Salkantay Trek 3.1, A River Runs Through It!

On one of our stops, Julio finally inquired about the white tube I’d been carrying the entire trek. Told him it was my fly rod, but since he’d indicated the waters were sacred and reserved for locals I’d not tried to fish along the way. In fact, didn’t even have my flies with me!

Julio’s eyes brightened and his ever-present smile got even wider…”¿pescadore?”

“¡Si!”

Told us he hasn’t fished since he was a boy in the jungle with his father, but that he loved it! A new plan formed in his sharp Quechuan brain…

First, we crossed the Salkantay River in one of the cable cars used by the locals - annual flooding during rainy seasons made bridges an annual reconstruction project, so most villages just set up small cable cars to cross the streams at any flow level.

First, retrieve the car from its neutral position over the stream. 

Rope tending to prevent hang ups is crucial for a smooth ride and to avoid being stuck midstream!

First group loaded and ready!

Better’n than Disneyland or Universal Studios!

We crossed and bought fresh passion fruit, bananas and coffee from the farmer, then borrowed his cane pole, dug up some worms and dropped into the river to try our luck!

Julio and the farmer were more excited than me as they dug for worms!

Salkantay mermaid 

Angling recon for future fly selection. Standard routine is to turn over stones, check out the entomology, then try to match the hatch!

Old school. Grew up canepoling in Yorktown, Tx, so why not Peru?!

Fishing is seldom about catching, although that is a blessing. But learning a new river with the next generation and a new friend creates memories and images that’ll last a lifetime…and prolly beyond!

Julio was unfamiliar with polarization, so when I loaned him my Costas, he was amazed! Check out the concentration! Gave him the polarized sunglasses for his future pescatorial adventures!

It’s said one cannot step into the same river twice, because like Life it’s forever flowing past us, changing, offering new opportunities and challenges.

Sometimes we’re successful, sometimes simply befuddled and humbled, but as long as we’re in the flow, getting our feet wet, we’re living and learning.  

To spend time in such a beautiful place with such a good man, to learn and to teach, to enjoy the peace and solitude…not sure there was any part of the entire trip I enjoyed on a deep spiritual level as much as that morning!

Salkantay Trek Day 3, All Downhill from Here

The remaining 2 days of trekking followed river valleys through the fringes of the Amazon Jungle towards Aguas Calientes which would be our leaping off point for Machu Picchu. 

The winter layers were packed away and we were rigged for tropical running. But, the downhill still took its toll on shins, calves and knees, and coupled with the frequent stops for photos and flora, it was a longish day. 

The Quechuan people scratch out a farming existence anywhere they can beat back the jungle. Steep hillside farms with corn, passion fruit, and potatoes dotted the route. 

Our base camp perched on the mountainside viewed from below.

Hydration not a problem this day!

Salkantay Trek 2.4, flora & fauna

Because we went from high alpine to jungle in a day, the variety of plants and critters was crazy…

Andean geese

Alpacas, not wild, just grazing that morning, at 13,000’!

There’s friendly dogs all over Peru. This little yoda loved Sophia at lunch…gee, wonder why?!

“Air plants” succulents that attach to host trees and can get over 6’

Usually had Julio type the plant name on the photo, but was getting too tired to stick with routine by this point…

These brilliant flowers grow so close to the ground…some duty of alpine survival technique 

Chinchilla!!!

And, perhaps most exciting was what we heard rather than saw… early in the hike heard a huge avalanche somewhere up Salkantay Peak. Couldn’t see the calved pieces, but the sound rolling down the Valley was an eerie combo of artillery and thunder, and we didn’t know where it was coming from!

After the summit, and while still in view of the catastrophic 2020 avalanche, heard another avalanche but it was up in the clouds. 

That sure gets your attention - sometimes you can know too much…

Again, an incredibly long day, but the variety was astounding. The jungle can provide!

Salkantay Trek, 2.3, Welcome to the Jungle!

Even looking at my own photos, it’s difficult to comprehend how quickly the terrain changes from alpine to jungle, from freezing to foggy. 

Julio is right at home with the changes, able to exist knowledgeably and comfortably in either. But it’s still downhill on this trek, and he quickly recognized the need to point out Jungle features every so often to give our legs a break. 

Sometimes the trail is just a stream bed…

Glacier to Jungle 

Water is not an issue anywhere along the trail…

Bridges constructed from local materials…

Our Mountain Sky View accommodations at Collpapampa, well-deserved after the most grueling day of the trek. 

Won’t say it was the hardest (Texas Water Safari anyone?), or even most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but it was really tough and required as much mental exertion as physical.

12,795’ - 15,190’ - 9,678’ over 15.5 miles

2,395’🔺 5,512’🔻

Salkantay Trek, 2.2, Descent

Mountains make their own weather…

Although the rain was light and the wind only moderate, the trail became increasingly more treacherous. Thin rivulets coursed down the pathway, the rocks became more loose, the traction less secure. Rain suits and pack covers handled the weather just fine and the scenery was no less amazing.  

Down is just harder…seems like it’d be the opposite right? Less strenuous, gaining more oxygen with each step. Except old basketball knees are constantly concerned about rolling, twisting or tearing, so the entire lower body begins to tighten up, straining against momentum and gravity. 

In 2020 an avalanche off of Salkantay Glacier careened into the adjoining lake, destroying the natural dam and sending a massive wall of water down the Salkantay River valley. The valley was scoured clean almost a half mile wide. Three villagers downstream were killed. 

The side of the Salkantay Glacier that calved and the edge of what used to be the moraine dam…

A side view of the failed moraine dam and the beginning of the devastation. Would estimate that some of the boulders are the size of my Sequoia. 

The downstream path…

Stops were just as important during the descent…stops on the ascent are primarily for the lungs, which even in this air can recover relatively quickly, in a few seconds or minutes. Stops on the descent are for the legs, which can take significantly longer to recover. 

Then, voila, in a few hours descending about 2,500’ over approximately 4 klicks, you’ve gone from glaciers to the beginning of the Amazon Jungle!

The rain may not lessen, but it sure starts warming up!

With some warm food in our bellies, the summit achieved and 11 kilometers behind us, we still had a long wet descent remaining to our next base camp, 7 km and nearly 3,000’ down the mountain…

Salkantay Trek, 2.1 Summit!

There was some satisfaction knowing that each step we took set a new elevation record for us, but that’s kind of a scoreboard thing, and not that motivating. The epic grandeur, the alpine vegetation, the stories and points of emphasis from Julio were far more engaging. 

The best thing for us flatlanders to attempt was falling into Julio’s footsteps, as his steady pace just ate up the trail.

But there just wasn’t enough oxygen to keep up…

The great thing about frequent stops for air was the opportunity to look around, even just for 30 seconds and take it all in. Then head down, continuing up the trail. 

The path itself is actually less strenuous and technical than Guadalupe Peak in Texas, but with half the oxygen. However, you must constantly “put attention” because one loose rock, one little slip, and even the slightest injury creates a huge logistical problem. 

So, onward…

And then, the “last break” before the pass summit per Julio … guess he’s gotten into the habit of telling folks how many more minutes until the next hack. I just put my hand up, told him I could see where I was going, it was gonna take me longer than he thought, and I’d meet him up there…fortunately there were some chinchillas along the last 100 or so meters, giving the perfect excuse to gasp a bit longer. 

Finally, the summit, 15,190’ in 7 km. 

Gotta admit, Pirsig nailed it. With all the prep, gear and desire, short of an unforeseen accident, the summit seemed very likely. Reaching it was satisfying, photo-worthy, and notable…

But, because I knew the remaining logistics and could see the imminent weather change just over Salkantay’s peak, the celebration was brief. We did join Julio in making an offering of thanks to the Sun, Earth, and Mountains, before beginning our descent. 

Salkantay Trek, Day 2 - Salkantay Pass!!

The morning dawned overcast and cold, so we donned our layers and rain gear and set off up the trail at 06:14. 

Julio set a steady even pace, with frequent stops for photos or education. Our trek carried us along the Chaullay River, glacier-fed from Salkantay, and there were some small fish evident, but just no energy to break out the gear. 

A valley farmer’s very fancy home, from local materials 

Some of the valley horses. A caballero was rounding up a group on the opposite slope.

Approx. 14,000’, or about halfway up, looking back down the trail (above) and at our first glimpse of Salkantay going up (below)

The higher we climbed, the better the view.

Now seems the perfect place to insert a favorite quote from a favorite book, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig…

Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then, when you’re no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn’t just a means to an end but a unique event in itself. This leaf has jagged edges. This rock looks loose. From this place the snow is less visible, even though closer. These are things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It’s the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here’s where things grow.

But of course, without the top you can’t have any sides. It’s the top that defines the sides. So on we go—we have a long way—no hurry—just one step after the next—with a little Chautauqua for entertainment -- .Mental reflection is so much more interesting than TV it’s a shame more people don’t switch over to it. They probably think what they hear is unimportant but it never is.