Humantay: A hike in the realms of Salkantay
You can always take one more step. Never forget that. Remember it when you’re there, on that slope that fatigue makes you think is never-ending. Go on, take that extra step and another. Make it ten! Then rest for a bit and take a deep breath before continuing towards your destination.
Yes, your destination, the one you saw in photos that captivated you. That route a fellow traveller, just like you, recommended in the main square or in the courtyard of a stone palace. You might not remember it. What does it matter? The only thing that matters is that you’re close now, tired, but very close. And you won’t turn back or give up.
You will arrive! That will be the reward for your efforts as a high-altitude walker, a wanderer in a land that, in pre-Hispanic times, was traversed on foot—always on foot—through valleys, plains, and mountain ranges. Thus, your steps in the realms of a sacred mountain are, in a way, ancient and historic.
And so, step by step, you draw nearer to Humantay, the mirror of water you saw in a photo that enchanted you with its turquoise waters. So much so that you changed your itinerary to visit that cocha (lake in Quechua) in the Vilcabamba mountain range, where the apu Salkantay reigns supreme.
Your decision was made, and you wouldn’t change it, no matter how early you had to rise or how many hours you had to walk at thousands of metres above sea level. That’s the least of your worries when adventure calls. Now you know it and you’re living it, because you’ve never dared to go trekking before. Your debut is in the Andes, in the Inca Cusco, in the millenary Peru.
Cusco: departure at dawn
It’s so early that even the sun is still asleep. But not you. The alarm has just woken you up. It’s cold, and you don’t want to get out of bed. You check the clock: 4:00 a.m., but it’s too late for regrets. Today you will go hiking. Today you will see Lake Humantay and the majestic Salkantay, respected and revered in Andean culture.
What to bring? What to leave behind?… Doubts. You have no experience on hiking trails. You think, reflect, decide: less is more. Just the essentials in your backpack: an extra warm layer, a raincoat, sunscreen, water, a snack, and the trekking poles you rented, and of course, your phone for photos.
All set. Now, all that’s left is to wait for the guide who will pick you up at the hotel at 4:30 a.m. That’s the option you chose when booking your tour. The other option was to meet the group at a designated spot, but that would mean extra effort. It’s best not to wear yourself out. It’s best to be picked up.
What happens next is easy to imagine and recount. The call from reception. The greeting with the guide. The ride in the private vehicle and the start of your journey through the shadowy streets of Cusco, the “Historical Capital of Peru,” a city that keeps many of its visitors awake with its nightlife of clubs, bars, and pubs.
But you are not one of them. The night before, you rested early to perform at your best, because while you may lack experience in trekking, you are in good health and your body is already acclimatised to the altitude. Both factors are crucial for success on the trails of Cusco.
Mollepata: breakfast time
You want to start walking now, at this very moment; but you have to wait and be patient. The first step isn’t just around the corner. The vehicle needs to leave the city and descend from its 3,400 m a.s.l. to the 2,970 m a.s.l. of Mollepata (Anta province), where a strategic stop will be made.
It’s not a short journey. It takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Time to reflect on the importance of protecting the mountain ranges, to think about how challenging and beautiful the path will be, to imagine your arrival at the lake formed by the melting snows of Humantay (5,473 m).
Patience. Let patience guide you. It’s not advisable to be nervous or to “eat anxieties,” as they say. What you should eat is the buffet breakfast waiting for you in Mollepata. Peruvian flavours and vegetarian options at your disposal, to shake off the sleep and get energised for the hike ahead.
You’re getting closer to that first step. Just a short ride left before you start walking. 8:30 a.m. Engines on. Goodbye Mollepata. Welcome Soraypampa and its 3,880 m a.s.l. The guide’s last instructions: let’s take it easy, it’s not a race; we will all make it.
All of you, the seasoned hikers and novices like you, who will test your endurance for the first time and experience the satisfaction of reaching a distant destination, breathless and with shaky legs from the effort of overcoming a steep incline.
Soraypampa: the first step
At 9:30 a.m., the moment of truth arrives. The wait is over. The challenge begins—friendly, fun, but also demanding—on this 4.2 km (one way) path that will take you up to the 4,200 m a.s.l. of Lake Humantay, “the head of the gods” in Spanish.
Don’t let your guard down or be deceived. The trail is gentle and welcoming as you leave Soraypampa. If you fall into its trap and believe the entire route is a smooth dirt road with only slight inclines, you’ll accelerate too quickly, wasting the energy you’ll need for the ascent.
Be prudent and cautious in your steps. Enjoy it, savour it, and recharge your spirit at the start of the trekking. Take in the peaks of the Vilcabamba mountain range, like Salkantay (6,264 m), “the wild and untamed mountain” in Spanish, and Tucarhuay (5,910 m). This way, you’ll be in high spirits for the challenging climb ahead.
It will take about an hour, or perhaps a little more (the total time for the ascent is around 2 hours and 30 minutes) along a mountainside. Here, you set your own pace; you choose your own way. You may feel breathless and even a bit envious of the other travellers who keep going without stopping, and you start to wonder: where is the lake?
Humantay remains hidden. It doesn’t show itself. If you could see it now, it would refresh your enthusiasm. “Come on! Don’t get discouraged. You can do it!” your guide encourages you, always attentive to your pace. That reassures you. You’re not alone in the mountains. Your companions are with you. And so are the apus watching over your steps.
Humantay: mission accomplished
It’s almost there, so close that you smile despite the fatigue. You will make it; you are making it… You did it! You conquered the distance and the altitude. Your first trek, your first success, your first glimpse of Humantay, with its serene turquoise waters fed by the melting snow.
You remember the photo that convinced you to explore the Vilcabamba range, and it feels incredible to be here. You’re no longer an observer; you are the protagonist of your own adventure in the mountainous paths of Cusco. These trails lead not only to archaeological sites but also to magnificent and challenging geographical landscapes.
And you are in one of them. It’s not the only one. There are other expeditions: the seven lagoons of Ausangate, the ascent to the Rainbow Mountain, the Salkantay-Machu Picchu trek, a four-day walking circuit that includes a visit to Humantay on its first day, and the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
That will be for next time. Now, you need to retrace your steps. Head back to Soraypampa, to the bus, to Mollepata for lunch, and then to Cusco (where you’ll arrive around 7:00 p.m.) to rest or, why not, celebrate your trekking triumph in one of those clubs, bars, and pubs that entice the sleepless. Cheers to Humantay!
September 22, 2024