The Salkantay Trail: the start of the trek

We decided to do the trek unguided to create a bit more adventure, and to allow us to go at our own pace as it’s a blinkin’ long way, at very high altitude (the highest point 4630 metres). We had no idea how we would all cope, and we wanted to do it at our own pace but saying that, the boys are probably quicker than us and many of the other rather unfit looking characters attempting the trail 😂. What this did mean, is that we would have to carry the backpacks, and with all the chocolate snacks, this was no easy task unless we could find an empty horse 😳😂. 


Day 1: Mollepata to Soraypampa 

We avoided a really early start from Cusco to the start of the trek by spending a night in a little Peruvian mountain town, Mollepata. Of course this came with the usual hiccup due to a lack of cash, so we all ended up having to share a double bed! Ho-hum, it adds to the memory bank! 


From Mollepata, we caught a little collectivo up a long, windy dirt track up to the start of the Salkantay trail, which had spectacular views of the Andes and the tiny little Peruvian mountain villages.. After drop-off, we had an easy walk just a few kms to our accommodation; little glass-roofed ‘pods’ with vast snow-capped glaciel-mountains all around us ❤️. 


No time for sitting though as we had a glacial lake to climb to….and we had to be back down for the Champions League final! With a little bit of snow to help us on our  way up we made it up the steep climb, and were blessed with some sunshine to lighten up Lake Humantay beautifully.  


A quick trek back down just in time for the football 😂, and a chill out with spectacular views before a communal dinner and great views of the stars from the ‘pod’. 

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