Mount Salkantay (or Nevado Salkantay / Salcantay) is one of the most iconic mountains in the Cusco region and the highest mountain on the Vilcabamba Mountain range. Hikkers on the Salkantay trail spend a day approaching the mountain from the south and then another day in close proximity to the mountain as they scale the Salkantay Pass, which at 4,600m provides amazing views into the valley below.
Day 1: Cusco – Mollepata – Challacancha – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake
We pick you up from your hotel at 4:30 a.m. to drive for about 2 and half hours to Mollepata where we stop to have breakfast and after we will keep driving to challacancha where we start hiking and as Soon as we are at challacancha the cook and the horseman will pack all the camping equipment and cooking stuff and we start hiking the first 25 minutes will be a little bit uphill to get the Water Channel where we will have a nice place with panoramic views of beautiful snow-capped mountains (Humantay; 4120m/13500ft and Salkantay; 6271m/20575ft) – just the start! We will begin our Salkantay trek towards Soraypampa our first Salkantay Trek camping spot (3800 m/11750ft; the highest and coldest campsite of the trip) we will be very close to the second highest Salkantay snow capped -mountain of Cusco. Then after Lunch we will go to Humantay Lake and explore around and the we will walk down to our best campsite of soraypampa.
1ST DAY: Total distance: 15 km (aprox.)
Estimated walking time: 7-8 hours
Maximum altitude point: 3,800 m (aprox.)
Campsite altitude: 3,800 m (aprox.)