SALKANTAY TREK to MACHU PICCHU, PERU. When taking on this Challenge, Things Did Go Wrong on our first day, enough in fact, for me to break this down into a separate episode because it got hairy. This hike is known as the most spectacular route to MACCHU PICCHU, and certainly the hardest, taking 5 days, and 5 nights. “SALKANTAY” was named by its inhabitants and means; Wild, Uncivilized, Savage, or Invincible. This is what happened on our first and most difficult day. The elevation begins at 3,700 M, (12,139’), and maxes out at 4,800 M, (15,190’), an added section climbing to HUMANTAY LAKE means added climbing and makes it a 21K (13 mile) day.
On Saturday April 20th at 1:00 I met my fellow trekkers at the Alpaca Expeditions travel office in CUSCO PERU. Bryan, Michael, Ellen, and Nick are Asian Americans living in Brooklyn and traveling together. They all have strong careers in technology. Stone is a chemical engineer from San Francisco, traveling solo. They are all in their early 20’s; Smart, Fun, Eager, and Excited. I liked every one of them immediately and we became a close team from the start. I asked them how long they had been in CUSCO, expecting they were there at least 2 days to acclimatize. The altitude would be a factor in the days to come and everything I researched recommended at least 2 days of acclimation in CUSCO before taking on the SALKANTAY.
Our 4 Asians said they had just gotten there that day, and shortly after, each took a dose of Diamox altitude medication. Stone had gotten there the previous day and did not medicate. I also chose not to medicate having been there for a week and already experienced altitude higher than the SALKANTAY. But at 68, 3 times their ages, we will see how things transpire due to their lack of acclimatization. Also, I am an accomplished hiker and the experience of our younger 5 had varied. Our support staff was our Guide, a Chef, a Horseman and his Horse, and 2 other Support People.
Our guide, Carlos, entered and gave us a briefing and we were off! We loaded the van and the wheels rolled over the bumpy road for 3 1/2 hours to our drop off point where a huge and spectacular glaciated mountain loomed above. Normally we would have been able to drive our van all the way to our camp, but recent mud slides closed the road, so we had to hike around the mudslide area. Their rainy season ended recently and was a particularly bad year. Several mudslides devastated the area killing people, destroying homes, and temporarily cancelling all hikes on the SALKANTAY. I include a photo of our having to navigate around another mudslide days later. Upon arrival I was taken to my quarters; a 12’x 12’ glass roofed structure with a bed and electricity. I couldn’t have been more delighted!
We met for dinner and while chatting with the Asian group we were amazed to have realized that we had already met! That morning among the thousands of tourists in the city of CUSCU, l was strolling through a grassy square surrounded by the incredible INCAN Walls that I had admired the previous day. There are also an Alpaca and llama that run free there and I also wanted to see them again. I overheard some folks questioning the difference between the two. I explained; “The Llama has ears shaped like bananas while the Alpaca’s ears are triangular. The Llama’s face is longer vs the Alpaca, whose face is pushed in. The Alpaca is usually smaller, but this Llama is particularly small. They appreciated the information and I happened to shoot a video.”
During our dinner I asked them if they had tried the CHICHA, an authentic Peruvian alcoholic beverage. They said no, and I pointed out where they could get it. I said, “In CUSCO there is a grassy square and, in the corner….”. I was then interrupted by Michael who said “Wait a minute! Weren’t you the guy that -”. And I said “YES! That was YOU guys this morning!” We were all stunned by the coincidence and Bryan then said, “Well this was meant to be.” And we all agreed. I later looked at my photos and videos and found the one of that alpaca and llama with Bryan in the shot.
After dinner, Carlos explained that we would be served tea in our quarters at 4:30AM, followed by breakfast, and a 5:45 departure. This was to be our toughest day, beginning with an additional hike up to HUMANTAY LAKE. Turns out this lake was included in our itinerary because it is a “Must See”. Then we needed to hike down to the concession area of HUMANTAY LAKE, then back up over the SALKANTAY trail high point known as SALKANTAY PASS, then finally down to camp.
We began at 5:45AM on a perfect morning and we were all psyched about what lied before us. We were heading in the direction of HUMANTAY MOUNTAIN. Huge, Glaciated, and Beautiful, offering a Spectacular View. We scaled a steep incline for 1 1/2 hours on a trail of often loose jagged rocks, varying up to about the size of footballs. These trail conditions turned out to be the case for nearly the entire day and required careful navigation to avoid injury. It didn’t take long for me to realize that none of my fellow hikers had any idea of how difficult this would be, and they were sorrowfully unprepared. The altitude was certainly taking its toll on most of our team’s younger members and early on I got the impression that they were asking themselves the same thing as I did climbing HOUCHY OQSCO, “What the Hell am I doing here!?”
I think we all were having headaches, including me. But arriving at HUMANITY LAKE was a boost to our morale. Its varied turquoise hue made this the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen.
Hats Off to Carlos and our outfitter for scheduling our hike before anyone, and no one else showed up for about 1/2 hour when we were leaving. And it’s good that we left, because Show Up They Did! As we descended, we crossed paths with dozens of tourists, and when we got to a concession area at the bottom their numbers grew to the hundreds. Many were ascending on horseback with the horses going up and down to pick up another load. Also, to our great fortune, we witnessed the lake in sunshine as clouds rolled in upon our departure. The sun reflects the true beauty of the emerald green color that future visitors that day were likely to miss. Hiking up to HUMANTAY LAKE was an “out of the way” destination of our quest to get to MACCHU PICCHU, but so spectacular that you must do it, and the way we did it was my far the best. I considered the scene we were then witnessing to be a shit show with most participating to be tourists not going to MACHU PICCHU. They were just there to see the lake. Avoiding that crowd and seeing the lake in sunshine was a Huge Win for our team!
Carlos had earlier suggested that we each come up with a Team Name. I had learned that all 6 of us only decided to do this within the last 3 weeks. My suggestion for a name was “The Spontaneous Salkantay Six”, and the name stuck. But now heading back up again, the reality of this endeavor began to sink in, as the lack of oxygen and experience began to affect some of our younger folks. Our Asian friends all took Diamox medication for altitude, but it wasn’t doing its job well enough. Nick stopped in his tracks and collapsed with excruciating leg cramps. I gave him meds and he was attended to by our guide with massage and some kind of cream. It was then decided to have our cramped hiker mount the horse, and off they went with our horse handler towards our lunch destination.
Our lunch destination had to be moved closer as our ailing team was behind schedule. Bryan required the administration of oxygen and began to have knee pain. While things began to go “Down Hill” figuratively I admired the fact that these kids were tough, and their moral remained high, but the pace became very slow and required many breaks. Feeling good, I forged ahead of our team. I eventually caught up to the horse and we got to the lunch spot waiting for the rest. It took a while for them to make it and when they did we discussed our situation over lunch. We had many hours and much elevation ahead, and I was super impressed by the positive attitude of my team. There was no turning back, and while we all had concerns, they all maintained a fun-loving attitude, joking back-and-forth, knowing that we must move on.
After lunch I again chose to forge ahead of our team, including the horse. The SEVEN SERPANTS is a section of the SALKANTAY Trail featuring 7 switchbacks with a steep slope. My team chose a different route that did not require the excruciating switchbacks. I saw them go another way from up above and was wondering if I was lost. They again stopped for frequent breaks, and this was something I wanted to avoid. The altitude was making it colder, as was the day’s falling sun and the arrival of cloud cover. Hiking allowed you to maintain a good body temperature. When you stopped it caused you to get cold and have to put on another layer. Then when you continued, your body would heat up and you had to stop and remove a layer. After going quite far ahead I noticed that the trails would merge again, where I stopped to wait for them.
The first to arrive was our horseman and his horse, without a rider. I don’t know any Spanish, and he didn’t know any English. I had questions but could not get answers. Eventually, Stone and Michael arrived. They explained that two of our team were taking turns on the horse. Nick’s cramped leg got better, but the other leg then cramped in full force. Meanwhile Bryan’s knee pain earned him a turn on the horse. Eventually, our horse simply gave out. The Horsemen knows when the horse has had enough, and he made the call.
We waited and eventually we were all together once again. The short-term goal was to get to the high point, SALKANTAY PASS. This isn’t the summit of the mountain, but out High Point and was still a way to go. Mustering the strength and mental attitude to move on, we proceeded. I blasted up ahead and was delighted to come upon a beautiful grassy flat section with a small pond and horses grazing. This was where we were supposed to have lunch and was a welcome change for all of us and helpful for our morale. Checking my AllTrails app I could see that I was getting close to the summit pass, so l picked up the extra section to get quite close and stopped.
The wind was picking up now and clouds were moving in. I waited for everyone else to arrive because it is good etiquette to reach the summit as a team. Slowly, they all trickled in. I gave each a high five as they arrived and again was impressed with their ability to overcome their variety of issues. I gave Ellen pain meds for her headache and now it was time to deal with a different form of reality. It was beginning to rain. We summitted together and cherished the moment. We had all made it! We lined up arm and arm and took the traditional photos to remember our accomplishment.
We then began our 2-hour slog down to camp at 3,870 M, (12,700’), a 760 M (2,490’) drop. Rain came down harder. Around then I had also administered pain meds to Bryan for his knee pain, and my inventory of meds was nearly depleted. I only brought enough meds for myself, not expecting to need to share. I moved ahead, eventually coming upon a large rock with an overhang significant enough for us all to get under and not be rained on. I waited for the team, and we all gathered underneath. I then noticed that most did not have waterproof footwear. This not only results in discomfort but also promotes blisters. My Gore-Tex gloves kept me comfy, and I noticed that most did not have waterproof gloves, while 2 others had no gloves at all. “Forgot em”, Bryan said. It was cold and this would have made me miserable.
We all were desperate to get to camp but knew that accommodations tonight were not a cushy shelter with a bed, like last night. We were doubling up in tents, and no showers. Not the best conditions for which to recover after this bitch of a day. Also, Stone chose not to opt for hiking poles. When you are scrambling down a muddy, slippery decline, with large, jagged rocks, the likelihood of falling and getting injured is clear, particularly when you are exhausted. What could be worse? How about doing this in the DARK? With a way to go, it was going to get dark soon. Our guide had a radio and sufficient emergency procedures were available. I asked him for directions to our camp site. He explained where it was, and I forged ahead. Basically, I was ready to Get the Fuck Out Of There!
Blasting on once again I was racing the sun as it continued to sink. Things began to flatten out and the rain slowed. I was relieved to have passed a few buildings when I saw a figure standing by the trail. It was a member of our staff who was waiting for us. I arrived at camp at 6:08, moments before I would have donned my headlamp. Our staff had a primitive eating area prepared and I cherished a seat, waiting. That’s when I realized something else. A hiker with any experience always has a headlamp, even on a short hike where you don’t think you will need one. They are small, light, cheap, and often needed unexpectedly. Sharing candle power, particularly in these conditions, truly sucks. Did they all have one?
Michael and Stone rolled in around 40 minutes later, looking like exhausted wet rats. Stone was so famished that if a live Guinea Pig were all that were available it would have been devoured. 3 members still had not arrived. My first question to the Stone and Michael that just arrived was, “Do they all have headlamps?” 2 did not. Finally, they wobbled in with the help of our guide, somewhat dazed. Ellen didn’t have an ounce of energy left to eat a morsel and headed right to the tents. Our staff served our bruised bunch, but for some, appetite was lost, and they forced down what they could. This can be the case when your body goes through this kind of trauma.
Look, I have made all these mistakes at one time or another. It’s the way I learned all that I know. These endeavors are not to be taken lightly and you need to consider all of these things when you commit to what you choose to take on. I endured the day unscathed and had a great experience believing that such mishaps are part of that experience and offer something to learn from. In this case however, it was a bit too much for too many people that I truly like. But we all returned safely. getting an education with no method more efficient. We have 3 more nights and many miles to go! Fortunately for all of us, none nearly as challenging as day 1.
In the end, the most prevalent thing about this entire day was the positive attitude maintained by every one of our team. Many would have given up, broken down, lost their cool, started to cry, and caused our guide to use that radio to engage in emergency procedures. It happens all the time. But not to our team! We are “The Spontaneous SALKANTAY Six”, and willing to overcome this challenge! Spontaneity can be a disadvantage, but it’s also how you discover many things in life and learn to overcome the unexpected challenges that everyone faces. I will conclude with a video of our departing for our hike the next morning. All of us happy, and more ready than ever!
Rich Citro Adventures 