- Looking out over the Vilcabamba mountains
A client called in recently to say she was getting in a bit of a flap about the prospect of hiking up to 4,600m on the lodge to lodge walking holiday to Machu Picchu. I completely understood as I had got myself in a similar flap a few months earlier when I did the trek. Yet the actual day I was dreading turned out to be one of the most beautiful, challenging and enjoyable days hiking I have ever done.
I really enjoy walking and that is essential on this holiday. You don’t need to be a marathon runner or a mountaineer but you do need to enjoy hill walking to get the most form this holiday. I like to get out and about at weekends as much as possible but a particularly harsh winter had kept me indoors in the months leading up to this trek and a last-minute preparation trip to walk in the mountains of northern Spain was cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud. So I have to admit that I arrived in Peru utterly unprepared and unfit. I was feeling rather daunted about the days ahead.
The two days I spent at the first lodge walking in the area around the base of Mt Salkantay meant I was acclimatised and getting used to walking at altitude but I had never stood at 4,600m, let alone hike up there.
We set off early from the lodge and as I tied up the laces on my boots I remember wishing I had opted for a beach holiday instead. It was mainly flat for the first part and the pace was very slow which I was very happy about. The next hour or so meandered slowly and gently up and down on a lovely path along the valley with Mt Salkantay as a permanent backdrop.
It was a beautiful sunny morning and I soon started to think I was actually going to enjoy this walk! After a couple of hours we reached the dreaded switchbacks which our guides had been telling us about for days. About 30 – 45 minutes of steep uphill along a series of switchbacks. Most people agree this is the toughest part of the whole five days. We stopped at the bottom to refuel on nuts, chocolate and lots of water and gawped up at the top. I was no longer nervous as I was enjoying the landscapes so much that my mind was focused on other things. Our guide advised us to just keep going on the next section and not to stop - the best option was to just get a rhythm going and stick to it.
I set off and started counting in blocks of ten to get a rhythm. I soon got impatient with how long it took me to get to ten ( at this altitude the pace is very slow indeed), so I switched to blocks of six. I kept going up and mentally crossed off each layer of the switch backs as I went. Some of the group stopped for a break and it seemed to take them ages to start again so I kept going and kept counting. I got to the last two sets of switchbacks and by this stage I think the counting had been replaced with swearing but on I went to the top.
At the top of this section we continued on a flat ridge and then went round a bend where a big platueau opened up with the entire Vilcabamba mountain range surrounding us. It was simply stunning. We stopped for a break and this is where this photo was taken. It was one of those rare moments when you know you are looking at something and experiencing something that you know you will treasure for a long time. I love the sounds of nature but the silence of the high mountains is very special. The group sat in silence and lay down looking up at the condors circling high above us. The mountains towered above in all directions. We persuaded the guide to let us stay a while longer than planned.
We then had the last push to the top of the pass. The last ten minutes of this section are tough as your pace almost grinds to a halt with the altitude but you can see the top of the pass the whole time and knowing how close it was kept us all going. On reaching the top the pain of the previous ten minutes was immediately forgotten as a sense of achievement took over. Not surprisingly the views were amazing and we had them all to ourselves as we did not come across any other groups on this trek.
After plenty of rest time and photos we started the descent. It was a few hours downhill where our porters were waiting with a hot lunch. The clouds came in fast over lunch and the mountains disappeared as we walked the last section. Our lodge slowly came into view – an amazing sight in such a remote lonely part of the world. A hot shower and delicious food was waiting. I was feeling on top of the world … and we hadn’t even seen Machu Picchu yet.
Find out more about our Peru holidays or this walking holiday to Machu Picchu.
The beautiful Soraypampa Lodge looking down at Mt Salkantay
The Lodges
There are four lodges built along the trek and it took over 10,000 mule journeys to complete them. The first lodge has 12 room and the others just 6.
Each one was designed by a local architect using local stone, wood and straw in the traditional adobe Inca style. Construction was supervised and approved by the National Insitute of Natural Resources.
Electicity is provided using state-of-the art gas generators. Water is from local sources and there are ‘filling stations’ at each lodge. Water from plastic bottles is charged at a premium and profits are donated to the community.
The company has also set up an eco-team to maintain the trail, clean up any litter and advise and assist with wildlife conservation.
Mother and daughter jam makers in Mollepata
The community
Aside from those working directly for the lodges, the company also supports the wider community and you are welcome to visit these projects if you have an interest.
In the village of Mollepata the company founded Yanapana Peru – a social project to help create sustainable sources of income for the locals. It has encouraged, advised and supported the locals in producing and selling local organic jams and textiles. The lodges buy a lot of the jam and also helps them market it further afield to Lima etc.
The company has also built extensions to local schools and sponsored other education and health projects.
Read more about our Machu Picchu Lodge Trek or about our Peru holidays more generally. For more general information about Peru holidays, read our guide to Peru.