The Salkantay Trek: What it's Like for Someone Who's Never Done a Multi-day Trek Before

Yep, you read the title right.

The Salkantay Trek is the first time I've covered such large distances and altitude in a short space of time.

All the hiking I had done up until the Salkantay Trek had been day hikes. Wake up early, hike a few hours up and down, take photos, come back to a warm, snuggly bed and sleep like a baby.

While some hikes were distinctly harder than others, I always knew it would last a day. Five days was almost out of the question. I mean I huffed and puffed up Rainbow Mountain. I only managed to get to the top of Laguna Churup thanks to a kind Peruvian who pulled me up and over some very steep and pretty dangerous rocks. Seriously... five days of hiking AND camping?! I really didn't feel up to scratch.

Thankfully, a couple of dorm room buddies managed to convince me otherwise. If I left in a day, I could double up as a tent buddy with one of them. The idea of having a tent buddy and a friend along the way sounded kind of fun.

So I signed up.

And left less than 24 hours later, after a quick phone call to a friend in London who provided some much-needed words of encouragement. With an old pair of running shoes, a poncho as my sole waterproof and zero trekking experience, I got on the 5 am minibus and headed to Mollepata, the starting point of The Salkantay Trek.

I wasn't even fully aware of the distances, although that was probably for the best!

Some quick facts about The Salkantay Trek:

• The Salkantay Trek is approximately 75km and the hike usually takes place over 5 days and 4 nights, with one day spent at Machu Picchu.

• A high-altitude trek, reaching 4600m, the trail comes with high risks of altitude sickness.

• The difficulty of the trek is considered higher relative to the Inca Trail but will also depend on an individual’s fitness and acclimatisation.

• The trek includes visits to two Inca sites, including Machu Picchu and Llactapata.

• Unlike the Inca Trail, no permits are required. You can do the trek as a group tour or independently.

Day 1: The hike to Laguna Humantay

My first challenge was to hike to Laguna Humantay. Nestled under imposing mountain peaks and glaciers, the beautiful lagoon sits at 4200m above sea level.

The trail can be pretty crowded, as it can also be done as a day hike from Cusco. Hiking in a downpour, the trail can also get pretty muddy! So bring some good shoes! (Note to self).

The morning I hiked, the sky was covered by clouds. The trek itself is not particularly difficult. The altitude is a stinger. Huffing and puffing on my way up, I quickly fell behind my group. Maria from Denmark was having a tough time too and we stuck together for a little while until I fell even further back.

Stopping for the occasional picture, I took many breaks admiring the breathtaking valleys and mountains.

The Salkantay Trek Peru

Stunning!!

As you get higher and higher, the smiles of locals offering you a horse become harder and harder to resist. Determined not to give in on my first day, I persisted. I watched as day trekkers took to their horses and galloped their way through the mud and slippery slopes.

Yes, it started to rain. And I didn't have waterproofs. One poncho against me and a torrential downpour.

The hardest part was not giving up. Feeling like a failure for falling behind, I trudged through the mud in my drenched sneakers, slipping and sliding as I climbed. Why did I sign up for this again?!

I almost thought I wouldn't make it, getting through the trail just one step at a time. Literally. It would have been so much easier to have given up then and head back to Cusco.

But I made it!! A rush of energy and adrenaline came over me, and before I knew it I was climbing more rocks to get a better view.

Laguna Humantay

Whoop!! Made it!

I probably fell at least 5 times on my way down. My tour guide was kind enough to lend me one of his hiking poles. Note to self: bring hiking poles next time!!

Freezing cold and wet, I jumped into my sleeping bag back at camp. There were no showers on the first night. I could hear the patter of rain drizzling hard on the roof. Thankfully, it didn't leak. Getting out of that sleeping bag to go and pee proved to be a challenge in itself.

I asked myself again, why did I sign up for this?

I hastily fell asleep, huddled up inside. At least I attempted to sleep as much as possible. It really was frickin' cold!! Even with the sleeping bag provided by the trekking company.

Day 1 down... how bad could day 2 be?!

Our little huts on the first night

Day 2: Hike to the Salkantay Pass and down through tropical rainforests

At a distance of 21km, it was the hardest day by far.

Greeted at 5 am with coca tea and a smile, we reluctantly got out of our sleeping bags and started the trail at 6 am.

Three hours up and 6 hours down. Oh boy...

The Salkantay mountain forms part of the Peruvian Andes and is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range. As you head to the Salkantay Pass, you are surrounded by outstanding natural beauty.

I stopped for a lot of photos!!

Wow!!

With amazing weather, I began to really get into the trek. Taking it all in, I took my time heading to the next stopping point.

Sunny days!

As I reached the top, a huge cheer came from my group.

Whoop!! I made it!!

Offerings to the Pachamama

Starting a long descent into the tropical rainforests... it was long!! I couldn't wait to get to the campsite. I hastily covered myself again with my poncho as I trudged through the mud, an hour behind the rest of the group in a torrential downpour.

Still smiling!

Honestly. It was hard! Arriving at the campsite, I was glad to have a hot shower and head to my sleeping bag, exhausted!

My wonderful tent buddy Claire had made everything inside the tent really cosy and laid out our sleeping bags. She hung up a little torch inside so I could get dressed in the dark. Note to self: Bring a torch for long treks!

By now I could feel the aches in my knees, and my feet were very sore! Hopefully, a good night's sleep will be enough to get me through the next day!

Day 3: Trekking part of the Inca Trail

So I woke up this morning. Damn, I started my period. Shoot! Luckily, there are toilet stops on the way for some of the trails. But still, not the best timing.

Today I could feel the achy muscles and I was pretty tired of hiking. Determined to not fall behind today and be last in the pack, I gave myself a head start and began the hike before everyone else.

At a lower altitude, the hiking was definitely easier. Pushing through the sore muscles, I continued only stopping for a brief break halfway to admire the view.

Climbing the Inca Steps along the way. The terrain was also much more forgiving on my knees.

I got to the viewpoint and the clouds cleared to reveal Machu Picchu in the background. Tiny. But there. 

I had ventured so far ahead of the group at this point that my tour guide was extremely worried he had lost me in the wilderness. The last place he expected to find me was in front of the pack!

Tiny Machu Picchu is in there somewhere

Coming down my legs were sore but I could do this.

Group pic! I managed to make it in time for this one!

The best part of this day was ending it at the thermal spa!! Much needed, I could feel my muscles instantly relax! A free hot shower was also a bonus!

The mosquito bites, however, were not the most forgiving!

Day 4: Hike to Aguas Calientes

There are a few ways to get to Machu Picchu, and hiking from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes along the railway lines is one of the more popular routes.

The hike itself is only 10 km (by day 4, this is a piece of cake) and along flat terrain. The time taken is around 3 hours.

There are no horsemen on this part, so you're left carrying all the necessary belongings you'll need for one or two nights in Aguas Calientes.

The Salkantay Trek

Beginning the road to Machu Picchu

There are a few moments on the trail where, if you have a train passing, it's a close call. Definitely, don't be an idiot and walk with your headphones, not paying attention to your surroundings. You can hear that train coming from miles away.

We arrived in Aguas Calientes, pretty hungry. After getting an early dinner, I bought my bus ticket and headed to bed early. As I had Machu Picchu Mountain to climb, I decided to save my legs for the 2670 steps awaiting the next day.

Day 5: Machu Picchu

I overslept. I woke up to Claire’s alarm at 4 am. I was supposed to get up at 3:30 am. Panicking, I jumped out of bed and ran out the door at 4:15 to get in line for the bus. 

Shit. I can’t believe I did that. 

Shit. I almost missed Machu Picchu. Well, my place in line for the bus anyway.

When heading to Machu Picchu, the bus line starts forming as early as 3:30 am. While the buses are every 10 minutes or so, if you get there later than 4:30 am, you'll be waiting in a reallllly long line!!

Unsurprisingly, getting into Machu Picchu is havoc. Pretty much everyone wants to be the first one in.

Handy tip: Pee before you enter. There's nowhere to go inside.

Handy tip 2: Put all food and snacks away in your backpack. Two friends of mine had their lunches confiscated, as you're not allowed food and drink in the ruins.

At 6:30 am, our view was covered in fog, fog and more fog.

We waited. And waited. Skipped the guided tour. Machu Picchu has to appear sometime, right?!

Finally it clears. Whoop whoop!!

Getting to know the local residents

As we're taking photos, a guy from my group stumbles over to me and shuffles his phone into my hand. He looks nervous and not paying any attention I hit record.

He goes over to Rachel and points to the distance. While she's busy looking into to the distance, he shuffles again, but this time into his pocket, getting down on one knee. And yep... She says yes!

We start celebrating! And by we, I mean the swarms of tourists surrounding them, stop to cheer for a moment while the fog is clear. At least for a brief few seconds, until everyone realises the fog is coming back fast, and we'd best snap up those pics!

Machu Picchu is magical. One of the 7 new wonders of the world, it was built in the 1400s and is one of the few Inca sites the Spanish never found.

But the journey wasn't over yet. We had a big ass mountain to climb. Over 2670 steps, to be exact.

Yup... more fog!

Machu Picchu mountain towers over the mountains and valleys, ordinarily providing another perspective of Machu Picchu. For us, however, it was a foggy couple of hours where one cloud stood between us and the great wonder of the world.

On our way down, the weather started to clear. Brighter and sunnier, we take some photos and get told off by a guard or two for stepping over some ropes.

Machu Picchu was amazing! Was it the highlight of my trek? While Machu Picchu is extraordinary, I'm glad I got to experience more of the Peruvian Andes than solely the Inca ruins. The journey there had its ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!!

Day 6: Hike back to Hidroelectrica from Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco

I did the last 10km hike alone. As I had bought the mountain ticket, I spent an extra night in Aguas Calientes, having spent the whole day at Machu Picchu.

I didn't know what to expect from the trek, but it was totally worth the pain and sore muscles. It's opened up my mind to so many more possibilities.

The Salkantay Trek

Made it!! The final steps of the Salkantay Trek!

That’s what travel is about. Opening your eyes. Pushing yourself. Getting out of your comfort zone and seeing the world with new eyes. It wasn’t perfect. But I tried something new, and it paid off!

Little did I know that the Salkantay Trek would open my world to one of the most famous treks in Patagonia. More to come...

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