Salkantay Trail (Day 1)
[Mollepata → Soraypampa]
The Salkantay trail starts from Mollepata and it takes 4 days to reach Aguas Calientes. Mollepata can be reached independently and on budget easily from Cusco by taking a collective from a designated stop in Cusco (click to request info) to the main square in Mollepata. The journey is a bit long so you have to start the day very early to reach the collective stop by 6am, store your bags at the top of the car, and wait till it gets full and leave. It takes approximately 2 hours to reach Mollepata but most of the way is on a well-paved asphalt road. Before boarding the collective, be sure that you have all the Soles you need till you reach Aguas Calientes as there are no ATMs in Mollepata; otherwise, you will have to figure out what the locals do to exchange their money (click to request info) which can be a hassle.
After reaching Mollepata, you will now start the trek and this will be the toughest full day of the entire trek as it is all uphill and you gain around 1,100 meters in elevation at high altitude while carrying the heaviest bags of your trip. The trailhead can be easily found from the main square as you only need to utilize your sense of direction and head onto the right street after which you will start seeing signs for the trail (click to request info). The first section of the trail is a bit steep as you aim for reaching Marcocasa at +3,450 meters after 6km of hiking; however, you will be treated with a lush of green forest around you.
At this point, after 3 hours of hiking, you should take a good rest and recharge your batteries as the next section is the toughest.
In the second part of the trail you will get into the forest and head uphill to Mirador Chinchirkuma gaining 320m in elevation in 3.6km. Going slowly through the forest you’ll start heading above-the-treeline and the magnificent sight of the snow-capped mountains will start to unveil in front of you.
The feeling of reaching the Mirrador is like the feeling of getting out of the ocean after a long dive as, at this point, you are above the treeline and it is 360 degrees of panoramic views of mountains to your left, valleys beneath you, and forests all round you; and above all with the crisp air, previously blocked by the trees, giving you a needed breather and at this altitude you will need every breath of fresh air. This will be a perfect spot for lunch and you can rest, take magnificent pictures, and reward yourself as you accomplished the toughest part of the day; but, do not be fooled, although the rest of the hike is mostly flat, you are now at +3,800m and it will tell on your body and you still have 8km to go.
The third and final part of the hike will take you to Soraypampa. You might get a headache and muscle aches due to altitude sickness, but there are ways of mitigating these side effects (click to request info) which will make the rest of the day more enjoyable. This section will be a relaxed one with splendid views of the towering Andes all around you and you should feel excited as you will conquer these mighty mountains tomorrow.
When reaching Soraypampa, at +3,922m, (this is not a city, it is a place where you can camp), you can camp anywhere on your own, or camp at one of the camps using your own gear which will give you a chance of using a toilet and eat a hot meal at a very cheap rate. If you opted for the latter option, do not let your tiredness lead you towards the first camp you meet on your way as the lady there will exploit this and over charge you; look around and you will find another camp further ahead that is very cheap and with a much better view (click to request info). One final tip, although you need a good rest, do not sleep too early as you will be treated at night with unbelievable views of the milky way.
Overall, in this day you would have hiked around 20km, gained +1,100m in elevation, in approximately 8:30 hours, so well done.
