We woke up as the pre-dawn light began to filter through the transparent roof of our hut. Time to get up; a long day lies ahead. We need to cross the 19 kilometers of the pass.
We quickly pack our things into our backpacks, get dressed, and head to breakfast. We go fully dressed, because it's around freezing outside, and the cafeteria isn't much warmer.
We set off at six. Directly ahead is Salkantay Peak (6,721 meters), but we're not going there, we're heading to the pass of the same name. It's only 4,600 meters high, and local guides call it Gringo Killer. Well, let's see...
We're moving up slowly but steadily. We're probably a little slower than the current this time, but we're not in a race here. Eventually, we'll all get there…
Here's the pass. We're a bit tired, but very much alive.
The view of the peak from here is magnificent…
Well, time to go down. On the way, we heard what sounded like a train passing nearby. A small avalanche had descended from the peak. Far from anyone, no one was hurt. A reminder that it's not a good idea to relax in the mountains...
A few hundred meters from the pass, according to the map, there should be a water source. Here it is: a stream thoughtfully channeled through the neck of a plastic bottle. Thank you, unknown innovator! It's much more convenient to collect water this way.
We stop to make coffee. We have a stove, we bought gas in Cusco, and we've got a coffee maker to go…
While we're cooking, people are walking by. And some are riding: a group of reckless cyclists has climbed the pass.
After coffee and a rest, we're noticeably stronger, and we head downhill briskly. And then we discover that many people don't know how to descend properly. We have friends who enjoy trail running—running in the mountains. We can't do that, but we can do a few things. Specifically, when descending a moderately steep and non-slippery trail, you don't have to fight gravity, maintaining your balance after each step. This takes a lot of time and energy. It's much better to maintain dynamic balance, where instead of falling, you take another step. In practice, this is a semi-run with slightly bent legs, somewhat akin to skiing.
Of course, you need strong legs and good balance. And the chances of falling are higher, for example, if your foot keeps sliding downhill on a slippery surface after each step. That's why we have poles: they can help correct problems like these. In fact, I think poles are a game-changer on downhills and greatly increase speed. Some people simply fold them up and hang them on their backpacks. Wild (and very slow) people...
And so we reached the almost horizontal trail. The altitude was 3,400 meters, like in Cusco. The air was so thick, it was so easy to breathe! And then there were the restaurants…
Here we are—yet another shelter. It even has a shower, right in the room, with hot water! Hooray!
And the view from the gallery is beautiful...
We put our phones on charge and take a shower. Soon, a heavy rain begins.
It's a good thing we completed the route in eight hours, not the ten the map suggested. But the slower hikers got soaked; we were talking about this very thing with a family from Spain the next day.
