Salkantay Trail (Day 2)

[Soraypampa → Chaullay]

This is the big day! It is the day that you should cross the Salkantay pass at +4,630m to the other side of the mountains where the descending part starts. Although the total elevation gain in this day is only +740m till the pass, it is all at high altitude and you will feel the impact of doing effort at this elevation in its full. Two pieces of advice before venturing into this ultimate adventure; 1) take all the altitude sickness remedies you packed before the trip because you will need them; 2) Take Your Time hiking up, at this elevation you will hike at a much slower pace so do not be frustrated…its normal, and take as many rests as you need on your way up to enjoy the pure beauty surrounding you. As it will be the toughest half day of the entire trek, wake up early to give yourself the longest hiking window (daylight) possible, have a good breakfast at the camp and, most importantly, a positive spirit.

In the first section of the uphill you will be aiming for Salkantanypampa at approximately +4,100m. the start of the trail should be easy to spot from your camp. At that time, you might find some guided groups of hikers/horse riders who will out-pace you as they are hiking with no heavy backpacks because the horses are carrying them, so don’t be depressed…you are the real adventurer here. In this section, the towering snow-capped mountains will be facing you popping up from behind the clouds every now and then.

 

Once again remember to constantly take the altitude sickness remedies if you feel any headaches or tiredness with the best being the local tradition (click to request info) and drink lots of water. You will reach Salkantaypampa after 3.2km and 2.5 hours of hiking…too long I know! But once more the most important advice at such altitude is to take your time; at the end, you are on your own and far away from help, but on the positive side, you can see the pass now and this should make the adrenaline rush through your blood.

The next section will take you to Soyroqcocha at +4,400m which is the trickiest section of the entire trek. As you start hiking at a slower and slower pace, after 30 minutes you will meet a junction of two trails with no signs! So, which one to take? One trail is an uphill zigzag wide trail, while the other is a narrow, mostly flat, albeit on a cliff. Although both trails will ultimately lead to Soyroqcacha, one is much tougher than the other and, at this altitude, you will need every tiny bit of energy. In honor of the true adventurer spirit, I will not reveal here which trail to take, but one tip! If you know geography and the definition of a pass…trust your knowledge!! (click to request info).

 

At Soyroqcocha, there will be a beautiful small alpine lake surrounded by meadows, so take a rest enjoying this view and refresh yourself before embarking on the last section to cross the pass.

The final ascent from Soyroqcocha to the Salkantay pass is as tough as it gets. You will probably hike a couple of meters and rest, hike again and rest, but seeing the pass, hiking high in the clouds, and knowing that you are very close and that you deserve the reward of getting there will carry you all the way to the pass and on top of the mighty Andes, believe me…you are almost there.

 

YES, you are now at the pass, you crossed the Andes and hiked above the clouds on your own, you are a true adventurer who believed in him/herself and was rewarded with this amazing feeling.

Now you will be so excited and you will forget all about the altitude sickness, you will be like a little child running around, taking pictures, and congratulating yourself; and please do that, the views from that high, the fact that you are so small in the middle of all these mighty mountains, and the sense of achievement at this point are priceless. You reached the pass after 4-5 hours and 6km of uphill hiking (depending on which trail you took) so congratulations. Take a deserved break, admire the beauty surrounding you that only few people get to see, have a small lunch, and lots of smiles; but be careful, its windy up there and after the adrenaline rush fades away, you might get some headaches. It is up to you how long you want to stay up there, but remember, although its downhill from here all the way to Aguas Calientes, you are still at high elevation and your pace will be slower.

Hiking down the first section from the pass to Wayramarchay at +3,850m will be mostly on a rocky trail so be careful where you put your feet as you can easily slip. With the mighty Salkantay in your back now, you will feel unbeatable and you are! The views and the trail from this side of the mountain gives you a feeling that you are in a completely different planet. Unlike the other side which is green and full of life (it is the side that gets the rain), this side is rocky and barren but that does not mean that it is not as beautiful in its own way and it is more wild.

 

You are now literally in the clouds and looking down to the distant green valley which gives you a panoramic view of the beautiful Peruvian countryside. At Wayramarchay, you will find a small village with a local family selling snacks and drinks from a small kiosk which will be a nice sight and an opportunity to restock your supplies. There will also be a clean water source from where you can refill your water bottles.

The last section to Chaullay is the most pleasant, the mountains will get magnificently lush and green again and you will descend approximately 1,000m to a considerably low altitude of +2,850m. Although the target is Chaullay, if this day proved too long for you, there is another beautiful place where you can camp for a small fee approximately an hour before reaching Chaullay (click to request info); however, if you decided to head to Chaullay, you will be treated by a nice, downhill trail with stunning views.

 

Chaullay is a small village where locals will let you camp for free at their places, these places are mainly simple wooden structures with an upper story where you can set your tent and camp or you can camp in the garden surrounding the house; the former option been particularly useful if it is raining. The whole local family lives there, so be respective and courteous and buy something from them, they make delicious food with the local specialty “Lomo Saltado” and have ice-cold beer, so treat yourself and live the full Peruvian countryside experience.

Overall, in this day you will hike around 22km, gaining an altitude of +740m to the pass at +4,630m, descend -1,800m in approximately 10 hours; so, congratulations “You Crossed the Path On Your Own.”