Salkantay Trek Day 2: over the pass

Walking Distance: 22 km, approximately 9 hours of hiking.

The day begun with a gentle wake-up call at 5:00 am, with the cooks serving us a cup of hot coca tea… in bed!! ☕️

We would need the tea to cover over 20 kms and reach the trek’s highest point at an altitude of 4,630 m.a.s.l. 🥾

Salkantay (salka meaning wild) is the second highest mountain in Cusco and the journey through the pass was a very slow 4-hour uphill hike with incredible vistas! 🏔️

At the top, we learnt about the revered mountain gods, and took part in a traditional Andean ritual to honor Pachamama and the mountain god. Lucky Nath and I had brought a very Aussie offering! 😅

After this memorable experience, we had a 4-hour downhill hike, pausing for a well-deserved, delicious lunch.

The second camp, Chaullay, was nestled at an altitude of 2,900 meters and marked the entrance to the Peruvian Amazon. It was fascinating how the landscape had changed so much over 2 days. 🌳

While we waited for dinner we got to enjoy hot showers (it was literally hot for Nath 😣) and painted for a bit.

Another rewarding day on this beautiful trail!Read more