A Trek Through the Sacred Valley
You only have to spend five minutes in Cusco before realizing that a trekking adventure is the thing to do. There are Incan trail treks, bike tours and jungle hikes being advertised on every corner.
Searching for a more authentic experience, I had my sister Bryna put me in contact with a bird conservation group that occasionally ran eco-tours through their protected areas. Bryna had helped them pilot the program a few years back, and she had always remarked that the trek was one of her most memorable travel experiences. I began emailing with the team from ECOAN Peru prior to our arrival, but due to our limited Spanish and their limited English, we found it was easier to meet at their office in downtown Cusco to finalize our plans.
We had a limited number of days to complete the trek, and we wanted to finish in Ollantaytambo, so logistics were important. Another main focus was cost. Since wealthy birders are their primary customers, the original proposed budget included a cook, camping gear, and multiple guides. We let them know we could bring sandwiches and our own tent. We also decided that we could manage without English for the two days (we had become proficient in “international sign language”). I was looking forward to this trek. Not only had I built up my endurance from our last multi-day hike, we were also going to have donkeys to lighten our load.
The next day, before the sun had a chance to peak over the horizon, Gleny, an ECOAN team member, picked us up and we headed towards Lares. We were still a bit hazy on the plans, but figured as long as we ended up in Ollantaytambo, we were down for whatever they would offer.
We arrived in Lares around 8:00 am, grabbed some breakfast from a local shop, and headed towards the hot springs to meet our guides. We were introduced to two nice fellows; both were locals, Quechuan speakers who spoke very little Spanish. We were also introduced to our four furry companions, two donkeys and two horses.
Our guides were great; they really seemed comfortable taking us out on this trek. As Americans, we often over prepare with fancy gear. Arie and I each had our hiking boots, smart wool socks and shirts, quick dry pants, down puffers, rain jackets, and so on – all items that we found to be “necessary” to complete an adventurous trek through South America. Our guides were doing the same exact trek (which we later found out was just their commute home) with flip flops on. Yes, even though we were climbing mountains, they were in flip-flops!
We did our best to communicate, and I think we did pretty well. About an hour into the walk, we passed another group of trekkers. This was obviously one of the treks advertised in Cusco. Not long after we passed the group, we saw their porters setting up tents for their lunch. I felt pleased that we were doing this trek without the extra fuss.
A bit farther along, we passed through a village. Our guides picked up some bread and cola, and we ate the lunch we had brought. We shared our avocados with the guides, and they gave us small glasses of cola.
Just past the village, the path steepened and the sky began to darken. A low-lying, bone-chilling fog suddenly surrounded us. The grass gradually disappeared, and the ground turned to volcanic stone. We continued to hike until we reached the peak at about 4,500 meters. Out of breath, I tried to remain positive. This was our second high- altitude hike, and I had known what to expect – I had no excuse. Luckily, as soon as we passed through Huacahuasijasa Pass, we were greeted by a vista of a stunning valley and a beautiful blue lake glimmering in the sun.
From there on, we hiked downward…down past Laguna Aruraycocha, where we were surrounded by llamas and alpacas (everywhere!). We continued down through the Polylepis Forest full of dwarf-like trees with spindly branches. As the sun began to set, we reached at a small farm – three small homes and some sheep enclosures situated on the edge of a stream. This was where we would spend the night. We found a nice sheltered spot between some stone walls and set up our tent. We had coca tea and made ourselves sandwiches. Our guides, whom we found out were from this small farm, asked if they could bring us warm soup. We happily said yes, since by this time the sun had taken any warmth from the day with it, and it was getting very cold. As we ate, we gazed at the stars. The night was clear and dark, and for the first time in my life I could see the outline of the Milky Way. Dressed in our newly purchased Alpaca socks, hats, gloves, and sweaters, we said good-night to the endless sky and went to sleep.
The next morning, we woke up with the sun. We had made plans with our guides to leave early in the morning, but it seemed they too were not morning people. Before we started our trek, they invited us into their mother’s traditional home for a plate of boiled potatoes. As we sat at the tiny table next to the wood-fired stove, we watched the guinea pigs scurry around the floor, hunting for vegetable scraps. They seemed to be one of the most efficient and logical food sources in this cold and desolate valley. However, as a vegetarian, I was happy with my plate of potatoes.
After we said nearly all of the Spanish words we knew, we thanked our host (verbally and with a few cans of tuna) and headed out with our guides. The second day of the trek was easy, all downhill, and we reached the end of the trail by noon. We said farewell to our guides and thanked them for a great trek. After hopping into our pre-arranged car, we headed to Ollantaytambo. If I could have changed our trip in anyway, it would have been to extend the hike for an additional few days. The scenery was truly breathtaking, and with only a day and a half of hiking, I did not get enough.
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