Peru Here & Now - Choquequirao Trek

CHOQUEQUIRAO TREK

4 days / 3 nights

Itinerary

Day 1: CUSCO - CACHORA - SANTA ROSA ALTA

Early in the morning, after an optional breakfast, we will set off from Cusco for a approx. 4-hour ride to the small town of Cachora (2,850 m / 9,350 ft), where we will meet our muleteer and pack our gear on the horses/mules. Cachora, a typical Andean community, appeals by its quiet streets and rustic houses, its simple main square and church.

We will begin our trek along the edge of the Apurimac Canyon, one of the deepest and most beautiful in the world. We will enjoy breathtaking views, mountains and glaciers on one side, and the gorgeous semi-tropical valley of the Apurimac River on the other side, containing a variety of plant and animal life. We will set camp in Santa Rosa Alta (1,650 m / 5,413 ft). This will be the most strenuous day of our trek (approx. 8 hours hiking).

Day 2: SANTA ROSA ALTA - CHOQUEQUIRAO

After an early rise and an energetic breakfast, we will ascend for 3 to 4 hours to the fabulous complex of Choquequirao (“Golden Cradle” 3,300m / 10,800 ft), perched 1,500 m above the raging glacier-fed Apurimac River and surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks. Along the way, we will have spectacular views of the landscape that surrounds this magnificent Inca site. A micro-climate in the Choquequirao slope generates a dense rain forest that covered the citadel's long and wide "andenes" (terraces) and buildings with thick vegetation. Choquequirao was considered for a century and a half to be “the Lost city of the Incas” a term applied now to Machu Picchu. Like Machu Picchu, it is suspended on a mountain outcrop overlooking a raging river, it is located on the opposite side of Nevado Salcantay, one of the holiest mountains in the region, and it is believed to have been a place of worship.

Upon arrival campsite Choquequirao (located right next to the ruins) will be ready and lunch will be served. You will have the rest of the afternoon to explore the fantastic Inca ruins. Only about 30% of the 1,810 hectares (4,473 acres) of the complex has been excavated. What can be seen today however, is most impressive and very much worth the challenging trek to get here. Its palaces and temples, systems of fountains, canals and aqueducts, and its fantastic land shelves covered by thick vegetation were presumably built during the Inca Pachacutec government ( XV century). The vegetation and scenery is varied and plentiful and condors can be seen frequently.

Day 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO - CHIQUISCA

After breakfast, you will have more time to explore the citadel.

We will go to the Usnu, a platform from which we may be able to spot some condors gliding. These superb Andean birds, with a wingspan of up to three meters (10 ft), tend to rise up from the floor of the canyon on the morning and afternoon thermals, offering visitors a magnificent show.

We will then descend for about 6 hours bound to Chiquisca, our campsite on the banks of the Apurimac River, where we will be able to bathe to refresh ourselves in its glacier-fed waters.

Day 4: CHIQUISCA - CACHORA

After breakfast, we will backtrack up the canyon wall for about 6 hours in a mystical and wild atmosphere, with the fabulous view of the majestic Salcantay.

Around 4:00 pm, we will arrive at Cachora and board our bus/van back to Cusco for a 4-hour drive.

Note: All distances, altitudes and times and durations are approximate. Campsites are subject to change depending on progress of group.

Included

An informative presentation of the trek (the evening before)

Transportation from and to hotel

Transportation from Cusco and back

Meals: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 afternoon snacks, 3 dinners (breakfast on day 1 and lunch and dinner on day 4 are not included). Meals are plentiful and nutritious—include pancakes, omelets, soups, fresh fruit, avocado, pasta, chicken, fish, meat, rice, all rich in carbohydrates and suitable for trekking. Vegetarian option available)

Hot drinks, including coca leave tea (excellent for altitude sickness)

Drinking water throughout the trek (filtered with Rotoplas system)

First Aid kit (traveler's diarrhea, cuts/ scrapes, etc.) and Oxygen Bottle.

Toilet paper

Tent (Igloo tents - 2 persons in each 4-person capacity with plenty of space for your backpacks) and mattress

Camping equipment (kitchen and dining tents, camp tables and chairs)

Packhorses/mules to carry food, cooking equipment, camping equipment and extra gear (Extra horses/mules may be hired upon request for approx. $15 each. They carry a maximum of 25 kg (55 lbs) each)

Muleteer, cook and helpers

Professional Spanish/English-speaking local guide

Not Included

Tips for the guide, muleteer, cook and helpers

What to bring

Medium size back pack for hiking and another bag for extra gear to be loaded on horse

Sleeping bag (light and warm - may be rented from us)

Good and well-fitted trekking shoes

Change of clothes for the whole period of the trek (Recommended “safari” type with pockets and cargo pants with detachable legs.)

Light and warm clothes for evening and night: jacket, polar fleece, sweaters, thermal underpants…

Warm gloves, scarf & socks

Sunglasses

Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold

Rain plastic poncho all year and good rain gear for rain season (November to March)

Personal toiletry (incl. towel, wipes, tissues…) and sunscreen, lip balm, band-aids (special for blisters), aspirin, etc.

Insect repellent (very important, especially in rain season) and afterbite

One or two refillable water bottles and sterilizing tablets (e.g.. Micropur)

Flashlight and batteries

Camera and batteries (batteries consume faster under cold conditions)

Snacks: dried fruit, nuts, energy bars, chocolate, biscuits, etc.

Swimsuit

Cash in Soles and US $ (There are ATM machines in Cusco – Carry plenty of small bills for tipping purposes, drinks, snacks, etc. Change is very hard to get)

Photocopy of you passport. We recommend leaving the original passport in a safety box at your hotel. If there is no safety box, then bring it with you too.

Optional: walking sticks or poles (rubber covers required)

Note: We recommend you travel “light” (8 kg–18 lb max) since you will carry your personal items for the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Maps

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The Choquequirao trek is becoming increasingly popular. The reasons are several:

- Because of its remoteness and relative difficulty, it is still one of the roads less traveled.

- The site of Choquequirao ("Cradle of Gold") is comparable to the citadel of Machu Picchu in its magnificence and location. It was the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish dominion for more than 40 years. The stonewalls that surround this old religious, political and social centre of the Inca Empire are mostly covered by weeds, which will give you the impression of being one of the first explorers reaching the site.

- The hike is challenging, with more elevation change and greater variety of habitat than the traditional Inca Trail. You climb high on sacred Salcantay, one of the highest snow-capped mountains in the region, then descend through cloud forest to humid jungle to the bottom of one of the deepest canyons in the world.

- There is more opportunity of contact wih the locals.

- There is a good chance to see condors.