Salkantay Trek - Day 1

Writing this now, after completing the trek, I can't believe it's over. What a great experience. First off, we had a great guide, Roy. Second, we created a temporary family, made up of us Americans (plus a 1/2 American 1/2 Belgian), Australians, a Columbians, Romanian, and Spaniard. Hiking 40 makes over 5 days together, we all got to know each other and it was nothing but positive energy (which Roy attributed to the great weather we had. It only rained at night tIme and we got sun at machu picchu). Third, we trekked 40 miles through multiple climate zones as high as 14000 feet and as low as 6000 feet. It was an accomplishment.

So the first day we met with our group and shuttle at a plaza near our hostel at 430am. Then we had a 3 our ride to a small mountain town. The second half of this going up a valley wall on a muddy dirt road. I looked for some catholic paraphanalia hanging from the rear view mirror for good luck, but instead saw a Ferrari tag hanging. This explained the driving; hualing ass around blind turns on a wet, sIngle wIde dirt road, with no signs or guardrails, above sheer 500-1000+ drops. One time we did slide a turn in the mud. Me and a couple others were so very thankful to make it through that drive alive. Everyone else muddy have been asleep. Good Lord!

After a meager breakfast, the trek began! There was a horseman with mules that went fast ahead of us, haulIng our big bags and (also setting up) our camping gear. A cook and his assistant also had a mule and went out in front of us. These guys were huge behind the scenes players, keeping us well fed. The food would consist of first a soup and then rice, potatoes, or pasta (once we had all three. Carbo load to the max) with meat and maybe some vegetables. Sometimes chicha (blue corn boiled with pineapple, lime, and cinnamon. Think real good kool-aid) and always coca or mint tea. Breakfasts were either omelets or pancakes with coffee and porridge juice (think liquid cinnamon roll). Roy would always wake us up at 5 with coca tea too...which was a good morale and energy booster.

The first days trek took us from the highlands to much higher lands. We started in some low key, high altitude farmlands and went up through some lush jungle like bullets to gain a bunch of elevation. After lunch we stuck on a dirt road and headed further up this large valley, ending in the big pasture land closely surrounded by snowy mountain peaks. It was pretty cold. And fortunately our tents and dinner were under a larger tent structure, because it started to pour as soon as we arrived. After 18km we passed put by 9 and easily slept through the cold night.