Salkantay

There are many different ways to get to Machu Pichu and the Salkantay trek is the hardest and most beautiful. It lasts five or six days (we did it in five by skipping the first day which goes along a boring road) and is grueling, but definitely worth it. National Geographic once named it one of the 25 most beautiful treks in the world. The first day we began at about 3900 meters and went up for 4 hours to a pass at more than 4500 meters. It was the hardest day of trekking in my life but the views were stunning. At that altitude you have to move very slowly or you run out of breath very quickly, especially when you are carrying a heavy pack on your back (we did not have a guide and did not go with a tour). After the pass it was another 5 or so hours to our campsite down a gorgeous valley. Each day after that was easier but equally long and the cumulative effect was grueling. However, we were moving in a circle closer towards Machu Pichu every hour and on the third day we could clearly see the profile of the mountain from the back end of Machu Pïchu. The fourth day we had a nearly 4000m pass that was surprisingly tough but had lunch at the top with a stunning view of the landscape, including Machu Pichu. Actually climbing around the same mountain valley makes you realize how extraordinary it was to create anything enduring at all in such a challenging environment. The day after that, we climbed up an easy two hours to Machu Pichu (without packs on - sweet releif!) and enjoyed it for several hours before we hiked out and bused ourselves back to Cuzco.