Overview
Your adventure begins with a 5:00 a.m. departure from Cusco, traveling through the Andes to the village of Mollepata for a hearty breakfast. Continuing to the Challacancha trailhead, you will begin a scenic three-hour hike along an ancient water canal, taking in panoramic views of the Salkantay and Humantay mountains until you reach your lodge in Soraypampa. After lunch and a brief rest, you will tackle a steep, one-hour-and-twenty-minute ascent to the famous Humantay Lagoon (4,200 m). Here, you can photograph the breathtaking turquoise waters before returning to the lodge for dinner and an evening of stargazing under the pristine Andean sky.
The second day presents the most arduous and rewarding challenge of the trek: reaching the towering Salkantay Pass. After an early breakfast, you will begin a demanding four-hour ascent through the Salkantay Valley. The final stretch requires navigating a steep, rocky switchback trail known as the “7 Snakes.” Reaching the pass at an impressive 4,630 meters (15,190 ft) rewards you with spectacular, close-up views of the massive Salkantay peak (the second highest in the region) and the surrounding glaciers. After celebrating your summit and capturing photos, you will descend for two and a half hours back to the Soraypampa Eco-Lodge. A restorative, chef-prepared lunch awaits before you board your transportation for the scenic journey back, arriving in Cusco by early evening.
Summary
CUSCO – MOLLEPATA – CHALLACANCHA – SORAYPAMPA
Sunrise start, Salkantay views, and the sacred climb to Humantay Lake: high-altitude magic awaits.
AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
Conquering the Salkantay Pass, summiting at 4630m, and descending through the stone forest to Cusco.
Itinerary
DAY 1: CUSCO – MOLLEPATA – CHALLACANCHA – SORAYPAMPA
We will pick you up from the hotel at 5.00 am. in our tourist transportation, and then
ride for about 2 hours; until reaching our first stop in the village of Mollepata, to have
our first breakfast. After, we will board our transportation again and around 9:00 am.
we will arrive at Challacancha and begin the trek towards Soraypampa. The first 25
minutes will be uphill until the old Water Canal, Then, we will walk this part of the
route on a good path with panoramic views of two beautiful Snowy Mountains, the
Humantay and Salkantay. This first morning we will hike for around 3 hours until
Soraypampa the area to have our first lunch and our hostel location.
In the afternoon, after a well-deserved rest, we leave the hostel for a short walk up, to
visit the Humantay Lagoon, located at 4,200 meters above sea level. The hike is
approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes until we reach the famous Lagoon, where you
will enjoy the beauty and charm of the place and the best opportunity to take fantastic
photos. Afterwards, we walk back to our Soraypampa lodge, to witness a beautiful
sunset , then we will enjoy our delicious dinner. There is the possibility of taking
advantage of the clear night to appreciate the constellations in the sky.
DAY 2: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
This day our cook will wake us up for a coca leaves tea at 06:00 am, and after our delicious
breakfast, we begin the walk in order to reach the highest point of the route, which is 7 km
away. We will do this in approximately 4 hours.
This second day will be the most arduous day of the entire Trek. We begin our walk uphill
from Soraypampa, with a gradual slope for 1 hour and 30 minutes along the Salkantay Valley,
until reaching the area known as Salkantaypampa, at 4,200 meters above sea level, where
we will take a short break. After this break, we will climb through a rocky valley and continue
along a challenging trail of pure ascent, known as the “7 Snakes” for 2 hours and 30 minutes
until the highest point of our route, the impressive Salkantay Pass, located above 4,630
m.a.s.l. From there we can appreciate spectacular views of the mountains and impressive
snow-capped peaks such as the magnificent Salkantay Mountain (6,271 meters above sea
level / 20,574 feet) and Humantay (5,400 m.a.s.l. / 17,716 ft.) and views of other snowies peaks.
We will have enough time to stay and rest in the open, take unforgettable photos and enjoy
the landscape. The Salkantay Mountain is the second highest in the region.
We will continue with our excursion and we will have the way back, we will go down for 2
hours and 30 minutes until we return to Soraypampa; on the way we will observe the great
stone forest and continue descending until reaching our Eco-Lodge, to have a delicious
lunch prepared by our chef. After a good rest and a restorative lunch, we board our
transportation back to Cusco City. The estimated time of arrival is 6:00 pm.
Details
What Trip Includes
What Trip Excludes
Packing List
What to bring?
Additional articles
Frequently Asked Questions
Route Map
Contact Us
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