ANDES TREKKING.
Juan Calle is running a trekking company from his home country of Columbia. After training as a civil engineer, he wisely turned his back on such nonsense and came to Oz to become a climbing guide.
This disappointed his friends and extended family, so as an alumni of the late cocaine baron Pablo Escobar, he returned home and set up his guiding business called unimaginatively but accurately South American Expeditions.
www.caminantesdelretorno.com
The backbone of his business is running Andes treks as described below and it’s just the thing for people who need some hand holding (like your aunt for instance).
He also runs an on-line and print adventure magazine called www.revistaretorno.com which if you read Spanish will be informative and interesting. And if you don’t it will mean precisely nothing.
Just to be confusing, here are some images from a recent recon climbing trip he did no-where near Machu Picchu but from "La Sierra Nevada del Cocuy" (Cocuy Snow Range) and Mavecure.
If you need to contact Juan, drop him a line at callepj(at)yahoo.com and knowing him well, we strongly recommend his services and skills.  - Machu Pichu walls
HIGH PERU WITH GREAT SOUTH AMERICAN EXPEDITIONS
Cuzco – Salkantay trek - Machu Picchu – Lake Titicaca
The soaring peaks of the Andes, the magical views of Titicaca Lake and the cultural legacies of the Incas are the Peru’s most compelling attractions.
In Cuzco we savour the delights of this former Inca capital and appreciate the famous Inca ruins in the nearby Sacred Valley.  - Lagunillas river.
On our trek the pace changes as we venture beyond the Salkantay Inca Trail establishing a series of spectacular campsites beneath a dramatic backdrop of peaks including the impressive Salkantay (6271m) and visit the religious capital of the Inca Empire, the legendary city of Machu Picchu.
Then, we discover the stunning waters of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, and we spend a night with a local family in one of the islands.
Brief Itinerary
DAY 1 Join Lima
DAY 2 Fly to Cuzco
DAY 3 Drive to Sacred Valley of the Incas In Cuzco
DAY 4, 5, 6, 7 Salkantay Trek towards Machu Picchu with stunning views of Andean peaks
DAY 8 Guided visit to Machu Picchu, afternoon train to Cuzco
DAY 9 Leisure day in Cuzco and drive to Puno
DAY 10, 11 Tour to the islands of Uros, Taquile and Amantani by boat. We will spend one night in the islands. Return to Puno on Day 11
Day 12 Drive to Juliaca and fly to Lima for a museum visit
Day 13 Depart any time today
Duration: 13 days – 12 nights, price: USD$1,499.00  - Mavecure rock.
Physical rating: You will need to come prepared for a 4 day (around 6 hours per day) trek in steep terrain and at altitude, carrying a daypack (we will have donkeys and porters to carry with the heavy stuff). While the trail is within the abilities of most reasonably fit people, it is important to come prepared. If you get fit before the trip, you will enjoy your holiday more.
Meals included: All meals include while on the Salkantay Trek and Lake Titicaca home stay.
Transport: Plane, public bus, train, boat, hiking
Accommodation*: Shared accommodation in hotels (7 nts), camping (3 nts), homestay (1 nt)
*Note: We provide clean and comfortable but simple share accommodation in hotels, basic camping including tent and sleeping mat during the trek and basic home stay in Lake Titicaca.  - Mono mountain slabs.
Budget: Allow USD $160 for meals, not included.
Travel Insurance: Travel insurance is compulsory. You will need to be covered for medical expenses and emergency repatriation, and it is better if the insurance also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.
Price does not include: International or internal flights unless specified, airport transfers, taxes or excess baggage charges unless otherwise specified, meals other than those specified, sleeping bag, rain coat or other special clothing during the trek, visa and passport fees, insurances, optional sightseeing, laundry.
DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 1 Lima
Arrive in Lima. Afternoon tour to the Lima's historic centre.  - Niebla campsite.
Day 2 Cuzco
Early flight from Lima to Cuzco. Take the time to acclimatize to the city's 3,400 m (11,150 feet) altitude and explore the main sights of Cuzco such as the Plaza de Armas, the Central Market, the Cathedral, the Coricancha temple and the stone fortress of Sacsayhuaman.
Day 3 Sacred Valley
Travel through the Sacred Valley visiting the ruins of Pisac and if our visit coincides with market day, we can spend time browsing the stalls. In the afternoon, we will continue to the picturesque town and Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo. Return to Cuzco.  - Sunrise at De La Plaza.
Day 4-5-6-7 Salkantay Trek
Pilgrims from all over the world hike the trek, and our friendly crew of guides will take great care of us along the way. The four-day Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu is a demanding but incredibly rewarding trek, a remote and ancient footpath in the same region of the Inca trail, but less travelled with more spectacular views.
It’s a magnificent wilderness alternative for those who wish to escape the more congested trekking routes. On the trail, we pass through an amazing progression of ecological zones, from sparsely vegetated alpine meadows flanking two spectacular 20,000 feet glaciered peaks, down through subtropical forest onto the Inca Trail. We arrive later to the village of Aguas Calientes, and relax in this colourful town below the ruins.
The trail is within the abilities of most reasonably fit people but it is important to come prepared. The trail is about 50 km (28 miles) long and often steep. There is always the possibility of rain (take comma out here) even in the dry season and the temperatures may fall below freezing at night. The trail traverses one high pass 4.700m (15,400 ft).
Day 8 Machu Picchu
We take an early morning bus from Aguas Calientes to the main archaeological complex of Machu Picchu for a morning view of the lost city of the Incas. Enjoy a guided tour and free time in the ruins where you may head off through thick cloud forest to the seldom-visited Temple of the Moon, climb Huayna Picchu overlooking the ruins or walk to Inti Punku the “Sun Gate”. Then, catch an afternoon train back to Cuzco.  - Waterfall at De La Plaza.
Day 9 Cuzco
Free day in Cuzco. Visit the city and the museums and take a night bus to the town of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
Day 10-11 Lake Titicaca
Take a boat trip to the Uros, Taquile and Amantani islands; then, immerse yourself in Peruvian rural life with a home-stay in a small village. Return to Puno on Day 11.
Day 12 Lima
Early flight to Lima. Visit to museums.
Day 13 Depart Lima
Depart any time today.  - Sunset at Mavecure.
Postscript.
The photos above (apart from the first one) are all from the Cerros de Mavecure area in Columbia and no-where near the trek described above. Why? That would be too easy. If you want Macchu pics, Google for them.
Here’s a bit of info on the area that Juan knows well from numerous trips there:
“Close to the border with Venezuela, where the savannah of Los Llanos changes to jungle, you find the Cerros de Mavecure. It’s a strange but spectacular sight to find huge round rocks sticking high above the jungle to a height of 350 meters. Once the rocks were part of a mountain range but now it’s a great interruption to the dense jungle vegetation.
A few of these hills can be climbed but only when it is not raining as the rain will make the hills very slippery. It is an amazing experience to camp on one the hills looking over the dense jungle with the rivers curving through it. Don’t miss the sunset and sunrise!
It is also a difficult to reach place partly due to the conflict in the area and a great boat journey of several days can take you from San Jose de Guaviare to the city of Puerto Inírida but it’s more convenient to take the plane from Villavicencio.
Puerto Inírida is the starting point to visit the Cerros de Mavecure area which is only one day by boat on the Río Inírida”. |
