Salkantay Trek / Machu Picchu

5 day Trek to Machu Picchu, the common replacement for the Inca Trail which is too expensive and regulated nowadays (and too easy of course). Salkantay is over 70 km, with its highest point of 4600 m, reached on day 2 before heading down 2000 m the same day.

Day 1: 10 km, hiked up to Humantay Lake, situated under the glacier.
Day 2: 22 km, up 600m to cross the Salkantay pass, then down 2000m to our accomodation.
Day 3: 18 km (?), walking along the road through the valley, having to pass quite a few sections of mudslide which destroyed the road. Got a lift the final section. Then had the afternoon in some thermal baths.
Day 4: 22 km, up 700 m, then down 1000 through the slippiest mud to ever exist. Then had a final 10 km along the railway track to Aguas Calientes.
Day 5: up the ~1500 steps to Machu Picchu in the dark with so much rain the steps became a river and we were soaked through to our skin. The fog obscured much of the view and we were super cold and wet but at least there weren't many other tourists around! Will have to go back to see Machu Picchu in dry season another time!Read more