Salkantay Trek in Peru | Salkantay Hiking Trail

Nevado Salkantay and Trek to Machu Picchu

Hike & Activities

The snowcapped Apu Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu (APU means Sacred Mountain in Andean wisdom). The Salkantay has a height of 6271 meters / 20,574 feet. Beautiful Andean landscapes with panoramas towards the PASS 4650m / 15,255 ft. If the hikers are lucky, they might observe Condors in their natural habitat.

The Cordillera of Vilcabamba (Vilcabamba mountain range) is where the Salkantay massif is, with a beautiful and secluded area dominated by the Apu Salkantay Mountain. It has numerous high snowy peaks, such as Tucarhuay 5,910m /, Veronica 5,682m, and Huacayhuilca 5,361m. The area visible during the hike of Phuyupatamarka makes the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (the third day of the trek).

Salkantay Trek Geography

The Geography is intricate and whimsical all around this attractive; Salkantay is surrounded by deep valleys and gorges, making it an exciting but exhausting hike. Mollepata, it’s the starting point of the trek to reach Salkantay and Humantay PASS. At Salkantay Pampa, the trail bifurcates into two ways: towards the classic 4-day Inca Trail to connect by Wayllabamba. It would be the first day of camp for those who started the trek at km 82 (Inka Trail Hike). Since no single path passes through and reaches, Collpapampa and Santa Teresa are near the archaeological ruins of Machu Picchu. Salkantay is located within the Vilcabamba mountains range, northwest of Cusco. Salkantay it’s an uneven string in the region by two major rivers, the Urubamba and Apurimac, and divides the plateau of the mountain rainforest.

Salkantay Trek Climate:

The Salkantay climate is very sunny during the day but cold at night. The temperature falls below 0 ° C / 32° Fahrenheit at night from June to September. In the season from December to March, it is evident why the trail is closed during these months. The best time for the weather to do this hike is from June to September.

Salkantay Trek Height

It reaches a height of 4,650 meters above sea level / 15 190 ft. at its highest point. It is the 38th highest peak in the Andes and the highest 12th in Peru. However, it is the second-highest topographic prominence in the country after Huascaran. Salkantay peak is high and steep, the most spectacular peak in the region, with sizeable vertical relief, particularly on the lower valleys to the north that are tributaries of the Amazon River.