Posted: 8/28/2024 9:41:59 AM EDT
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Hey Everyone, To follow up on our Kilimanjaro trip this past January, at the recommendation of a couple of the other hikers from that trip, we decided to hike the Salkantay Trail and see Machu Picchu in Peru.  It was a super trip, and checked another bucket list item and continent for us. Like the Kilimanjaro trip, this was a guided trek. We used the company Salkantay Trekking and were 100% satisfied with our experience. You can hike without guides, but the path isn't always marked correctly (landslides, etc) and the logistics of the trip CAN be challenging (transportation, tickets to Machu Picchu, lodging, etc). We saw folks on their own, but for the most part, most of the other people we saw were with guided services.  We had 11 hikers in our group: 4 Americans, 4 Brazilians, 1 South African and 2 New Zealanders. 2 guides, 2 cooks, and a horseman.  We did the 5 day/4 night trip, and each night we slept in a different hard structure with a bed. 3/4 nights we had showers and full time power.  The trip was about 50 miles of hiking, point to point, done in 4 days. Longer days than our Kilimanjaro trip, but doable for sure. We carried daypacks with essentials and our other stuff was moved via horses and/or cars from lodging to lodging. Cusco, Peru is the most common spot to start your trip in, and that place is a great town. High (11.1k ft) and definitely touristy. Lots of great food (we liked the guinea pig and alpaca) and loads of shopping. You are harassed quite a bit for paintings and massages, but just push past them and you are ok. It was a safe and fun place to be.  Each day on the trip starts pretty early (about 0430). Eat breakfast, pack your gear, and start walking. Prior to the Salkantay Pass, it is pretty arid, and on the other side, almost jungle-y. The mountains are impressive--some reminded me of Western Montana, others Western NC, and others that looked like nothing I had ever seen before.  The lodging on the trail exceeded expectations, and the food was right on with what we had in Africa.  We had some folks with altitude sickness (headaches and upset stomach) but they powered through. We did take diamox from the time we arrived in Cusco until the morning we left. One gal from Brazil suffered through some bad blisters, but never complained and completed the trek. We helped her the best we could. The pass is a little over 15k'.   Machu Picchu was amazing. Bigger than I thought it would be, and really hard to put into words. Our tour there was about 3 hours, and was plenty enough time to see everything there.  If you are looking for an interesting and challenging hike, this is a fun trip to consider. It was about 20% of the cost of our African trip and we felt we really got our money's worth out of the trip.  I am sure that I missed something and will add it along in follow on posts. Feel free to ask away any questions you might have.  Our next big one overseas will be Everest Base Camp, but that is likely a year or two away as we have some other things we need to do first. |
| Looks awesome! Just a bit of advice. Don’t do Everest base camp. That place is a literal sewer. And the trail is a 6 lane highway. We did a hiking peak called Mera several years ago in Nepal that is south of Everest. Much less traveled and equally as magnificent in views and experience. |
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Originally Posted By tatsngats: Looks awesome! Just a bit of advice. Don’t do Everest base camp. That place is a literal sewer. And the trail is a 6 lane highway. We did a hiking peak called Mera several years ago in Nepal that is south of Everest. Much less traveled and equally as magnificent in views and experience. Good to know, thank you. Did you also go to EBC? |
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What was the green tarp thing in the courtyard? Also, you must have come thru the Sun Gate at the right time, cause I don't see any tourists in town. 
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Seriously, a tractor dealer from Possum Trot, KY has to explain this to you, a lawyer? - JPL
WTB: Glock 17 gen 2. SN CAF 895
Win if you can, lose if you must, but always look good for the crowd.
WTB: Glock 17 gen 2. SN CAF 895
Win if you can, lose if you must, but always look good for the crowd.
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Originally Posted By MisterPX: What was the green tarp thing in the courtyard? Also, you must have come thru the Sun Gate at the right time, cause I don't see any tourists in town. The tarp was a popup that covered some folks digging on the site. It was fun to watch them for a bit--not sure what exactly they were looking for, but to see the live dig was pretty cool. Timing is everything for sure. We got lucky several times. |
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Originally Posted By d16man: Machu Picchu is on my list for sure. What temps did you prepare for clothing wise? It is worth going to for sure. The trek and the site are both amazing experiences. I wore a merino long sleeve for the first part of the hike--the more arid and cooler side of the pass. Once we got into the more "jungley" side of the trek, it was the columbia fishing shirt--I was actually pretty hot the last two days of the trek. I had a heavier mid-weight top that I used in the mornings, and the rain jacket if there was a chill. Pants for the entire trek--I am normally a shorts guy, but for this trip the pants were good to protect from the sun and bugs. Overall though, the entire trek was a little warmer than expected for me. |
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Originally Posted By 549: A coworker went to Machu Picchu a few months ago. It was sunny the day she was there too and according to her, that was rare. Did you hear that too? I think that the "usual" experience is that you get there in the morning and it is fogged in. After the sun gets over the mountains, it begins to burn everything off and you can see the complete site. We were hoping to get a full, sunny day and it happened for us. I think we went at a good time of the year and added a little bit of good luck. In fact, we did not get wet at all on the trip, which is a rarity for us. |
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Originally Posted By MisterPX: What was the green tarp thing in the courtyard? Also, you must have come thru the Sun Gate at the right time, cause I don't see any tourists in town. |
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Originally Posted By 549: A coworker went to Machu Picchu a few months ago. It was sunny the day she was there too and according to her, that was rare. Did you hear that too? To those asking about clothing, I wore lightweight, hiking pants, the entire time I was in Per . I typically wore short sleeve button up Columbia type fishing shirts as the OP said above, and I brought a puffer jacket that easily packed into my backpack. I really only wore the puff jacket at night, and in the morning, for most of the day , I was just wearing a short sleeve shirt. |
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