Salkantay day 1 - part 1 from Sayllapata to Soray Pampa

In June I was in Peru to hike the four-day Salkantay Trek. This trek is a nice alternative to the Inca Trail which is very popular in the summer months. However, what the Salkantay lacks in cultural heritage, it makes up for with natural attractions that I partly get to see on this route.

With guides Jaime and Dario and another Brazilian couple I form a very small group, but that's enough company for me. To get up after an endless hour we arrive at Sayllapata around nine o'clock where we walk for more than two hours to the first base camp at Soray Pampa. I start at over 3600 meters and although the slope up is not very steep, it is still a good practice for climbing at this height.

It starts a bit ordinary, but later I am greeted with a beautiful - literally - green path that immediately reminds me of Ireland, but this time with more colorful flowers and plants. The Salkantay is a popular alternative to the classic Inca Trail and large groups of up to 28 people cross our path. Then our small group suddenly doesn't look so bad anymore...

This short, but beautiful route is characterized by an ancient Inca channel that is still used to this day. This little channel runs along the edge of a cliff, but it's never a danger to walk here. It reminds me of the famous levadas in Madeira where I was three years ago including the green surroundings of this idyllic island.

With the improvised wooden bridges it sometimes takes a bit of help, but with small, careful steps these bridges can also be taken without any problems. Towards the end I descend and after more than five kilometers of walking I arrive at Juanpi, the first base camp of this trek.

This is a short but nice introduction to the Salkantay and is really nothing more than a warm-up for what is to come. Fun, but not yet the real thing.