[Llactapata → Aguas Calientes]

This is it, this is the day when you’ll be able to tell your friends that “I reached the holy cities of Aguas Calientes & Machu Picchu from Cusco trekking on my own.” It’ll be a beautiful hiking day full of achievements and self-reflection on your great adventure.

You’ll start the day waking up at the ancient site of Llactapata and from there you’ll have a magnificent view of the crown jewel…”Machu Picchu itself”, that few other people see or even realize that it exists…and it’s a free view! Take as much time as you want to admire this view and soak in all the feelings of humbleness, achievement, conquering, nomadic, back-in-time…and lots more as every person will have his/her unique reflections at that moment, while immersed in the perfect blend between the beauty of our planet and the genius of the mankind. I know it’ll be a tough decision to leave this view and hike down, but, at the same time, remember that your ultimate prize for all this effort is awaiting for you.

It’ll take approximately 2 hours of hiking down to reach Hidroelectrica as you’ll descend 900 meters while the adrenaline is rushing through your veins while you get closer and closer to Aguas Calientes. The hike is pleasant and easy and at Hidroelectrica you’ll meet a wide array of fellow travelers: those who, unfortunately, didn’t know that they can do what you did and are taking the train; those who used guides to get them to this point; and those like you…the adventurous self-believers!

Hidroelectrica is not a town, its actually, as the name suggests, a place where there is an electrical power plant and a train station that goes to Aguas Calientes and Ollantaytambo. You’ll be asked to register your name and passport here as it is considered the boundaries of the sacred city, which is an easy, self-done process. From here you’ll hike along the train tracks all the way to Aguas Calientes. Although officially illegal, it was the ancient path to reach Aguas Calientes and the authorities disregard this rule and allow people to hike. Of course, it can be dangerous as trains pass by, but the drivers know that people are hiking and give plenty of warnings.

 

The hike is a slight uphill, but you won’t feel it; on the contrary, you’ll get the feeling that you are in a pilgrimage to reach the holy city. People from all walks of life, from different nationalities, different backgrounds, different attitudes, and different beliefs; yet all are uniting for one single goal…reaching the historic city of Aguas Calientes as our ancestors used to do in ancient times. Enjoy the hike, get to know your fellow travelers, share stories and tips, and reflect on your adventures.

You are finally there!! the feeling of reaching Aguas Calientes can’t be described in words…in addition to the anticipation of a hot shower:). The train tracks cut through the town and you’ll find lots of restaurants, souvenir shops, and hotels that cater for tourists, yet you can still find the local ones and have the amazing local experience away from all this (click to request info).

You did it fellow adventurer, and tomorrow you’ll be in Machu Picchu where flocks of tourists will be there too, but you’ll know that YOU ARE DIFFERENT.

[Chaullay → Llactapata]

I bet you woke up smiling and full of self-confidence! Another reason to smile is that this will be the easiest day of the trek. It will be downhill on a graded, not steep, slope for almost 90% of the day, so no need to wake up so early. In this day, you will have to decide: in how long, and how do you want to reach Aguas Calientes, more on this later. From Chaullay you will hike downhill all the way to la playa at +2,200m. This is a long, yet a very pleasant hike; you will leave the high elevation mountains and start hiking in the lush green canyon carved by a roaring river and the tropical flora will start revealing itself all around you. In a short while, about an hour, you will reach Collpapampa. There are no major signs here, but it’s a location where a nice waterfall appears over the cliff. From Collpapampa you will head towards La Playa and a dirt road will appear on the right side of the river, while the actual trail is on the left. However, check the trail conditions of this section while in Cusco as it often becomes inaccessible because of mudslides. This was actually the case when we hiked the trail, but no need to panic as you can continue your trek on the dirt road which feels more like a trail actually.

At Collpapampa you will have the freedom to make either choice, but, for sure, if the trail is open…then take it, although it is tougher to hike as it is not graded and switches from being uphill to downhill, and vice-versa frequently, through several switchbacks. However, if at any point you wanted to switch between the road and the trail, it is totally doable via a primitive, yet a fascinating, local mechanism (click to request info). Throughout this section, you will cross streams and maneuver your way jumping over rocks and wooden branches which is fun and adventurous at the same time, you will start meeting more and more local people as you head towards La Playa, which is a big village.

 

Although this section is extremely enjoyable and beautiful, it can become pretty dangerous due to mud slides, on the trail or the road, depending on the season you hike in, with spring being the most dangerous. It actually happened to us, at one section a mudslide occurred over the road and it was blocked for an hour or more, so be aware of the mountain above you and be flexible with your plans and always have alternatives ready in case of any delays.

At La Playa, the choices are open in front of you; although the choice should have been made already before starting the trek. There are 3 ways of approaching Aguas Calientes from here depending on how many days you planned for the trek and the date of your ticket to Machu Picchu, should be booked in advance (see Machu Picchu page), and the experience you want to get from this day.

First option: if you plan to reach Aguas Calientes today (i.e. total 3 days), then you have to run:). It will be tricky, yet doable, albeit at some point you need to use some kind of transport and you should definitely take a flashlight with you, you will hike in the dark. If you opt for this option, the route via Santa Teresa is the one to choose as it does not involve lots of uphills. Depending on the time and the delays you faced, you can hike to Santa Teresa then take transport to Hidroelectrica, (click to request info), then hike to Aguas Calientes.

Second option: if your plan is to reach Aguas Calientes tomorrow, then you can go to Santa Teresa and spend the night there. This is the easiest option, yet the least recommended as Santa Teresa is a modern town sprawling with tour groups and tourists with fancy restaurants and internet cafes which will get you completely out of the adventure mood and ruin the moment of reaching Aguas Calientes.

Third option: This is the most recommended option, you will reach Aguas Calientes tomorrow but you will spend the night camping at Llactapata. Although, by hiking this route you will have to conquer another uphill section by gaining 500m in elevation, yet it is a relatively short hike to your camping place compared to the previous sections and, believe me, tomorrow morning you will not regret this decision (see day 4). Heading to Llactapata, you will start leaving the valley and head again to the top of the lower mountains. This section will be all uphill, but you will start getting amazing panoramic views of the valleys again. Reaching Llactapata after approximately 3 hours of hiking, you will find some ancient Inca ruins. In spite of not being as famous or as grandeur as Machu Picchu, this actually makes them more special and attractive as you will feel that they are yours as only very few people will be there with u; and guess what? You can camp right next to them which is a perfect reward at the end of this amazing day.

 

Overall, this day is a pleasant hiking day with some effort needed in certain sections, yet remember to plan for any possible delays. You will have different scenery while hiking this day from the previous day and you will feel more immersed in the Peruvian countryside culture. For us we were delayed 1 hour and it took us 7 hours of hiking to reach our destination which was another 20km away from Chaullay.

[Soraypampa → Chaullay]

This is the big day! It is the day that you should cross the Salkantay pass at +4,630m to the other side of the mountains where the descending part starts. Although the total elevation gain in this day is only +740m till the pass, it is all at high altitude and you will feel the impact of doing effort at this elevation in its full. Two pieces of advice before venturing into this ultimate adventure; 1) take all the altitude sickness remedies you packed before the trip because you will need them; 2) Take Your Time hiking up, at this elevation you will hike at a much slower pace so do not be frustrated…its normal, and take as many rests as you need on your way up to enjoy the pure beauty surrounding you. As it will be the toughest half day of the entire trek, wake up early to give yourself the longest hiking window (daylight) possible, have a good breakfast at the camp and, most importantly, a positive spirit.

In the first section of the uphill you will be aiming for Salkantanypampa at approximately +4,100m. the start of the trail should be easy to spot from your camp. At that time, you might find some guided groups of hikers/horse riders who will out-pace you as they are hiking with no heavy backpacks because the horses are carrying them, so don’t be depressed…you are the real adventurer here. In this section, the towering snow-capped mountains will be facing you popping up from behind the clouds every now and then.

 

Once again remember to constantly take the altitude sickness remedies if you feel any headaches or tiredness with the best being the local tradition (click to request info) and drink lots of water. You will reach Salkantaypampa after 3.2km and 2.5 hours of hiking…too long I know! But once more the most important advice at such altitude is to take your time; at the end, you are on your own and far away from help, but on the positive side, you can see the pass now and this should make the adrenaline rush through your blood.

The next section will take you to Soyroqcocha at +4,400m which is the trickiest section of the entire trek. As you start hiking at a slower and slower pace, after 30 minutes you will meet a junction of two trails with no signs! So, which one to take? One trail is an uphill zigzag wide trail, while the other is a narrow, mostly flat, albeit on a cliff. Although both trails will ultimately lead to Soyroqcacha, one is much tougher than the other and, at this altitude, you will need every tiny bit of energy. In honor of the true adventurer spirit, I will not reveal here which trail to take, but one tip! If you know geography and the definition of a pass…trust your knowledge!! (click to request info).

 

At Soyroqcocha, there will be a beautiful small alpine lake surrounded by meadows, so take a rest enjoying this view and refresh yourself before embarking on the last section to cross the pass.

The final ascent from Soyroqcocha to the Salkantay pass is as tough as it gets. You will probably hike a couple of meters and rest, hike again and rest, but seeing the pass, hiking high in the clouds, and knowing that you are very close and that you deserve the reward of getting there will carry you all the way to the pass and on top of the mighty Andes, believe me…you are almost there.

 

YES, you are now at the pass, you crossed the Andes and hiked above the clouds on your own, you are a true adventurer who believed in him/herself and was rewarded with this amazing feeling.

Now you will be so excited and you will forget all about the altitude sickness, you will be like a little child running around, taking pictures, and congratulating yourself; and please do that, the views from that high, the fact that you are so small in the middle of all these mighty mountains, and the sense of achievement at this point are priceless. You reached the pass after 4-5 hours and 6km of uphill hiking (depending on which trail you took) so congratulations. Take a deserved break, admire the beauty surrounding you that only few people get to see, have a small lunch, and lots of smiles; but be careful, its windy up there and after the adrenaline rush fades away, you might get some headaches. It is up to you how long you want to stay up there, but remember, although its downhill from here all the way to Aguas Calientes, you are still at high elevation and your pace will be slower.

Hiking down the first section from the pass to Wayramarchay at +3,850m will be mostly on a rocky trail so be careful where you put your feet as you can easily slip. With the mighty Salkantay in your back now, you will feel unbeatable and you are! The views and the trail from this side of the mountain gives you a feeling that you are in a completely different planet. Unlike the other side which is green and full of life (it is the side that gets the rain), this side is rocky and barren but that does not mean that it is not as beautiful in its own way and it is more wild.

 

You are now literally in the clouds and looking down to the distant green valley which gives you a panoramic view of the beautiful Peruvian countryside. At Wayramarchay, you will find a small village with a local family selling snacks and drinks from a small kiosk which will be a nice sight and an opportunity to restock your supplies. There will also be a clean water source from where you can refill your water bottles.

The last section to Chaullay is the most pleasant, the mountains will get magnificently lush and green again and you will descend approximately 1,000m to a considerably low altitude of +2,850m. Although the target is Chaullay, if this day proved too long for you, there is another beautiful place where you can camp for a small fee approximately an hour before reaching Chaullay (click to request info); however, if you decided to head to Chaullay, you will be treated by a nice, downhill trail with stunning views.

 

Chaullay is a small village where locals will let you camp for free at their places, these places are mainly simple wooden structures with an upper story where you can set your tent and camp or you can camp in the garden surrounding the house; the former option been particularly useful if it is raining. The whole local family lives there, so be respective and courteous and buy something from them, they make delicious food with the local specialty “Lomo Saltado” and have ice-cold beer, so treat yourself and live the full Peruvian countryside experience.

Overall, in this day you will hike around 22km, gaining an altitude of +740m to the pass at +4,630m, descend -1,800m in approximately 10 hours; so, congratulations “You Crossed the Path On Your Own.”