As I trudged forward with muscles aching and lungs burning, I wonder why I left the comforts of the modern world to subject myself to a life of pain and misery. I looked around and saw my wife lost in her own world, earbuds undoubtedly broadcasting inspirational music, trekking poles moving forward one after the other in total synchrony. Further down the mountain, I spotted my mom and dad slowly plodding onward with looks of agony (and resentment) on their faces. I had sold the idea to them that this was going to be a luxury trek , and they had unwittingly believed my foolish assertion that any trek in a wild and untamed mountain range could be THAT luxurious.

The trek to Machu Picchu was supposed to be the highlight of our trip to Peru – but at that moment in time I really did wonder if I had lost my mind. Flying half way across the world to walk 4 full days in an oxygen deprived environment when a comfortable temperature-controlled train ride could have taken us to our destination in under four hours, much cheaper no less.

Those moments struck me several times throughout the trek but thankfully they were far and few in between. The beauty of the diverse landscape of the Andes made the struggle worth it in every way and as I relive the journey through this post, I can still say that it was one of my greatest experiences to date.

The night prior to the start of our trek, our trekking guide had met us at our hotel in Cusco. He had given us duffel bags to pack away items we did not need during the day. We were instructed to sleep early but the excitement of the impending trek kept me awake most of the night. While awake I noted that my wife had gotten up approximately 30 times throughout the night to use the bathroom, an ominous sign given the raw and rugged terrain we were about to enter.

We left early in the morning in a van with our guide, porters, cook, and horseman. The van drove through winding cliff-side roads which was nausea-inducing for my wife, who had apparently already become dehydrated from her bouts of diarrhea through the night. We arrived at the starting point of the trek, the Soraypampa camp site at around 8am. Many trekkers stay here the night before the trek. Here, we could see the glacial mountains up close. Formal introductions were made amongst our group, a tent was quickly erected by the porters, and our chef got to work whipping up a full breakfast for us.

After breakfast, we started our trek slowly and steadily. Soraypampa was located 12600 feet above sea level and the trail would carry us up through the Salkantay pass eventually reaching an elevation of 16000 feet above sea level. The altitude made every step a challenge but after about 4 hours, we reached our lunch spot at Soyrococcha (13700 feet above sea level). The porters and chef had arrived long before us and they had already set up camp and prepared a full meal. Multiple courses of delicious meats, vegetables, potatos and grains came out steaming hot from the makeshift kitchen but unfortunately none of us had much of an appetite.

After lunch, we continued on our way eventually reaching the Salkantay pass. This leg of the journey despite being a relative short distance took almost 2 hours. Although the day was cloudy, we were rewarded with a view of Mount Salkantay as the clouds temporarily parted as we arrived.

After about 15 minutes at the high pass, we made our descent towards Wayracpunko, our home for the night. The descent took much longer than anticipated and we did not arrive at the campsite until 6pm. By then we were trudging in the darkness with headlamps providing the only visible path forward. A delicious feast was awaiting when we arrived.

We woke up to hot tea and sunshine illuminating the glacial peaks that towered over our campsite. The night sleep was less than stellar as expected when transitioning from a comfortable hotel bed to an air mattress on the cold earth. Nevertheless, the fresh mountain air and the knowledge that our main ascent was complete reinvigorated us. From here on out, we would be leaving behind the snow and glaciers to enter the cloud forest. As we made our way down, the abrupt change in terrain was striking. The desolate mountains gave way to lush vegetation, thick trees, and flowing streams. We passed through several villages and plantations along the way that were cultivating passion fruits, avocados, coffee, and corn.

Despite the trail primarily descending in elevation, the trek on this day was very challenging. The overall distance was greater at approximately 12 miles and we encountered many switchbacks along the way. There were quite a few areas where previously flat ground damaged by storms and landslides were replaced with detours that were built upwards over the previously damaged trails. However over time, the detours themselves became damaged, and more detours were built over the old detours leading to steeper and steeper trails!

The second day ended at the La Loretta camp site (8000 feet above sea level), a private camp site newly constructed along the banks of the Salkantay River for Alpaca Expeditions. While the guide got us excited with the promise of a hot shower, the trickle of water that came from the shower was ice cold! We fell asleep with the flowing waters of the Salkantay River singing into the night.

The third day was the most enjoyable day and with the least amount of walking. We continued to walk through forests and plantations, stopping by at a local coffee plantation for a sample of locally grown and roasted coffee. My favorite was a rich dark roast with a very nutty aroma. The coffee plantations here are very much different than any other coffee plantations I’ve been to – they are owned by single families who collaborate with each other but ultimately each independently produce and sell their own goods. Generation after generation stay in the family business. As the kids become adults, they may leave the family and start up their own coffee plantation. There is no sense of commercialization here at all and it truly shows through the quality of their product.

We arrived at the Incan site Llactapata before noon. LLactapata is a small ruin that sits atop a mountainous ridge overlooking Machu Picchu. It consists of a series of stone walls that previously may have been a resting point for travelers on their way to Machu Picchu. This connection was established due to the direct alignment of its walls with Machu Picchu as well as the discovery of a shared drainage system. Furthermore agricultural terraces were found on the site, suggesting that food was grown here to support the Incans who resided in Machu Picchu. We were able to get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu in the distance from this vantage point.

Our campsite was located only about a ten minute walk from Llactapata. Upon arrival, we enjoyed a delicious lunch while peering out towards Machu Picchu. We spent a relaxing afternoon lounging on the grassy field and watching the porters and some of trekkers play a rather competitive game of soccer.

On the morning of day 4, we made our way down the mountain, in the midst of furious rain. As we gingerly shuffled downward, afraid one slip might send us tumbling down the mountain, we saw our porters briskly jog past us with large sacks of food, cooking utensils, and our duffels on their backs. I got a little more brave and picked up my pace only to have my foot slide out from under me and land right on my tailbone. My caring wife cackled with glee, pointing out that the wet brown dirt marks on my pants made it look like I just had an accident.

The rain eventually let up and we completed our descent to the Hidroelectrica (hydroelectric power plant). In Peru, 50% of all energy is generated by hydroelectric power plants and the country is apparently looking to further expand their energy production by harnessing the power of the Amazonian Rivers. Their grand plan is to eventually sell the extra energy to neighboring countries. We walked to the Hidroelectrica station which marked the last leg of the trek to Agua Calientes, the hot spring town at the base of Machu Picchu. This last segment was my least favorite part of the trek; we walked next to the train tracks for about 3 hours covering a distance of 6 miles.

We felt the biggest sense of relief after arriving in Agua Calientes. After 4 days in the wilderness without access to a hot shower, layers of grease and grime had built up on our skin and matted our hair. The stench emitting from our clothing was so potent I felt like a zombie from the walking dead. After a 30 minute hot shower in our hotel, I felt reborn.

Besides the comfortable bed, hot shower, and flush toilet, Agua Calientes unfortunately did not offer much else. The town grew way too quickly in an attempt to accommodate the exponentially increasing number of tourists and thus every shop and restaurant had the typical tourist vibe. That night, our chef whipped up one last delicious dinner and we said our farewells to him and our porters. They were to leave by train and arrive back in Cusco later that night.

The final day of the trek was not actually a trek. We gathered at the Agua Calientes bus station, lining up in the dark to await the first set of buses that would deliver us to the Machu Picchu entrance gate. The bus ride took about 30 minutes and along the way we passed hiking purists who committed themselves to walking till the very end.

As we made our way through the entrance gate, the rays of the rising sun bathed the ancient ruins in one of the most picturesque sights in my lifetime. The moment felt incredibly surreal and we felt an indescribable happiness that the culmination of our journey across the earth had finally come to fruition!

After photos our guide led us on a walking tour through the ruins, pointing out notable buildings and temples. The massive complex was thought to be the constructed for an Incan emperor who resided here with over 700 servants. After the Spanish conquest, the citadel was abandoned and swallowed up by vegetation, not to be found again until the 1900s when an American explorer stumbled upon a group of local farmers who knew about the site. Since then the ruins became a UNESCO World Heritage site and was subsequently voted as one of the new 7 wonders of the world (although I hear the voting was biased).

After walking through the rest of the ruins, we made one final ascent up Huayna Picchu, the iconic pyramid shaped mountain towering over Machu Picchu. The climb up was steep and narrow. At the summit, we were awarded with a panoramic view of Machu Picchu from above.

After spending about 3 hours total in the ruins, we bid farewell to Machu Picchu and made our way back to Agua Calientes. We ate a quick lunch and caught the train to Ollantaytampo before transferring to Cusco by car.

Final thoughts
Although there were definite moments of regret, the Salkantay Trek lived up to and perhaps even surpassed my expectations. From day 1, the scenery was spectacular, transitioning from towering snow covered mountains to vibrant forests. The constantly changing terrain kept the trek fresh and although we were exhausted at the end of each day, we looked forward to the next day with renewed vigor. I liked that the trail was very desolate with little foot traffic; it allowed us to appreciate the peacefulness and beauty of our surroundings so much more. And yet the beauty along the way in no means diminished the impact of seeing Machu Picchu at dawn’s first light. Photos, no matter how altered, will never recreate this experience. The old saying goes that the journey matters more than the destination, but in this instance Machu Picchu is worth seeing no matter how you get there.

The Salkantay trek was physically strenuous but not overwhelmingly so. To prepare for the trek, we hiked every week in Lake Tahoe, California for several months before our trip. That improved our stamina but still did not prepare us for the high elevation during the first two days of the trek. A one mile ascent would at times take us over an hour due to frequest rests. We spent 4 full days in Cusco prior to the trek which did help immensely for acclimatization. We all took Diamox and ultimately, none of us had serious symptoms of altitude sickness. Even as my wife battled dehydration from a stomach bug, she only experienced some temporary headaches when approaching the Salkantay pass. She ended up taking loperamide to minimize the number of “Inca toilet” stops. On the contrary, my dad had a much harder time with the trek. The serious bout of altitude sickness in Bolivia had broken his will, and although I believe he became properly acclimatized in Peru, he was unwilling to push through any adversity. He ended up taking a horse from Soyrococcha up through the Salkantay pass before finishing the descent on foot.

Our porters, cook, and guide were exceptional and the entire reason we enjoyed our trek. While very fit trekkers do hike the Salkantay without any support, average city-dwelling joes like us would never be able to tolerate the harsh mountain conditions alone. I feel deeply indebted to them for allowing me to have this experience of a lifetime.

Cost and Commentary

Private 5 day guided trek with Alpaca Expeditions – 680 USD per person (4 people total)
Included the cost of all meals except lunch and dinner on the final day
Included cost of all transfers and hotel in Agua Calientes
1:1 porter to trekker ratio, staff and guide were excellent
Food was excellent and plentiful
High quality camping gear – Therma-rest inflatable sleeping pad on top of foam pad

Huayna Picchu entry ticket – 25 USD per person
As of 2019, increased to 75 USD per person due to overcrowding

Drinks – $1-4 USD per bottled drink
Included with all our meals but trekking made us crave something more than water so we purchased these from various venders along the way. The deeper into the trek we got the more expensive things got!