HUALLAFARA
Community Hike
Escape the city and head out to discover the treasures of the Sacred Valley, get to know and interact with the local community of Huayllafara and enjoy a moderately challenging hike in the mountains of Lamay.
Our private transport will come and collect you from your hotel to drive around one hour out over and down through the winding roads into the lower altitude of the Sacred Valley. It’s a lovely route to drive and appreciate the surrounding mountain views.
Once at our hike start point, we will head uphill starting from La Base (a grassroots community centre project) in Lamay along a trail that follows the Carmen River. Eventually we turn off through a wooded and biodiverse ravine, which will take us through one of the pathways to the community of Huayllafara. The hike is considered moderately difficult due to the uphill sections.
In this welcoming community of working rural farmlands and traditional houses made out of adobe mud bricks, we will meet with local women and men doing their traditional work in agriculture, livestock, traditional crafts and family life, which the women cleverly combine. We will enjoy a tasty community prepared lunch made with local ingredients shared with the people from Huayllafara.
After lunch we return walking to Lamay via a different route, with beautiful views of the town below and the mountains that surround it. A fresh and short walk that provides a real sense of Lamay, its people and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Once back down in the valley in the village of Lamay, our private transport will be waiting for us and we’ll return to your hotel or your next destination.
Meals: L.
Start point - 2934m/9626ft.
Highest point: 3690m/12106ft.
Distance: 7.5km/4.66ml Lamay to Huayllafara private transport back
Distance: 10.6km/6.6ml Lamay to Huayllafara with choice of full day returning trek to Lamay
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DAY 1 - CUSCO TO HUAYLLABAMBAEarly in the morning, we take the way leading from Cusco to Km82 (2750 mt/9130 ft), this is our check point at the beginning of the trek. The trail follows the river valley for a while; this is a good training day before the second more challenging day. Along the way we will pass Wilkaracay with its impressive view of Patallacta which are both important Inca remains. It is just the beginning of a holy trail full of sanctuaries. Today, after about 7 hours walking we will reach our first camping place at Huayllabamba (3000 mt/9842ft). On reaching our camp for the evening we will be met by our trek team, the porters who will have already set up camp and our cook who will be preparing our evening meal. Day Distance: 12 km / 7.3 ml Approximate Walking time: 6-7 hrs Meals: L, D + Snacks
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DAY 2 - HUAYLLABAMBA TO PACAYMAYOEver optimistic, the sun will be shining on our second day as we follow the Inca trail to Warmiwañusta (Dead Woman’s Pass). This is considered to be the most challenging trek day as we cross this highest point of the trail at 4200m (13779ft), prepare for a steep uphill until we summit. The sense of achievement is a reward in itself, then a beautiful stone trail will show us the way as we descend to our tents in the campsite at Pacaymayo (3580 mt/11740 ft). On reaching our camp for the evening we will be met by our trek team who will have already set up camp and our cook who will be preparing our mouthwatering evening meal. Day Distance: 11km / 7 ml Approximate Walking time: 8 to 9 hrs. Meals: B, L, D + Snacks
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DAY 3 - PACAYMAYO TO PHUYUPATAMARCAWaking up just in time to be served a hot drink, our tents pitched within the surroundings of the cloud forest. After a good and healthy breakfast we continue along this ancient trail passing small marshes, continuing over the second mountain pass of the trek. It is the second highest point of the hike (3,900mt/12,950ft). As we descend we will see the flora and fauna become more abundant with hummingbirds accompanying us along our route. We have lunch at Chaquicocha (3500 mt/11,620 ft) a fine place for a break in the middle of the cloud forest. The last two hours of the day, are some of the most memorable and breathtaking views of the Inca Trail. We reach our last campsite when the sun sets at Phuyupatamarca, a befitting name meaning 'town in the clouds'. Day Distance: 12 km / 7.3 ml Approximate Walking time: 8 to 9 hrs Meals: B, L, D + Snacks
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DAY 4 - PHUYUPATAMARCA TO MACHU PICCHUWe begin the final leg of our trek to the lost city of Machupicchu. We descend for 3hrs, about 900m below from Phuyupatamarca. On the way down there are a couple of Incan Archaeological sites: Intipata first, and then Wiñaywayna which is just 2 hrs before the Sungate entrance (“Inti Punku”). Having taken time to enjoy the first glimpse of Machu Picchu; we walk down in to the astonishing complex for a full tour to learn from our guide all about this fascinatingly unique Citadel. Later we take the bus down to be on time for the train back to Ollantaytambo, from here, our private transport will bring us back to Cusco. Day Distance: 7.3 km / 4.5 ml Approximate Walking time: 5 hrs Meals: B, L + Snacks
Machu Picchu EXTENSION
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