During the Spring of 2012, Jose Irauzqui, the founder of Yampu Tours, and his son Pablo set off to conquer the exhilarating Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. Heading to the legendary Inca Ruins, this luxurious trek plotted a more strenuous route, but ended at deluxe mountain lodges each evening. With a 13-year old skiing and soccer enthusiast and a 46-year old that is struggling to see his kid grow up so fast, this 6 day trek became a memorable excursion for the father-son duo.

Starting at the culture-driven city of Cuzco, Jose and Pablo spent 2 days exploring the area with the rest of the family. At the San Pedro Market they were briefed on the local Andean spices, purchasing those they could handle. At the Casa Concha Museum they visited the majestic pieces excavated from Machu Picchu, getting them excited for that next endeavor they would pursue towards the ruins. After the first days of cultural immersion, Jose and Pablo then set off to Challacancha where they would start their trek.

In Challacancha the pair met up with the guides and horses that would assist them on their hike. The horses can act as a crutch for those who have a hard time trekking up the route, and need assistance. Nonetheless, Pablo made it clear they would not be those hikers that couldn’t pull their own weight. From Challacancha, they started their hike up towards Soroycocha. Jose immediately saw that Pablo would be the head of the pack.

“Pablo was usually the first or second (after the competitive billionaire). He tried to stay with me but usually went ahead. He liked the guides and they liked him very much. He became the group pet.”

At Soroycocha they found their first campsite at 13,797 ft elevation. From here, they had the magnificent view of Apu Salcantay (snow capped mountain), also called the Guardian Lord of Cusco. After that first day, the 2 were famished. They were ecstatic to find both delicious Peruvian cuisine, and fun and relaxing accommodations waiting for them.

“We were starving; they served the perfect amount of food. Every evening at 7 pm. We also liked the Jacuzzis which we did almost every night.”

Over the next 3 days, Jose and Pablo would continue onto their trek to the great Lost City of the Incas. Each morning, the group would sit down to a healthy and nutritious breakfast to get them fueled up for the day. Their guides would make sure they had plenty of water, and snacks to keep them moving until lunch. With an early start at 6:30, Jose was surprised (and impressed) to find his teenage son so eager to get up.

“He was no problem getting up and getting breakfast. They had great nut snacks that he loved and we packed every AM.”

Staying at Qollpapampa the next day, descending to 9,482 ft elevation, the two found themselves hiking though the Salkantay Pass where they saw chinchillas and Andean Condors in their natural habitat, and beautiful views of glaciers and snow-capped mountain of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range. The following day, Jose and Pablo took off to their campsite at Lucmabamba, continuing to descend to 5,806 ft. Traveling through wild passion fruit and coffee plantations, they stopped to eat lunch at the settlement at Wiñaypoko, where they saw the beautiful waterfalls of Coripacchi.

With the rise of the next morning, Pablo was giddy to make their final stretch to Machu Picchu. They started their trek towards La Playa Village, where they crossed the river and started climbing to El Mirador. It was at this point that they could embrace the Majestic views of the renowned Lost City of the Incas. Continuing their hike, they came to the Llactapata look out point, where they took their last lunch of the trek.

“The views of Machu Picchu and the Salkantay Mountain from there were breathtaking. I just watched Pablo’s eyes light up.”

At this point they enjoyed a good rest, enjoying the added value of the Llactapata remains, which have recently been restored.Continuing to descend towards the Aobamba River, they crossed bamboo forests, and lush orchard and coffee plantations. With a final skip to the Machu Picchu hydroelectric plant, they then boarded the train that would take them to Puente Ruinas, which then ended their excursion.

After being transferred to their hotel, both Jose and Pablo rested their tired feet, took advantage of the Jacuzzi again, and tried to replace those calories they had burned off the days before with the hotel’s delicious cuisine. In a great post-work out state, and sense of rest and relaxation, they bonded over how this would be a trip they would never forget.

Plan your own bonding trip down the road to Machu Picchu, and see which trek best suits you! 

https://www.yampu.com/en/category/trekking-tours/

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