Macchu Picchu Corporate Challenge

Our first day on this epic adventure is dedicated to arrivals. You’ll be received at Cusco Airport and transferred in our private bus to our hotel in the historical city center. Your LHO Team Leader will be waiting at the hotel to receive you, check you in, and make sure you have everything you need for the week ahead. For those of us arriving early, we’ll have the opportunity to wander around the beautiful old town and explore its many restaurants, cafes, shops, and bars. Your LHO Team Leader will provide you with our recommendations closer to the time. Our first event is a traditional dinner hosted by your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide at a nearby restaurant. This is the first opportunity for us to all get to know each other, hear all the details about our upcoming adventure, and also ask any questions we may have. The first round of drinks is on us!

Our first day together is dedicated to exploring the vibrant cultural heritage of the region. It’s also an opportunity to stretch our legs and warm up ahead of our trek to Machu Picchu.

After breakfast, we’ll hop on our private bus for a ride to the historic town of Pisac, home to the first Inca ruins that we’ll explore. The ancient encampment is divided into two sections with ancient terraces connecting them. We’ll receive a full tour of the ruins from our local lead guide before continuing our Sacred Valley tour towards Ollantaytambo.

Lunch will be at a selected restaurant that offers some of the finest Peruvian dishes from the region. After our meal and a customary siesta, we’ll proceed to Ollantaytambo. This heritage site was once the royal estate of Inca Emperor Pachacuti in the Sacred Valley. It consists of a series of terraced ruins atop a vibrant mountain town. We’ll begin with a guided tour of the ruins before having some free time to explore the market and side streets, which are filled with trinkets to buy and little coffee shops to enjoy.

Your LHO Team Leader will coordinate our bus departure back to Cusco, and we’ll conclude the day with a team dinner at a local restaurant. Your LHO Team Leader will provide details about the dinner’s time and location.

Distance: 8.2 KM | Ascent: 992 M | Descent: 379 M | Max Altitude: 4,400 M

We’ll be getting an early start on our first full adventure day. After breakfast, we’ll hop onto our private bus for a ride deep into the sacred valley on our way to Soraypampa, our trailhead to the Salkantay region. The ride takes us through several traditional towns and villages along the historical valley, and we’ll have the chance to stop for coffee at Mollepata about an hour before the end of our ride. Once we arrive at the gate, we’ll begin the check-in process which includes a bag weight check and permits checks. This is largely done out of sight between our local team and the trail authority, but it is very important that none of our duffle bags weigh more than 7 KGs because of the maximum load that our mules can carry. Overweight bags may be flagged for weight reduction. This can cause substantial delays in the process. We’ll be providing you with lightweight duffle bags so that we can be efficient with every gram. We will also have a scale available at our accommodation to ensure the correct weight of each bag before leaving Cusco. You will also need to have your passport with you to check in to the park.

From there, we’ll begin our hike in the direction of Humantay Lake. This is one of the most visually stunning sections of the trail and it’s right at the very start! The trail to the lake climbs along a muddy trail that ascends along the side of a small relief stream coming from the lake itself. The gigantic glaciers of Tukarway Mountain soon come into view as we gradually approach the lake at an impressive altitude of 4,120 meters. Pacing is extremely important when hiking at altitude. Your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide will take this first section as an opportunity to help you find a rhythm that is sustainable. Once we arrive at the lake, we’ll have plenty of time to take photos and enjoy this incredible environment. Conditions may not always be favorable or may be expected to change at times. That’s why your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide may limit the amount of time we end up spending here. We’re still at the start of our trail, after all. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.

Once we’ve had our time by the lake, we will join a descending trail back down the valley and begin following the deep valley in the direction of the gigantic Salkantay mountain. The natural environment immediately around the trail is largely characterized by the short grass vegetation that slowly starts to dry up as we gain altitude. The trail eventually reaches the base of the glacier moraine where we often stop for lunch. The views here are breathtaking as we can see the glacier of Salkantay and the incredible panorama of 5000 and 6000-meter mountains around us. A moraine refers to the ditch left by receding glaciers. They can be quite deep, and the glacier still lives beneath the waving bottom underneath the rocks that now cover it. Our team will have set up a mess tent for us prior to our arrival, and a hot lunch will be waiting for us!

After lunch and our customary siesta, we’ll continue along our trail for another hour to reach our campsite at Soyroqucha at 4,400 meters. This is an incredible location to sleep in. We’re often completely alone with no light pollution around whatsoever. That means we’ll be seeing more stars in one night than most of us city folks will have ever seen in our lives! Upon arrival at the campsite, we’ll check into our tents. It’s normal to be a little confused about how things go when checking into our camp for the first time. Your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide will help you find your tent, and explain where all our facilities are located, including our private mess tent and toilet tent. There are no communal showers on our first night, but with temperatures below freezing, it’s normally the least of our concerns. We’ll have dinner together in our mess tent and hear the detailed briefing of what to expect on the following day.

Distance: 16.8 KM | Ascent: 286 M | Descent: 2,031 M | Max Altitude: 4,600 M

Our second day on the Salkantay Trail is a big experience that is both challenging and incredibly rewarding as we make our way to the highest point of our journey at 4,600 meters, leaving the glaciers behind and entering the mystical cloud forest in the foothills of these great mountains. After our wake-up call, we’ll pack up our stuff and place them inside our duffle bags for the porters to load up the mules. We’ll then have breakfast and start our trek shortly after.

The initial part of the trail is a short 200-meter incline to the Salkantay Pass. This is the highest point on our trip. It usually takes around two hours to reach, and we’ll be maintaining a slow and steady pace to avoid the effects of altitude. Once at the top, we’ll be flanked by both Salkantay and Tukarway summits. It’s common to experience gusts of wind at the pass due to the glacial summits above, so we’ll try to take a break a little further down the valley where we’re shielded from the elements.

The descending trail is gradual and doesn’t present any significant challenges apart from its formidable length. As we descend from altitude, the short grass vegetation becomes more prominent. This is a sign that we’re almost at our lunch spot at Wyramchai, not far below the pass. Our team will have set up a mess tent for us and prepared a hot lunch. After our customary siesta, we’ll continue along the short grass region as it descends deeper into the valley and eventually gives way to tall trees. Our bodies will also start to regain energy rapidly now that we’ve descended from altitude and had a good meal.

The trail makes its way directly into a cloud forest, a beautiful region in the mountains where the forests are thick, and the contrast of heat from below and the cold from above forms a persistent fog of clouds. The valley eventually reaches a junction of four valleys. The junction itself is called Collpapampa, where our campsite for the night is located. Collpapampa is a more developed campsite compared to where we had been sleeping previously. Cold shower facilities are available for those of us who’d like a quick rinse under the water. After check-in, we’ll prepare our tents and meet in the mess tent for dinner and a detailed briefing about what to expect for the following day.

Distance: 12 KM | Ascent: 334 M | Descent: 978 M | Max Altitude: 2,816 M

Our third day on the trail is far less challenging than what we’ve experienced on our previous two days. The classic route typically follows the left side of the descending valley. However, due to regular landslides in this area, we’ve determined that following this route does not meet our safety standards. That’s why we follow the local road when traversing across the valley.

After breakfast, we’ll make sure our duffle bags are loaded onto the mules before starting our trek along the road. There is hardly any uphill on this day, with the majority of our walk on either flat or descending trails. We’ll be following the St. Teresa River in the direction of Winaypoco. The trail winds its way along the valley floor slowly, with the high mountains now completely obstructed by the towering trees and dense forests.

Lunch is at a location known as Playa, a small village along the trail that also has a campsite used by trekkers. Our team will be waiting for us there with a hot lunch. At Playa, there is no need to set up a mess tent because there are fixed facilities we can use. After lunch, we’ll be picked up by our private van and taken to the Cocalmayo hot springs for a well-deserved dip in the soothing warmth of these natural waters. There’s no time limit on our stay, and we can enjoy it until we’ve had our fill. It’s amazing to think that just a day earlier, we were next to the glaciers!

Once we’re ready to go, we’ll be taken by a private van to Santa Teresa Lodge, where our tents would already have been set up. We’ll be staying in a camping area that has toilets, showers, and even bar facilities. Dinner will be in our mess tent, where we’ll receive a briefing about our last trekking day of this adventure.

Distance: 10.8 KM | Ascent: 827 M | Descent: 525 M | Max Altitude: 2,040 M

Our last day trekking on the Salkantay trail follows the old railway lines to Aguas Calientes beneath Machu Picchu. After breakfast, we’ll jump back in our van for the short ride to the regional Hydroelectric dam. From there, we’ll begin our walk along the train tracks that follow the Urubamba River. Machu Picchu is on our right side above the sharp mountain that forms this side of the valley. It will remain on our right as the trail turns around Huayna Picchu, the famous mountain that sits in the backdrop of all the iconic pictures of the ancient citadel. It’s also possible to see Machu Picchu at different points on the trail where there are clearings. This area is also special for those of us who enjoy rare birds. Many of our LHO teams have reported seeing the rare Cock of the Rock, the national bird of Peru.

We’ll stop for a packed lunch on this section of the Salkantay trail before finally reaching Aguas Calientes, the end of our trail and our home for the evening. Upon arrival, we’ll collect our duffle bags and check into our accommodation where warm showers and other relaxing surprises await! Lunch will be hosted at a nearby restaurant. The afternoon is free to roam around this bustling market town. Your LHO Team Leader will be on hand to provide recommendations and also be able to show you around. Dinner will be at a local restaurant. Your LHO Team Leader will let you know where the meeting point will be closer to the time.

We’ll get an early start on our last full day together to make the most of our time inside the Machu Picchu citadel. After breakfast, we’ll aim to catch the 6 AM bus that goes up the winding road to the entrance. From there, we’ll join the security line for bag and ticket checks. The tour inside the citadel takes around two hours, and we’ll have lots of photo opportunities throughout our stay. Our local lead guide will explain in detail the different features of this incredible place and tell you all about its history from ancient times until its rediscovery. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like.

Once we’ve completed our tour, we will stop at a nearby restaurant just outside the gates of Machu Picchu before catching our bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Your LHO Team Leader will let you know what time our train ride back to Cusco will be. If we have free time, it will be possible to roam around the market streets, but make sure you aren’t late for the meeting point. Getting on the train is something of an experience in itself, and your LHO Team Leader will give you a small briefing on how it works so you won’t be caught off guard. The train ride takes about 2 hours. Once we arrive in Cusco, we’ll jump on our private bus and be taken to our hotel in the city center. After check-in and showers, we’ll meet up for our farewell dinner hosted by your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide. We’ll let you know where and when the meeting point will be closer to the time. The last round of drinks is on us!

Our last day together is dedicated to airport transfers. Breakfast is included on this day. Your transfer to the airport will be arranged based on your flight times. Those of us with late departures can keep our luggage at the hotel and roam around Cusco. Please make sure to provide the correct flight itinerary when filling out your Team Details Form prior to the adventure start date. If your itinerary has changed, please inform your LHO Team Leader as early as possible for arrangements to be made in good time.