Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu ⛰️

The saying “The journey is the destination” describes my last days quite well - 5 days of trekking the Salkantay to Machu Picchu. Each day was more exciting and beautiful than the last until we finally stood before our highlight, Machu Picchu! We started on the first day at 4:30 in the morning in Cusco. After a 2-hour bus ride, we had breakfast and got to know our group for the next few days. From the start, we all got along really well and remained a great group until the last minute. On the first day, we only planned about 10 km, making it a leisurely day, though it was tough because of sleep deprivation and altitude. Our goal was the Laguna Humantay at 4250m. The afternoon was free, and I simply enjoyed it in the sun while reading. I felt a bit like I was back in Nepal, surrounded by white mountain peaks and tired feet in the cold grass. On the second day, we had 25 km ahead of us, with 1000 m of ascent and 1700 m of descent. We set off early at 5 am. We arrived at our peak, the Salkantay Pass at 4650 m, three hours later at a pretty brisk pace. Upon reaching the top, we held a small gratitude ceremony led by our guide David, following the tradition of the indigenous people of the Peruvian Andes. From there on, it was all downhill for the rest of the day. By the end of the day, everyone’s knees were protesting, and there was little motivation left. But we made it and were rewarded with a hot shower in the evening. Early and tired, we headed to bed. The next day was more relaxed with only 10 km to cover, but the first hour was in rain and mud. We spent the afternoon in natural hot springs. Afterwards, we enjoyed happy hour at the bar across the street for a Pisco Sour or two. In good spirits, we headed back to our accommodation where we celebrated late into the night, and especially danced a lot. The evening was really fun, and the 25 km we had the next day were easily forgotten. Tired and sleepy, we started a bit late the next day since even our guide had overslept after the long night. These 25 km were quite quiet in our group. However, we caught our first glimpse of Machu Picchu, which made everything else fade away. In between the historical facts shared by David, our guide, many of us took quick power naps. After lunch, we walked a long 10 km along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes, which was our destination. There, I hoped to get leftover tickets for Machu Picchu the next day. Just 10 minutes later, I was happy to have that exact ticket in hand. With fresh mango juice, we celebrated that right away. The fruits here are simply incredibly good, and I took every opportunity to enjoy them. Then it was time for our last night together. We actually wanted to do karaoke, but we were probably too hungover for that. I then took a stroll through the town of Aguas Calientes. Small but charming. Since it is the gateway to Machu Picchu, it’s also quite touristy. Interestingly, there is no road into the town, and the only ways to get here are hiking or by train. Once again, the alarm rang at 4:30, because our bus to Machu Picchu left at 5:20. Tired, excited, and full of anticipation, we traveled up the mountain for a long 30 minutes by bus. At 6 o'clock, we finally saw the long-awaited mountain. Since we had the first tickets of the day, it was still quite quiet, and we had all the time in the world to take photos. We saw the sunrise at Machu Picchu and were able to breathtakingly conclude our 5-day trek. In the afternoon, we had to say goodbye to each other, and I took the panoramic train back to Cusco. Every hope and expectation I had beforehand was more than exceeded by this tour! A wonder of the world that was simply breathtaking! 🫶🏼