-Day one: Mollepata to Soraypampa (12 miles) -Day two: Soraypampa to High Camp (7 miles) -Day three: High Camp to La Playa (15 miles) -Day four: La Playa to Aguas Calientes (15.5 miles)

Detailed Route:

Cusco to Mollepata

Take a colectivo from Cusco to Mollepata either in the early morning to begin hiking that day, or in the afternoon and stay one night in Mollepata. If you chose to stay in Mollepata, the Hostal Inti Killa was a nice place to stay and close to the center.

Day one:

Starting in Mollepata, head to the start of the Salkantay Trail. From the main square, there are a couple of signs but any local will be able to point you in the right direction if needed. The uphill climb begins here!

When you arrive at the picnic area, make sure you take the trail leading through the picnic area and not the one heading down. The one that looks like the obvious trail leads to the road. The road will get you to the same place, but it adds a little distance.

Follow the trail to Soraypampa and set up camp for the night. The first camping area you see after the Mountain Lodge has basic facilities and a great view of Salkantay Mountain for only 5 soles per person.

Day two:

Wake up at 7am and have a good breakfast before beginning the hike up to the Salkantay Pass. The 15,000ft pass may only be 3.8 miles (6km) but the elevation poses the challenge. Take your time and drink plenty of water. This section alone took 5-6 hours. (lots of breaks & photos!)

Once you reach the pass, the next camping area is an additional 3.1 miles (5km) but now the trek is downhill. The scenery will change rapidly and we walked in clouds the whole time! Once you reach a relatively flat stretch, there will be a couple of camping areas. Make camp and if there are no clouds, spend so time to check out the spectacular stars!

Day Three:

Get started early and have a quick breakfast as today will be long. The hike is all downhill and after 6.3 miles (10km) you’ll have the opportunity to have a hot lunch in Collpapampa. The first ‘cafe’ had a good meal for 10 soles.

After lunch, your hike follows the Santa Theresa River with a couple of ups and downs before leveling off. There are several small farms along this beautiful stretch and the locals will be happy to see you. There are many landslides along this section of trail so be careful when crossing these sections of the trail as they can be narrow.

Continue hiking into La Playa and make camp for the night. There are also a couple of camping areas at the far end of the village and a few more about a mile up the road from there.

Day four:

Break camp at a comfortable time and make your way to the start of the Llactapata Trail. You will now be entering a different trail so asking people where the Salkantay Trek is will get you pointed in the wrong direction. Luckily, this trail is nearly impossible to miss or get lost on.

On the Llactapata trail, you’ll notice that the climate and vegetation have changed even more. Prepare for the heat and intense sun if it is not cloudy. The climb is approximately 3.1miles (5km) and near the top, there is a great little stand perched on the edge of the mountainside. Take in the view and hydrate.

Continue up and over the mountain and within a half mile of the pass you will be at Llactapata Incan Ruins. Spend some time exploring and taking in the distant view of Machu Picchu.

Finish up the day by descending into the valley and hiking to Aguas Calientes via the railroad tracks starting in Hidroelectrica.