The Trekking Salkantay to Machu Picchu 5 Days/ 4 Nights

The Salkantay Trail connects the city of Cusco with the Machu Picchu Inca Citadel and travels approximately 89 km / 55 miles through high Andean peaks, cloud forest, and misty jungle. The walk begins in the town of Mollepata, a few kilometers from Cusco.

The Mountain of Salkantay; is located in the Vilcabamba Mountain range, northwest of Cusco. Salkantay is one of the highest and most spectacular mountains in the Andes (6,271 m / 20,574 ft).

National Geographic Adventure Travel magazine named the Salkantay Treks are the 25 best hikes in the world.

During the Salkantay Trek tour you will cross different altitudes; from 4630 meters above sea level, being the highest point the Abra Salkantay and will descend to 2050 meters above sea level in the town of Aguas Calientes.

Below we show you the different altitudes you will find on the route:

Day 1: Cusco – Soraypampa – Soyroccocha

Mollepata 2900 masl
Soraypampa 3900 masl
Salkantaypampa (lunch and rest) 4100 m.a.s.l.
Soyroccocha (camp) 4400 m.a.s.l.

Day 2: Soyroccocha – Abra Salkantay – Huaraymachay – Collpapampa

Salkantay Pass 4630 masl
Ichu Pata 4200 masl
Huayraqmachay 3853 masl
Rayampata 3400 masl
Platforms 3300 m.a.s.l.
Challhuay 2920 masl
Collpapampa 2900 masl

Day 3: Collpapampa – Sahuayaco – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes

Playa Sawayaco 2000 meters above sea level
Santa Teresa 1600 m.a.s.l.
Hydroelectric 1800 m.a.s.l.
Aguas Calientes 2040 m.a.s.l.

Day 4: Machu Picchu – Cusco

Machu Picchu: 2,400 meters above sea level
Waynapicchu: 2800 meters above sea level
Machu Picchu Mountain: 3,200 meters above sea level
Intipunku: 3,400 meters above sea level

Altitude sickness or soroche as some call it is very common. Because, it is a natural reaction of the body when going through sudden changes in height. For this, the fundamental cause is the lack of oxygen in the body (hypoxia). It seems that this occurs in people who come from a very low altitude. Whose destination has an altitude greater than 2000 meters above sea level and consequently may have the following symptoms:

Mild symptoms:
This list of symptoms can be alleviated with coca leaf tea (highly recommended), altitude sickness pills (check with a doctor before self-medicating). For this reason, you must descend to a lower altitude area, drink hot infusions and remain completely at rest. If the situation does not improve, it is advisable to call a doctor.

Difficulty to sleep
Feeling of vertigo
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea – vomiting
Tachycardias
Respiratory distress

Severe symptoms:
This list of symptoms, unlike the previous one, are more dangerous, they can be alleviated with the administration of oxygen through a mask. It is important to descend immediately from the altitude in which you are and medical attention is necessary since an inappropriate maneuver can be fatal for the patient. Likewise, it is suggested to keep the body hydrated by drinking at least 3 to 4 liters of water, avoiding alcoholic beverages, and adding a diet of carbohydrates and sugars.

Chest stiffness
Cough
Loss of consciousness
Pallor
Soft spot
Inability to walk
Respiratory distress

It is recommended to do the following:

A period of acclimatization is recommended for the body to assimilate height changes.
To rest well.
Drink hot infusions, preferably coca leaf tea.
Hydrate the body (drink between 3 to 4 liters of water).
Avoid drinking alcohol.
Feed on light food.
Consume foods based on carbohydrates and sugars.

The Salkantay trek that you will experience features many variations of climates along the route. It probably reached heights of up to 4,630 meters above sea level and unraveled up to 2,010 meters above sea level. Therefore, it is recommended to arrive in the city of Cusco at least 2 days before the trek so that you can eat a light diet, eat little, drink plenty of water and rest well. That is, being able to be in favorable conditions, acclimatize and avoid being affected by the so-called “soroche” or altitude sickness. That generates some problems such as headache, shortness of breath, beautiful, dizziness, etc.

Age: It is recommended that children under 12 years of age and older do not do this walk because it is “challenging”. Also, because it has an extreme cold climate, it requires a good physical condition.

Health: The walk is open to the general public. But, health is a very sensitive issue to take into consideration. Almost, it is not recommended to do this walk for people who have respiratory and cardiac problems. Since, the oxygenation at higher altitude is lower and harder to breathe, which will make your walk more difficult.

Another important point that you must take into consideration before starting the walk. It is to be aware if you have allergies or food restrictions. For this reason, it is preferable to take your medications if you have them and strictly comply with them, remember that there are no hospitals on the walk.

If you do this walk hiring a travel agency, it is very important to inform these details. So that they can take the necessary precautions and bring what is necessary for you to enjoy this walk.

In order to make the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu we must take into account the physical condition in which we find ourselves. To do this, we must prepare ourselves by strengthening our muscles and our endurance capacity for this walk. Because, it is not uniform and instead shows different levels of difficulty.

Thus, some specialists give the following recommendations:

Go hiking or walking:
It is advisable to walk gradually starting from 2 kilometers to 10 kilometers per day. Above all, to strengthen the muscles and test our endurance capacity. Also, we can make longer walks in mountainous areas that require a higher degree of difficulty. Taking into account that the second day of the Salkantay trek is 22 kilometers.

Breathing exercises:
To carry out the Salkantay trek, it is important to maintain the rhythm between our steps and our breathing to avoid rapid fatigue. For this reason, it is recommended to practice deep breathing exercises, diffracted breathing, full breathing and alternate breathing between nostrils and mouth.

Adequate diet:
Food is very important when doing this type of walk. Therefore, we recommend eating foods that are rich in iron and vitamin B, which helps us improve blood circulation, preferably eating green vegetables and fish.

Hydration:
Hydration is essential either on the walk or in our physical preparation so we will avoid energy wear and headaches.