The first day of the Salkantay Trek, you will walk from Challacancha to Soraypampa & Humantay Lake. The distance walking is 12km. The Challacancha Altitude is 4092 masl, and the highest elevation is the Laguna Humantay (4,200m).
The highlights of this route is the stunning views of Humantay and Salkantay Mountain throughout the walk; hike up to beautiful Laguna Humantay; sleeping under the Milky Way in the Sky Domes.
You will leave the city of Cusco in the direction of the Mollepata community, located at 2,803 meters above sea level. The journey will continue through a carriageable trail until reaching Challacancha Perú, where the muleteers and horses await you, who will carry the cargo of your expedition. From here we begin our ascent to Salcantaypampa, until we first reach Soroycocha at 4,491 meters above sea level, where the camp will be installed. From there, you will have the first views of the imposing Apu Salcantay.
Challacancha to Soraypampa is a 16.9 kilometer point-to-point trail located near Mollepata, Cusco, Peru. It has beautiful wildflowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May through September.
One of the most incredible ways to visit Machu Picchu is through the Salkantay trek. This 5-day and 4-night hiking route crosses the imposing snow-capped Salkantay and then reaches the Wonder of the World. Would you like to know Machu Picchu with this adventure surrounded by amazing landscapes? Know everything you need to know about the Salkantay trek.
The pu Apu ’Salkantay is located in the Vilcanota Mountain Range in the Andes of southern Peru. This snow-capped mountain is the second largest in Cusco, after Ausangate (Mountain of the 7 Colors).
The snowy Salkantay reaches 6,271 meters above sea level (m.s.n.m.). The trek route that leads to Machu Picchu has its highest point in the ‘Abra Salcantay’, at 4,650 m.a.s.l. From there you can see the peak of the snow-capped mountain.
The snowy in itself presents an extremely cold Challacancha weather (several degrees Celsius below 0º).
The Challacancha weather, on the other hand, is varied. The intense sun and the nightly cold in the early days are changed by the tropical environment in the latter.
The 5 days and 4 nights of the Salkantay trek cover landscapes with a great variety of flora and fauna. Among the species of flowers and plants, the orchid and the ichu (Andean grass) stand out. Among the species of birds and animals, it is worth mentioning the llama, alpaca, vizcacha, condor, spectacled bear and the cock of the rock (national bird of Peru)
The most usual way to do the Salkantay trek is with an organized tour. On the internet (and in the Historic Center of Cusco) there are many tourism agencies that offer this adventure.
This is the Salkantay trek with tour:
The tour starts in the city of Cusco. The agency picks you up from your hotel by car along with the other hikers to the town of Mollepata. Then we ascend for approximately 7 hours to the Soraypampa camp passing through the Huamantay lagoon. There the tours organize food and a tent for tourists to rest.
The walk starts after breakfast. The highest point of the trip is covered in the ‘Abra Salcantay’. Then it continues downhill to the town of Chaullay, where the cold climate begins to change to tropical. That day is considered the most difficult.
The trek that day is easy. It begins with a descent to the so-called ‘Playa Sahuayaco’. After lunch, the walk restarts to the town of Santa Teresa. In this tourist town you can enjoy the Cocalmayo Thermal Baths. There he spends the night.
That day is one of the most fun of the trek. It begins with a walk of a few kilometers to the Hydroelectric station. After lunch, the route continues parallel to the Vilcanota river (and the train track) until you reach the town of Aguas Calientes, at the foot of the Machu Picchu mountain.
That day starts very early with a bus trip to the entrance gate to Machu Picchu. Another option is to walk the 9 kilometers of ascent to the mountain. The rest of the day is dedicated to enjoying the Wonder of the World. The return to the city of Cusco is with a train and bus trip.
Apachetas in Salkantay trek
The best time to visit Machu Picchu is in the dry season (from April to October). During those months, there is less chance of rain so the roads are in better condition.
In the dry season, however, the days are sunnier and the nights cooler. According to mountain experts, June, July and August; It is the best time to do the Salkantay trek.
The Salkantay trek has a medium-moderate difficulty. According to the opinion of some tourists, this adventure is more demanding than the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.