Thin Air: Up 15,091 feet
- Caroline Frost
- May 30, 2022
- 2 min read
My last hike in Cusco was one I will never forget. No, it wasn't just because of the incredible views, or the 3 am wake-up call. Let's just say, the air was very thin on top of Salkantay. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Salkantay is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range, which is part of the Peruvian Andes. Although still a part of the Cusco Region, it's a three-hour drive from the main city. Our group stayed in Cabins in the town of Mollepata, which is at the start of the trek. These cabins are definitely what I would call "glamping." There is no service, no sheets on the bed or any covers and there is only electricity twice a day for one hour, at 5 am and 6 pm. They give you a sleeping bag, one pillow, and your heater is the sun during the day, so keep your doors closed. And trust me, you'll need it.
We arrived at our cabins at 8 am, dropped off our bags, and started up on the Trek to Salkantay. It's about a 6-hour hike but only 12 miles in total. It's a straight uphill climb, and every step you take you go up in elevation. We arrived at the top of the mountain around 1:30 pm, with my lips turning purple from lack of oxygen and the temperature about 30 degrees. You spend maybe a maximum of 20 minutes at the top before making you're way back down.
Our tour included food, so we made our way down to the "halfway" point which is about an hour or so down the mountain. *shown above*
We made it back to the campsite at around 4:30 pm.
Once the sun goes down, the night sky is one of the most beautiful things. Because of how high up we were, you see the stars so clearly, the Milky Way, and see comets shooting across. These photos were taken with no edits needed and still doesn't do it justice.
The next day we did the hike up to the small lagoon of Salkantay, which has the clearest turquoise water. Since I had almost passed out from the hike the day before, I chose to use the horses, which is an option for anyone who doesn't wish to walk up. It's only about a 90 minutes hike, but so incredibly worth it.
This was our last trek while in Cusco, Peru. Although it absolutely wrecked us, I've never felt so strong or connected to a group. We all pushed each other to get to the end, and the entire thing was an incredible bonding experience.
My last week in Cusco Peru was quite sentimental, saying goodbye to everyone I'd met throughout the week, I felt so much joy knowing I'd spent a month in such a historical town with the most incredible group of individuals. I will likely see almost everyone that was on the trip again in September/October, as TWC is doing a trip to Colombia and I may potentially join! I'll follow up with some photos of our last week there. Happy Memorial Day!
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