UJ #9 - Adventure in Peru
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TREKKING IN PERU<br />
Ana Paula Alb<strong>in</strong><br />
BASIC EQUIPMENT<br />
- SMALL BACKPACK<br />
- HEADLAMP<br />
- TREKKING SHOES<br />
- WARM AND<br />
WATERPROOF JACKET<br />
- THERMAL T-SHIRTS<br />
- CAP AND SUN<br />
GLASSES<br />
- SUNSCREEN<br />
Ana Paula Alb<strong>in</strong><br />
Ana Paula Alb<strong>in</strong><br />
SALKANTAY:<br />
THE GREAT DESCENT<br />
Salkantay is the second highest mounta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Cusco,<br />
and its name, salqa, means wild. It is an impressive<br />
snow-covered peak and at 6,271 metres, it is visible<br />
throughout the first day of the trek. It is a long way off<br />
but looks close enough to touch dur<strong>in</strong>g the gentle<br />
ascent to Salkantaypampa (4,100 m.a.s.l. ), site of the<br />
first camp.<br />
This comes after leav<strong>in</strong>g Cusco on the Southern Inter-Ocean<br />
Highway towards Abancay and the coast,<br />
cross<strong>in</strong>g the pla<strong>in</strong>s of Anta, breadbasket of the Imperial<br />
City. You then reach the warmth of the River<br />
Apurimac valley and Limatambo. There is fruit, and<br />
archaeological sites such as Tarawasi and haciendas<br />
dat<strong>in</strong>g from the 16th Century. For example, Sondor<br />
and Mollepata. This is the start of the route from<br />
Salkantay, although some go as far as Soraypampa<br />
before start<strong>in</strong>g the trek.<br />
On the first night even the sky is closer. The camp site<br />
is on a rocky plateau surrounded by snow-capped<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>s; it is spacious and adequately protected.<br />
The peaks loom among the stars and the universe<br />
of constellations form<strong>in</strong>g part of Andean cosmology<br />
can be seen. The follow<strong>in</strong>g day br<strong>in</strong>gs five hours of<br />
walk<strong>in</strong>g and the 4,600-metre Salkantaycasa pass. On<br />
the way up, the ichu grass is replaced by black rock<br />
formations and more and more snow.<br />
Through the pass seems like another world – a parallel<br />
universe. Mounta<strong>in</strong>s that stretch to the horizon,<br />
ever lower, greener and more exuberant. This is the<br />
start of the Amazon bas<strong>in</strong>. The Salkantay trek takes<br />
<strong>in</strong> part of the geographic area of the Machu Picchu<br />
Historic Sanctuary and the Choquequirao Regional<br />
Conservation Area. Three great routes lead<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the jungle. Salkantay is the most direct, a long<br />
descent through a large number of different ecosystems.<br />
There are lodges and camp sites as the trail<br />
descends from snow to the heat of the forest, at the<br />
Cocalmayo thermal spr<strong>in</strong>gs and the zipl<strong>in</strong>es at Santa<br />
Teresa.<br />
Then ichu gives way to orchids and heliconias. From<br />
a multitude of birds to the spectacled bear and<br />
Cock-of-the-Rocks. From the white of the snow to<br />
the green of the vegetation. And between these extremes,<br />
the pygmy forest and high jungle. For that<br />
reason, and also because it covers a section of the<br />
Inca Trail, National Geographic <strong>Adventure</strong> Travel considers<br />
this one of the world’s twenty five best hikes.<br />
And wait<strong>in</strong>g for us at the end: adventures on the rivers<br />
and forest canopy, access from the west to Machu<br />
Picchu or the rail station to Aguas Calientes, 11<br />
kilometres further on, from which to ascend to the<br />
historic city. Deity and lord of the Inca universe.