How is the Salkantay Trek different from the Classic Inca Trail?
At 20574′ (6271m), Nevado de Salkantay is the tallest and most majestic mountain in the Cordillera Vilcabamba range and the backdrop for an alternate trek to Machu Picchu. This journey travels off the beaten track, far from the crowds found on the Inca Trail. It offers a true view of the Peruvian mountains with spectacular vistas and provides the feeling of adventure and remoteness the Inca Trail has lost. Salkantay means “Savage Mountain” in the Quechua language. The trek takes us up over a high mountain pass gaining a maximum elevation of 4600 meters (15,180 feet), past the massive snow clad peaks of Tucarhuay, Salkantay and Huamantay. The trek then descends from the region of high peaks down river drainages and multiple ecological zones, ending in lush forested terrain, the “cloud forest” with wild orchids, banana plantations and exotic birds. The total trek distance is approximately 20 miles yet experiences the breadth and depth of the Peruvian mountainous region. This trek is slig
