Back in August, my daughter and I went on an incredible adventure together in Peru, completing the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. Peru had been a place we were planning to visit in 2020 before the pandemic canceled our plans. We were finally able to do the trip together a month before she left home for college, and for me, after recovering from my second hip replacement surgery and becoming an empty nester. It was spectacular.

Morning sun looking out from the Salkantay Lodge

I had completed the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 25 years before (before cellphones!) with my dad, and it was a life-changing experience for me. It was the very first multi-day hike I’d ever done and truly changed my outlook on the world and my life. I wanted to have the same kind of trip for my daughter.

My daughter and I setting off the first day on the Salkantay trek

We booked our trip through Mountain Lodges of Peru, a family-run travel outfitter that I met last year in Panama at an adventure travel conference and that owns a series of gorgeous lodges based high in the Andes along the trail. Founded in 2005 with their first lodge in Soraypampa, Mountain Lodges of Peru offers a unique opportunity to stay at some of the most beautiful accommodations in the Andes while immersing in the stunning beauty, culture, and history of Andean culture. Honestly, it is not normally the way I travel (in luxurious, beautifully appointed accommodations with gourmet meals). Every trek I’ve ever done in the past has been the bare minimum – sleeping in a tent, eating camp food, and not showering for up to a week. However, this was something special, and it was worth every penny.

It was an exceptional experience on so many levels (service, guides, food, lodging, and surreal mountain views from the windows or outdoor hot tub at the lodges). If you are going to go for luxury trekking, this is the way to go. I reminded my daughter that on future hikes she does, it will not be at all like this!

Gallery of MLP’s flagship Salkantay Lodge at Soraypampa  and last shot of my girl

One of the most wonderful things about this particular hike is how the ecosystems change every day, starting from the highlands of the Andes with views of glaciers and the Salkantay peak, to a windswept, snowy landscape at the Salkantay Pass, and finally, after descending into the lush, green cloud forest surrounded by trees, plants, and glorious flowers. It is no surprise that this hike ranks as one of the most stunning hikes in the world.

And, best of all, we had the first few days on the trail almost completely to ourselves, seeing no other hikers given the unique locations of the lodges. That was a rare treat in today’s heavily touristed world.

ON THE WAY TO SORAYPAMPA

After an early breakfast at our hotel in Cusco (the launching point for Machu Picchu and a place that deserves the attention of an entire blog post or two),  our group left in a white tourism van (you will see a ton of these vans en route to the mountains, some only going for the day).

We stopped along the way to visit the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site – one of many Incan ceremonial sites located on the outskirts of Cusco, known for its rare moon-shaped carving etched into the stone. Our guides, Claudio and Gilberto, gave our group a brief history of this place, where we learned about the Incas’ incredibly sophisticated knowledge of astronomy, agriculture, and architecture, as well as their spiritual practices tied to the lunar cycles of the moon. I was grateful my daughter and I did a half-day tour in Cusco, where we visited several important Incan sites in and around Cusco to learn about the extraordinary knowledge, skills, and spirituality of the Incan civilization. It was fascinating and made the trek even more meaningful. (I also read this incredible book, “Lost City of the Incas: The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders,” by Hiram Bingham. It is a good read for historical facts however, he did not “find” Machu Picchu. It was hidden for years until 1911 when Bingham “discovered” it, but we learned from our guides that there were already people living there, and the locals knew about it.

Quillarumiyoc archaeological site, Peru

After our stop at the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site, we continued to the mountain village of Mollepata, where we stopped at El Pedregal, a beautiful farmhouse where we enjoyed a delightful farm-to-table lunch with a glorious view, and then a stop to shop at their shop that supports local women in the community.

Click on images to enlarge and view as a slideshow

After lunch, we had a scenic drive on our first of many crazy, winding mountain roads to Challacancha. This is where we started seeing van after van of sleeping passengers who apparently get up at 4 am to do the extremely long day trip to Lake Humantay (where we would hike the second day). Our guide said that this is a new tour being heavily marketed in Cusco by tour operators, and in his opinion (and mine), it is not very sustainable. First, it causes huge traffic jams on a narrow, gravel mountain road, and second, the local people are not at all benefiting from these tours. I write a lot about this in my work with GLP Films and as a freelance writer. It is a difficult thing as on the one hand, I understand why people want to see these places even if only for a day. Yet I also know it isn’t the best way to travel. I confess to having fallen into these traps myself.

The ride was not particularly pleasant and made me almost lose my lunch with carsickness. I can’t imagine driving all the way to Lake Humantay and back to Cusco all in one day. And the crowds of influencers there to get that “perfect” shot were maddening.

Thankfully, we were going there on foot and would not see the masses of tourists until the next day and only briefly since they were just there to see the lake and leave.

HIKE TO THE FLAGSHIP SALKANTAY LODGE

Mid-afternoon, we arrived at the trailhead for our first hike of the journey to Mountain Lodges of Peru’s (MLP) flagship Salkantay Lodge at Soraypampa. If we weren’t already feeling the effects of the altitude in Cusco, our first steps at 12,690 Feet/3869 m were intense. We all joked after the end of the hike that those first ten minutes up were the hardest of all. I wholeheartedly agree. I did not choose to take altitude pills as I have never had any issues in the past; however, most of the group, including my daughter, were on them, and it helped.

Thankfully, once we got up to the trail, which was aptly called the “Camino Real” (Royal Path), it was flat. We hiked through low-laying clouds with glimpses of snow-covered peaks for three hours, getting to know each other and acclimatizing to the altitude.  As always, I stopped to take lots of photos of the beautiful mountain flowers. 

Our guide Claudio setting off along the Camino Real.

We had a lovely group of ten people, including a family that has two daughters around my own daughter’s age. Our tour included mostly Americans and one lovely couple who came all the way from New Zealand. We all got along fantastically with lots of laughs, making cherished memories of a lifetime. And, our local guides Claudio and Gilberto were lovely, knowledgeable, and filled with joy and laughter. It truly was a magnificent trip.

Around five o’clock, we finally arrived at the Salkantay Lodge, and I felt like we were looking at an oasis in the desert. It was stunning! And the views of the mountains behind us, where we would hike the next day were surreal. What an incredible adventure we were going to have!

View from the Mountain Lodges of Peru’s Salkantay Lodge

Details on the first day’s hike:

• Trekking Time: Approximately 3 hours

• Hiking Level: Easy to Moderate

Meals: Lunch (El Pedregal) and Dinner (Salkantay Lodge)

Overnight: Salkantay Lodge (12,690’ / 3,869m)