village of Santa Teresa. The day was a bit of a letdown as we felt we were cheating by taking a ride. But hey, all tours do the same so no discussion here.

At the end of the day our guide proposed us a deal: an alternate trek for the fourth day since the fourth day is considered a waste of time by many. In fact, the morning trek fourth day goes alongside a road to the hydroelectric station, which is anything but interesting. The afternoon trek is slightly better, as trekkers walk 14 kilometers from the hydro station to Aguas Callientes, at the foot of Machu Pichu. Our guide suggested we skip the walk to the hydroelectric station and climb another mountain where we could see Inca ruins on top and enjoy a top down view on Machu Pichu. The program appealed to all of us and we all agreed to do it. Then my stomach started having problems…

A bit now about our tour operator. The price of our trek was cheap, but so was all the service that came with the trek. We had only one guide, which is nonsense when a group is mountain hiking. Since the likelihood of someone feeling sick or unwell is high when hiking at such altitude, we should have had a guide in front and one behind to close the group. We did not.

Also the food was disappointing. Of course I don’t expect gourmet meal when I hike in the mountains, but I expect 1 – enough food to replace burnt calories 2 – somewhat tasty food. The food served was insufficient and not tasty at all.

But that’s not the worst. The worst is that the tour operator also skipped on proper hygiene. Vegetables were washed with running water and the cook didn’t wash his hands before preparing the meals (I saw him). The result? I was sick twice in four days (as well as a few other hikers), the second time the worst. Before that Ania and I had been almost two months in Bolivia and Peru, and I never had any problems. So let’s just say that I wasn’t too happy (and feeling well).

And then there is the booze. Call me old fashion, but mountain trekking and drinking are two very respectable but different activities. Alcohol - a limited amount of it - can be enjoyable at the end of a tough day in the mountains. But in limited quantities.

The best analogy I can give you is this one: The Salkantay trek is to trekking what Costa del Sol in Spain is to beach goers. Every night there can be a party. There are kiosks selling alcohol all along the way. Even restaurants have loud dance music blaring from speakers. On the third night our campground transformed itself in a huge dance floor.

Ohh that was fun until it was time to go to bed. Of course the few of use who wanted a restful night had to cringe and accept that the majority were still out there partying. Our group was getting up at 5 AM the following day and I had no intention to get hammered the night before.

Also, the trek plans for 4 days of trekking. However, three days would be largely enough to reach Aguas Callientes. There is ground transportation on the first and third day. Only the second day is really punishing.

Luckily for us, our guide proposed an alternate track for the fourth day: climbing a different mountain to get a nice top-down view of Machu Pichu before going back to the main track. The alternate hike was a very nice touch in this otherwise uninteresting fourth day.

The stats for the trek are the following:

Total kilometers walked in four days:74.29 km

Total elevation going up:3043 meters

Total elevation going down: 4081 meters

Would I still recommend the Salkantay trek? Probably. However, if we were to go back to Peru one day, it would definitely be to hike around Huarez in Northern Peru, reputed a world-class destination by experienced hikers.

Here’s my recommendation: if time is short or you are new to hiking, choose Salkantay or any of the treks in the Sacred Valley. Otherwise head for Huarez and start one of those gigantic 12-day trek amidst 6500 meters summits.