{"id":3573,"date":"2026-01-09T00:59:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T00:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freewalkingtourcusco.org\/?p=3573"},"modified":"2026-02-24T15:28:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:28:53","slug":"cusco-the-whims-of-the-malaga-pass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freewalkingtourcusco.org\/en\/cusco-the-whims-of-the-malaga-pass\/","title":{"rendered":"Cusco: The whims of the M\u00e1laga Pass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to cross the M\u00e1laga Pass!\u201d<\/strong> he told me, in a tone that mixed admiration with a clear note of warning. What struck me at the time was that this seasoned explorer focused on the geographical point that marks the end of the Andes and the beginning of the Amazon<\/strong>, rather than describing the attractions of the warm, forested Cusco province of La Convenci\u00f3n<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps it\u2019s because Peru <\/a>is a land of famous \u2014 and fearsome<\/strong> \u2014 mountain passes, like the well-known Ticlio or Anticona<\/a>, the highest point (4,843 metres above sea level) on the road and railway linking Lima<\/a> with the central highlands and jungle. In this natural setting, some 60 km east of the capital (Chicla district, Huarochir\u00ed province), many travellers experience dizziness<\/strong>, nausea, general discomfort and shortness of breath when breathing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are some of the symptoms of a mild and temporary condition known scientifically as Acute Mountain Sickness<\/strong>, but better known in Peru as soroche or altitude sickness<\/strong>. No one is completely immune to it \u2014 it can affect anyone who ascends too quickly, without proper acclimatisation<\/strong>, to towns and cities located thousands of metres above sea level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But that remark, halfway between admiration and warning, had nothing to do with altitude sickness<\/strong>. My companion knew I\u2019d crossed many Peruvian \u2014 and Cusco<\/strong> \u2014 mountain passes by bus and on foot<\/a>. Salkantay <\/strong>(4,650 metres above sea level on the trek of the same name), Palomani <\/strong>(5,200 metres on the Ausangate route) and Warmiwa\u00f1usca<\/strong> (4,200 metres on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu) are all \u201cbadges of honour\u201d on my traveller\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what was he referring to?<\/strong> What lay behind his comment about that pass located 130 kilometres from Cusco<\/strong> and just 44 from Ollantaytambo<\/a>, the historic and tourist \u201cLiving Inca City\u201d of the Sacred Valley?<\/strong> Curiosity got the better of me and I asked him \u2014 but I didn\u2019t get the answer I was looking for. He simply smiled and, after a long pause, threw out an enigmatic line: \u201cYou\u2019ll find out.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A night at the pass<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And realise it I did \u2014 very much so. So much so that, after what I went through, I\u2019m now the one who says, with the same mix of admiration and warning, \u201cYou\u2019re going to cross the M\u00e1laga Pass!\u201d<\/strong> whenever I hear that a friend or acquaintance is heading that way. Want to know why?<\/strong> Then keep reading. I\u2019m sure my experience on this mountain pass will surprise you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not a pleasant story, but since it had a positive ending, I\u2019ll share it to show that journeys are never free from unexpected events<\/strong>. Sometimes, defying the seasons, a fierce and punishing snowfall can strike at high altitude<\/strong>. That\u2019s exactly what happened when I was returning to Cusco after visiting Quillabamba, the capital of La Convenci\u00f3n province<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Plain of the Moon\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 that\u2019s the meaning of its name in English\u2014 is a lush destination with natural attractions such as the Seven Tinajas Waterfall<\/strong>, as well as nearby archaeological sites like Huamanmarca and \u00d1usta Hispana. It\u2019s also the starting point for the Pongo de Mainique, where the Urubamba River narrows into a dramatic gorge. Crossing it is a thrilling, adrenaline-filled challenge.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s another adventure altogether. Let\u2019s go back to the snowfall \u2014 the one that blocked the road for hours, many hours, so many that I ended up spending an entire afternoon and a whole night inside the bus<\/strong>, with very few comforts, on my way back to the \u201cHistorical Capital of Peru<\/a>\u201d. And to think that everything had been going perfectly well until, in a desolate stretch of road, the driver switched off the engine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mechanical fault (and who would rescue us now?), the driver fancying a quick nap<\/strong>, or perhaps an emergency stop requested by one of the passengers (no one is immune to those situations)? That\u2019s what I wrongly assumed. Minutes flew by and the journey didn\u2019t resume<\/strong>. Worried, I remembered the enigmatic \u201cyou\u2019ll find out<\/strong>\u201d that had followed the initial warning: \u201cyou\u2019re going to cross the M\u00e1laga Pass\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, well, that very idea of \u201ccrossing\u201d turned out to be the problem<\/strong>. We couldn\u2019t. Snow, ice and bad weather made it impossible to continue along the winding, asphalted road that skirts M\u00e1laga \u2014 a mountain pass at 4,316 metres above sea level<\/strong>, famous for its whims. There are countless stories of passengers stranded by sudden snowfall and other causes. Mine is just one more among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking in the snow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A story with a happy ending <\/strong>\u2014 but one marked by real hunger (no lunch, no dinner, just a life-saving bottle of water) and bitter cold during the night when my bus didn\u2019t move a single centimetre<\/strong>. I wasn\u2019t alone. A long line of \u201csleeping\u201d vehicles waited for the miraculous arrival of machinery to clear the road. It never came. The situation was critical and distressing<\/strong>. I had to act. And I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grabbed my belongings, got off the bus and set off towards Ollantaytambo<\/strong> along the frozen tarmac. I knew my steps wouldn\u2019t take me all the way there, but at least they might help me escape the pass<\/strong>. And so I walked on, despite being weak from lack of food and poor sleep, despite the icy slush seeping through the seams of my waterproof,<\/strong> and despite the punishing wind lashing my cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My persistence paid off<\/strong>. After a long stretch weaving past lorries, buses and cars, I noticed a pick-up truck pulling out of the line of stranded vehicles and heading back towards Ollantaytambo. I ran. I shouted. I waved my arms<\/strong>. The driver stopped. He rescued me. Riding in the open bed, I made my way down to the \u201cLiving Inca City\u201d<\/strong>. A steaming bowl of caldo de gallina<\/a> finally buried my hunger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in Cusco, safe in the comfort of a hotel, I made myself a promise: I would return<\/strong>. I wanted my rematch, on a calm, clear day, because \u2014 as I would discover years later when I kept my word \u2014 \u201cyou\u2019re going to cross the M\u00e1laga Pass\u201d has another meaning<\/strong>. One linked to quietly contemplating its landscapes and to seeking out the plant and animal species that inhabit this mountain pass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The return to the pass<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I went back twice, and each time everything was different<\/strong>. The pass treated me kindly. You could say we made peace, and that day of snow, cold and hunger turned into nothing more than an anecdote<\/strong> \u2014 and a lesson. Mountain passes are geographical zones with unstable and often harsh weather. You should never take them lightly. Always carry warm clothing and something to eat when heading towards them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re only going to see them through the window of a bus. A prepared traveller enjoys the route far more<\/strong>, along with the sweeping views offered by places like M\u00e1laga, on the boundary between the provinces of Urubamba and La Convenci\u00f3n. As you cross it, the landscape begins to change dramatically. That\u2019s how complex and ever-changing Cusco<\/a> \u2014 and Peru \u2014 really is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my return visits, I was able to walk and explore its winding terrain. During my wanderings, I discovered forests of queu\u00f1a<\/a> (Polylepis), an Andean tree that stoically withstands the rigours of the climate; I admired the grandeur of La Ver\u00f3nic<\/strong>a, the highest peak in the Urubamba range (5,792 metres); and I went in search of the bird species that spark the curiosity of birdwatchers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not one of them, though I did try to spot the Andean cinclodes, the ash-breasted mountain finch,<\/a> the sunbeam hummingbird<\/a>, and the condors and hawks<\/strong> that inhabit this unique ecosystem, where more than 300 bird species have been recorded<\/strong>. No luck. Maybe next time \u2014 perhaps the time when I finally decide to cycle from the pass down to the beginnings of the La Convenci\u00f3n rainforest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So now you know: if you\u2019re looking for a challenging and fascinating attraction<\/strong> in Cusco, cross the M\u00e1laga Pass by vehicle or on foot. The choice is yours. The good thing is that, whatever you decide, you\u2019ll live a great experience<\/strong> \u2014 the kind that stays etched in a traveller\u2019s memory and turns into a story told more than once<\/strong>, just as I\u2019ve done here through these words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou\u2019re going to cross the M\u00e1laga Pass!\u201d he told me, in a tone that mixed admiration with a clear note of warning. What struck me at the time was that this seasoned explorer focused on the geographical point that marks the end of the Andes and the beginning of the Amazon, rather than describing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhims of the M\u00e1laga Pass, Where the Andes meet the jungle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cusco: the whims of the M\u00e1laga Pass \u2014 discover a mountain pass rich in biodiversity and full of striking natural beauty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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