Lares Treks to Machu Picchu 4d/3n
Day 1: Cusco – Huaran – Cancha Cancha
This Andean Mountain adventure through the Lares Valley to Machu Picchu begins early with your pickup at 5:00am from your hotel in Cusco then we will drive to Huaran, where we are going to meet up with our horsemen and horses. Time to get ready, boots on and begin our first 3 hours gradually ascending towards Cancha Cancha. Along the way, your lunch will be served next to the river, replenishing your energy for the trek ahead with a delicious meal prepared by your trekking chef.
Cancha Cancha (3,800m/12,467ft) is one of the most isolated and traditional communities, self-sustaining as it has been for hundreds of years. There is no road to the community and they were recently connected to electricity in December, 2019. After settling into your tents and having afternoon tea, you will have the opportunity to visit a local family. You will learn all about life in a traditional Andean village, with your guide as your interpreter. After dinner, your guide will show you the Inca constellations on which they depended for their agricultural guidance and still do today.
- Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping facilities with bathroom building
- Distance: 9kms / 5.6 miles
- Time: 3.5hrs approximately
- Difficulty: Moderate
Day 2: Cancha Cancha – Quiswarani
Your guide will wake you with a hot mug of tea or coffee to enjoy before you get up for breakfast. Feeling with a hight energy to begin our second day we start our 7 hour hike northeast. It starts out as an intense walk, accomplishing high passes on our way to the highest point of our trek at Pachacutec Pass(4,500m /14,800 ft). Motivating you along the trail for this intense part of the trek are the views of glaciers, remote lakes, alpaca herds, rugged valleys and spectacular mountain vistas. Keep your eyes on the sky for the Caracara falcons and Andean geese!
After enjoying the summit, we descend for 3 hours until we reach our campsite located by the Quiswarani community, (3,700m/12,139ft). On the way, we will be taking an isolated trail where we will see indigenous highland people in their traditional outfits herding their llamas and alpacas. The local indigenous people will interact with you in the Quechua (the Incas’ language). Your guide will act as your interpreter to translate and teach you some Quechua. When you arrive at the spectacular seven waterfalls, you are almost to the campsite!
At the campsite, everything will be ready. Enjoy hot drinks and appetizers before dinner, then snuggle in for a comfortable night sleep.
- Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
- Accommodation: Camping
- Distance: 12kms / 7.5 miles
- Time: 7hrs approximately
- Difficulty: challenging