PERU ADVENTURE GUIDE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR YOUR JOURNEY TO MACHU PICCHU
SALKANTAY TRAIL MAP
The Salkantay trail is the highest route to Machu Picchu, reaching an elevation of 4,600 m (15,200 ft) on day 2 at the beautiful Salkantay pass. Unlike a traditional summit climb, the direction of your destination is not vertical. You'll trek through a series of ups, downs, twists, and turns before a final descent into the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu!
PERU PACKING LIST
FUN PERU + MACHU PICCHU FACTS
THE LEGACY OF THE INCAS
Machu Picchu is a grand and spiritual site built during the Incan Empire between 1438 AD - 1532 AD. Its exact former use remains a mystery, but the leading theories believe it to have been a ceremonial site, military stronghold, or a retreat for ruling elites (its dramatic location makes it well suited for any of those purposes). Although the Inca themselves were a small ethnic group, they gained control over more than 12 million people from 100 different cultures in an area stretching over 2,500 miles during their 100 year reign! When the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, the Inca abandoned their holy city to preserve its architecture and beauty from the invading conquistadors. As the Inca hoped, Machu Picchu was never discovered by the Spanish. It wasn’t until 1911, 300 years after it had been abandoned, that French-American explorer Hiram Bingham came across the “lost city” as he was searching for the hidden capital city of Vilcabamba (which is located 50 miles north). Because the Incas left no written history, most of what we know about Machu Picchu comes from archaeological finds. Here are some more fun facts about the history and mystery of Machu Picchu and the Legacy of the Incas:
Look to the Sky
Inca religion was complicated and incorporated many aspects of the sky and nature. The Inca visualized Inti, the Sun God, as a man, and his wife as the Moon. Most Incan architecture was designed and built for the worship of the Sun, Moon and stars.
GET A BIRD'S EYE VIEW
Machu Picchu sits in the shadows of two mountains, Montana Picchu and Huayna Picchu, both of which are believed to have been used by the Incas for worship and sacrifice. You can hike up either mountain from Machu Picchu for amazing, panoramic views of the Incan citadel!
YOU'VE GOT MAIL
Because the Inca did not have a written language, they were extremely skilled verbal communicators. They had a postal system where relay messengers would run across rope bridges to deliver communications to the next team on the other side.
Shine on
Many researchers believe Machu Picchu was built as an astronomical observatory, and the site’s multiple observation points suggest that the Incas worshipped the sun. The Intihuatana stone is evidence of this, because, twice a year during the equinox, the sun sits directly over this sacred stone with no shadow.
BUILT TO LAST
It's estimated that it took around 5,000 people to build the over 140 buildings in the Machu Picchu citadel, and they did it without the use of draft animals, iron tools, mortar, or the wheel. They used a dry stone technique where perfectly split stone bricks were put together like a huge puzzle. Some of the bricks packed so tightly together that you can't even put a knife between them. Machu PIcchu was constructed atop two fault lines, so without this Incan ingenuity, many of the best known buildings would’ve crumbled long ago!
WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
Corn, or maize, was the central food in the Incan diet. They even drank a beer called Chicha made from fermented maize. They also they commonly ate guinea pigs, or cuy, that fed on plants and kitchen scraps inside their homes. In fact, Peruvians in the region still eat cuy today, so keep an eye out for it on the menu!
SALKANTAY WILDLIFE
LLAMAS
These adorable guys belong to the camel family, and are now considered South American natives. They have a pretty amazing history that dates back about 40 million years! They used to live in the central plains of North America, but, during the ice age, they migrated down to South America and started residing in the Andean Mountains. They were domesticated in the highlands of Peru by the Inca where they were worshipped and named “silent brothers." They still play a huge role in life in the region, and so you can expect to see lots of them hanging around Machu Picchu and in towns along your journey.
BUTTERFLIES
Peru is home to the largest array of butterflies in the whole entire world - over 3,700 different species! Needless to say, you'll see many different shapes and sizes of these beautiful creatures flittering and floating through the air along the trail. The great diversity in species is attributed to the varying climate zones the Salkantay trek covers. Keep an eye out for the rare and exotic sapphire blue Callithea, which can only be found in South America.
COCK OF THE ROCK
With their vibrant orange and scarlet feathers, you can't miss the males of this native Andean bird species. They have a large half-moon shaped lump of feathers on their head that's used to attract females, and are known to be aggressive for their gals! In fact, they got their name because they have loud and aggressive mating habits similar to roosters, or cocks.
SPECTACLED BEAR
These shy mammals like to hide out in the trees of the Andean cloud forests. They get their name from black circles around their eyes that look a lot like eyeglasses, or spectacles. They're fluffy and friendly, and barely ever walk along the trails...however, on rare occassions these bears are spotted taking a tour of their own around the ruins of Machu Picchu, can't say we blame 'em!
SPANISH 101
Hola , cómo estás
Hi! How are you?
muy bien
very good
adiós!
goodbye!
¡ buenas noches !
good evening!
por favor
please
muchas gracias
thank you very much
de nada
you’re welcome
Vámonos
Let’s go!
Mucho gusto!
Nice to meet you!
Lo siento
I’m sorry
agua potable
drinking water
AMIGO
friend
¿Cómo se dice...en Español?
How do you say...in Spanish?
Me llamo...
My name is...
QUECHUA 101
Quechua is the ancient Incan language, and, to this day, is still the most widely spoken Amerindian language, with over 8 million speakers. In Peru alone a quarter of the population speaks Quechua, and about a third of the Quechua speakers speak no Spanish. The language is still very alive in the Sacred Valley region, in fact, the name Cusco means navel, Machu Picchu means old peak or old mountain, and Inca means ruler, or lord, and was used to refer to the ruling class or the ruling family in the empire. Some English words, like coca, condor, guano, gaucho, jerky, lima (bean), llama, puma and quinoa, are derived from Quechua. Here are some basic words and phrases that might come in handy on your adventure through the ancient Incan empire:
imanallya
hello
cayacama
goodbye! (until later!)
alli puncha (A-jee POON-cha)
good morning
alli chishi (A-jee CHEE-shee)
good evening
inti
sun
killa
moon
qoyllor
star
rit'i
snow
TREKKING TIPS
HOW TO HAVE THE HAPPIEST & HEALTHIEST ADVENTURE POSSIBLE
Embrace your
adventure
family
Get to know the other trekkers and your crew. You're all taking an incredible journey - one that’s made exponentially better because you're sharing it with each other. Don’t forget that together, you have a collective strength that will get you through even the toughest times!
TAKE TIME TO ACCLIMATIZE
Because of the significant altitude changes on this trail we recommend taking at least 1 day in Cusco (3,400 m) to acclimatize before beginning your journey on the Salkantay. Before you leave, talk to your doctor about the best ways for you to cope and manage the sympotoms of altitude.
It’s about the journey
Going slowly will keep you safe, happy and healthy by allowing your body to adjust to the daily altitude gains. Not to mention, it gives you the chance to really take in all the stunning scenery! Training for the Salkantay is super important so that you can be in the best physical and mental shape you can be. With any hiking adventure, never force yourself to walk faster than your body wants to. Talk to your guides and let your them know how you're feeling, and know that our WHOA Peru crew is 100% dedicated to keeping you happy and healthy! If you do not feel comfortable with the hiking pace, but want to keep up with the group, don’t be afraid to ask for the help of a horse or mule - and enjoy the ride!
If you’d like a personalized training plan and coaching to support your pre-adventure journey, we’ve partnered with personal trainer and adventure coach Becki Rupp of Trailblazer Wellness. She’ll help you build strength and stamina for hiking, and dance parties! Check out the options at Trailblazer Wellness and email her at becki@trailblazerwellness.com for a free initial consultation.
REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE
Take time every day to reflect on where you are, what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it. Taking moments by yourself to stop and take it all in will help you recharge and keep perspective.
Be humbled
We live in an amazingly beautiful world! You're at the mercy of Mother Nature when you're trekking, and that’s a beautiful thing - one that we often forget in our daily lives. Even when you choose the best season, the weather can be unpredictable. So while we all hope for the best, be prepared for the worst. It’s all a part of the adventure - embrace it!
Be on time!
You'll be on a strict schedule and have to stick to it (it has to do with the changing weather, meals and making the most of our daylight). So, when the guides and GALs say 8am, they mean 8am. Vámonos!
DON'T GET BURNED
Protect your skin by applying (and reapplying) sunscreen and lip balm everyday. Even if it's chilly out, you'll be at high altitudes, close to the equator, and the sun is no joke and winds are intense. And, don’t forget polarized sunglasses to protect your peepers!
AGUA! AGUA! AGUA!
Once you're on the trail, be sure to drink lots of water! Staying hydrated will keep your energy levels up and is the best way to deter any side effects you might feel from the altitude. You can also drink coca tea, a natural energizer made from coca leaves that the locals swear by.
PERU LIKE WHOA
DAILY BREAKDOWN
WHAT'S INCLUDED
PHOTO GALLERY
UPCOMING PERU ADVENTURES