Soraypampa - Humantay lake - Salkantay pass - Wayracmachay
- Distance: 18km
- Duration: (with breaks): 8h 00min
- Elevation gain/loss: 1200m/1260m
The Salkantay trip does not keep the best views for the end, already on day 1 we’ve scaled the highest peak of the hike – the Salkantay pass at whooping 4630m. But hang on a bit, our trip actually started the day before day 1.
We were picked up in the late afternoon and arrived at Soraypampa already in the dark. During the ride, we got to know our group a bit better and within the first few mins figured out that Edo is the only guy (besides the crew) in the group. Gonna be fun! Besides us, there were four hikers from the United States, two from Germany and one French/British.
On night 0 we slept in cool little huts that have windows all the way to the roof to observe amazing start constellations while lying in a warm bed. As we huddled under several blankets (it was really cold even in the hut) and stared at the beautiful skies, we wondered how the rest of the trip will look like. So far this seems like a luxury glamping vacation.
While our tour crew spoiled us with all the amenities, the Peruvian weather decided to be mean on day 1. It was an overcast day since early morning and when we arrived at Humantay lake, our first lookout point, sadly we couldn’t see much. As we stayed at the lake a bit, the clouds lifted a bit, but definitely not enough to show the grand location we’re in. Oh well.
Once we left the lake, that’s when the weather turned really soar. It seemed as if the further we climbed, the harder the rain got. Thankfully we had rain ponchos that are a true lifesaver during torrential rain. At some point, it turned into hail and snow. Great. The ascent is already quite tough, especially given the altitude and this weather did add unnecessary difficulty.
Some of the group members found the climb and the altitude so tough that they had to use an emergency horse to get up to the lunch place. I had flashbacks from my Santa Cruz trek, where I suffered a lot from the altitude. Altitude should not be underestimated for sure.
As we arrived at the lunch place just below Salkantay pass, the rain also decided to take a break, so we had some time to observe the landscape while the chefs prepared a lunch feast. Every single lunch and dinner was a feast indeed. These guys made sure we get our calories (in a delicious way as well).
After lunch, a short hike led to the highest point of the trip, the Salkantay pass. It was still raining when we arrived but after ~20 mins the sun showed up and we saw a rainbow over the pass. What a treat! Even the guide said he has only seen one or two rainbows here.
And then the rain stopped and we could see the mountains surrounding the area, hallelujah! While 4.6km is damn high, the mountains around us were more than 6km tall, massive towers covered in snow all year round.
The descend led us through the land of chinchillas, super cute mountain rodents living in the rocks. While in the Alps you have marmots, Andes are ruled by chinchillas. So cute.
We arrived at the camp just in time as it was getting dark. The location of the campsite was just amazing with tall Andean mountains towering around us.
It was a clear night so we could observe the stars again. Not for long though. Clear nights mean damn cold nights. We even got a personal bladder with hot water to put inside a sleeping bag to keep us warm. What a service, again.
Day 1 tips
- It is a long day, so if you hike on your own, make sure to leave early to make it to the camp before dark. In October it would be dark after 18:00 already.