42 Mile Solo Reverse Salkantay Trek - Day 5 "The Mountain" - Peru

Day 5 begins after a long cold night spent in the barn of a local family. Though they did not operate a formal hostel or hotel they were willing to offer the barn and a home-cooked meal which was greatly appreciated. There is no opportunity for resupply in the surrounding area so you will have to ask random villagers if they are willing to sell you food, lodging, or supplies.

This section I gain approx 2,400ft (730m) over the course of 3.5 miles then descend around 2,000ft over another 4 miles.

The altitude (approx 13,000ft) combined with the freezing cold and physical bodily pain to make for a sleepless night. It did not help that the 5 or so dogs living on the property stayed up howling at the moon and barking at various times. It was at one of these bark sessions that I left the hammock to use the bathroom and noticed that I was standing in a bowl surrounded by glacier capped Andean mountains. Up to that point the entire valley had been encased in a dense fog that left no clue as to geography of the region. I knew it was alpine, the plants, temperature, and altitude gave that away, but the mountains were a sight to behold, especially in the middle of the night bathed in the glow of a colossal full moon.

Eventually I managed to fall asleep but was no sooner awakened by horse trains ferrying supplies up the mountain trail well before any hint of dawn.

This climb was absolutely brutal. I must have stopped to rest over a dozen times. By this point I had no food, very little water, almost no sleep. My legs were in terrible pain. The trail had been reduced to large randomly scattered unstable stones which made movement slow and precarious. I could feel my knees and ankles grinding away. And of course the altitude was not helping.

This section probably took me 6 hours though most locals told me it would take 3. I would have to walk a few kilometers past the village or Soraypampa to find transportation back to Cusco. I dont believe there is a bus system or taxis available to take you back and Cusco is several hours away. I relied on a store keeper asking his friend who operated a tour group if I could hitch back with them. It cost about $30 US and we even stopped at a hotel in the mountains for a buffet style lunch which was part of their tour. The bus was packed and I must have smelled terrible after having walked 5 days through the jungle and sleeping in barns, but everyone was very kind.

This was a trek to remember and although quite difficult I would absolutely do it again though with less weight and a better tripod, and I might even bring Bella along.

The 42 mile long Salkantay Trek is an adventurous alternative to the more popular, and thus more crowded, Inca Trail which many hikers use as a gateway to the renowned UNESCO archeological site of Machu Picchu in Peru.

The standard protocol is to begin this trip in the foothills of Salkantay Mountain at approximately 15,000 ft (4,600m) and work your way down over several days to approx. 8,000 ft (2,400m) with the trek culminating in the ruins of Machu Picchu.

I do this trek solo and in reverse, starting in Machu Picchu Village and walking to Soraypampa gaining altitude the entire way while carrying a 25kg pack.

As an added challenge I take the jungle route between the villages of Playa Sahuayaco and Collpapampa. Most trekking guides will avoid this route and ferry their group via bus along a dirt road as the trail is remote, narrow, and potentially non-existent due to mudslides. ***This route is dangerous. Proceed with caution or with a guide.

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