SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHUPICCHU

Cusco – Exploration of Humantay Lake And First Camping.

Highlight of the day: Spend the afternoon admiring the spectacular Humantay Lake.

Wake up early to start your adventure. First, you’ll make a stop in Mollepata, where you will have a quick breakfast and continue to our starting point, Challacancha. From there, you’ll enjoy a 3-hour relatively flat hike to Soraypampa, where our first camp, where you will enjoy a delicious meal and have time to settle into your Sky Camp igloo.

In the afternoon, we will climb up to the glorious Humantay Lake on an approximately three-hour round-trip trek. Once at the top, you will have plenty of time to take in the beautiful views of the mountain jewel and catch your breath. Afterward, we will return to Soraypampa for dinner and head to your igloo to rest while gazing at the stars.

oday you will get an early start on this adventure. We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in Cusco at 4:00 a.m. and travel for approximately two hours to have a quick breakfast in Mollepata. Our transportation includes cozy blankets in case you need to sleep for a few more minutes. After feeding and resting a bit, we’ll drive for another hour to the starting point of the trek in Challacancha.

Before we start our trek, you will meet the muleteers and cooks who are part of the team and do a final check of your luggage. Then, we will begin our relatively easy three-hour hike to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), where our first camp is located. Along the way, you will enjoy beautiful glaciers and a deep valley. Also, you will see that an Inca water channel follows us most of the way and is still used by farmers in the area to this day. This stretch has a length of 7 km / 4.35 miles.

Once in Soraypampa, you’ll have some time to get settled into your cozy igloo in our Sky Camp and enjoy your first lunch cooked by our talented chefs. There’s no doubt you’ll be amazed by their talents in the middle of the mountains. Once you’re full of energy, we’ll begin our afternoon trek up to Humantay Lake (4,200 m / 13,780 ft), often called the jewel or gem in the mountains, and you’ll see why once you reach the top.

The round trip is around 2:30 hours long and covers 3 km / 1.86 miles. The distance may seem short, but you may get tired due to its high altitude. You need to go slowly. When you reach the stunning lagoon, you’ll have plenty of time to catch your breath, enjoy the fantastic scenery and contemplate its turquoise waters in contrast to the snowy backdrop. The views here are truly like something out of dreamland.

Once we return to camp, you will have time to enjoy a delicious dinner while watching the sunset behind the mountains. It’s hard to describe the energy of this place, but the inner peace is as close as it gets. Then it’s time to head back to your Sly Camp for a good night’s sleep and contemplate the constellations.

SUMMARY FOR DAY 01:

• Included Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
• Accommodation : Mountain Sky Hut.
• Difficulty Level : Moderate.
• Hiking Distance : 10 kilometers (approximately 6 miles).
• Estimated Trekking Duration : 5 to 6 hours.
• Campsite Elevation : 4,000 meters above sea level.
• Weather Forecast : Expect cold and windy nights during the dry season (May to August), with temperatures potentially dropping to -5 degrees Celsius.
• Additional Note : This day serves as a period of training and preparation. It is ideal for acclimatizing in anticipation of Day 02, which poses the most significant challenge of the entire trek.