I knew a long time ago that I wanted to do the Inca trail, but I also knew that I didn’t want to camp. I was so thrilled to learn that a company has created an adventure experience in style. Mountain Lodges of Peru have built 4 lodges along the Salkantay route, Salkantay being the highest mountain in Cusco at 20,500 ft.
We were accompanied from Cusco by our guide Manolo and drove for 3 hours and then Manolo asked if we wanted to start trekking… the moment of truth! Had we done enough training? The first trek was a gentle climb on a track road for around 2 and a half hours before arriving at Salkantay Lodge at 3,800m/12,500 ft. Goodness, I was told I was ‘cheating’ if I didn’t do the trail by camping. Well, if this is cheating then it is definitely the way to do it, if like me, you want to experience warmth, a comfortable bed, a shower, really delicious tasty food and a jacuzzi which I welcomed even after only 2 ½ hours.
There are 5 of us, Steve, my husband and 3 of our children. We have 7 horses that carry the food and bags. We simply carry our day bags with water and extra clothing – going through different zones and altitudes, layers are essential. Manolo has become my friend for life, as he holds the rear with me whilst Steve and the children are always way ahead with the horses and assistants. I clearly haven’t trained enough!
The second day and I feel very anxious, being told it is the hardest day, climbing from 12.500ft to over 15,000ft. The superlatives are simply endless, but I know I am realising one of my dreams, to climb the Andean mountains and I love it (well mostly!). Coming down form the High Pass, I am hit by the remoteness, one of the privileges of being the slowest. After a two hour descent, I see 3 tents, one is a toilet, one our dining room and the third the kitchen. A four course hot lunch is served.
So begins our third day – easy I was told, perhaps it is in the interpretation – 4 hour trek to the next lodge. We had a lot of snow and rain in the night and it was still snowing when we set off. Manolo says he hasn’t seen this in 5 years, we had to be careful and we had to stick together. The constrained frustration of the children having to wait for their decrepit mother was wearing thin. Manolo told the boys they could travel with Mario but he would fast. He sure was, they ran all the way reaching Colpa Lodge in 1½ hours. Rachel wasn’t far behind, Steve in 4th position and me limping in last. Wow, to see Colpa Lodge come into view lifted my heart. Mario has already made the preparation for a feast and we experienced a range of delicious meats all cooked underground.
Our last day, we did our final 6 hour walk. It was incredible to go from the snowy mountains though to jungle. There were streams and waterfalls throughout the journey with the glorious sound that they make whirling through the pebbles. After the final stretch we took a train for the relatively short journey to Aguis Calentes.
Finally we ascend up the mountain by bus to see Machu Picchu and it lives up to all our expectations and goes beyond them. Our guide Jorge has been guiding for years but is still so proud and enthusiastic about the places… I think we discovered what every single stone meant!
The verdict? Whilst you do not come into Machu Picchu directly from the trek on the Salkantay trail, I would not have swapped as the lodges were such a special and unique experience and the scenery was still as dramatic .
I would recommend that if travelling with others you may want to consider training to a similar standard… unless like me you didn’t mind walking alone and not with the party you travel with!
About Mandy Nickerson
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Mandy endeavours to share her travel experiences (where she will 'tell it like it is') and also detail the latest exciting projects that she is involved in.
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