Choquequirao – Vilcabamba & Espiritu Pampa 12D/11N

We pick you up from your hotel and leave Cusco early morning by bus, arriving at Cachora town approximately at 08:00 am. We start walking after all the equipment is arranged by our horseman and his crew on mules and horses. From here we can observe the Majestic Padreyoq snow covered peak 5,482 m.Today we hike about 22 Km. The first 3 hours from Cachora to Mirador Capuliyoq are mostly flat and then we continue walking about 4 hours down hill until we reach our campsite for tonight at 1,580 m.

It is an early start today in order to have breakfast and leave the camp around 06:00 am in the morning. We will arrive at the archaeological site of Choquequirao after aroung 6 hours. We will have enough time to enjoy that majestic place, where we observe three levels of the excavated ruins. We can appreciate houses, terraces and other parts of this Inca town. Depending of the weather we might be lucky to see Condors flying above our heads.

We will leave our camp after breakfast around 07:00am. We are hiking in the direction of Maizal along a climbing trail to the pass of the Choquequirao 3,300m, from which we have impressive views of the Apurimac Canyon. We will descend towards the small archaeological complex of Pinchiunuyoq and Rio Blanco. Where we rest and have lunch. In the afternoon we will climb around 3 hours until we reach Maizal, we have dinner and overnight.

Afetr breakfast we will leave the campsite at around 7:00am to start the four hour steep climb towards the Yanama Pass (4,500 m) from which we will have impressive views of the Salkantay snow peak. We will rest after descending towards the Yanama community (3,400 m) where we also set our camp for tonght.

After a nutricious breakfast we leave the campsite at around 07:00 am to start the seven hours steep climb towards the Choquetacarpo pass (4,720m) the highest pass of the entire trail. During our hike we can appreciate the cloud forest and maybe spotting bears eating bambu. From the pass we will have impressive views of the Vilcabamba district and other mountains, we will descend towards the camp, where we have dinner and overnight.

We will depart our camp around 8:00 am after enjoying breakfast. We walk downhill until Huancacalle, we will descend differents levels and along we will see locals working in the fields where potatoes, corn and other products grow. After arrival in Huancacalle we will have dinner and camp.

Early in the morning after breakfast we visit the archaelogical complex of the Rosaspata, Vitkos and Ñusta Hisp’ana. After lunch we will depart in the direction of Vilcabamba la Vieja (“Old Vicabamba”) along a climbing trail wich takes us through different levels of vegetation. We see little groups of houses and for this area typical flora, small wild birds and spectacular views of the sourrounding mountain peaks. After aproximately 4 hours of walking we will arrive at our campsite.

We will wake up at around 7:00am and after breakfast we will leave towards Otuto. Today we will ascend to the Qollpaqasa pass, from this point we will see the whole valley of the Concevidayoq. After the pass we will descend to Otuto where we set our camp and enjoy dinner.

Today we walk mostly downhill and we can appreciate the vegetation of cloud forest. We enjoy the freshness of the Concevidayoq river, as we are having lunch by the the river shore. After a rest we continue walking until we arrive to Vista Alegre, where we will camp.

After breakfast we enter the valley of Concevidayoq, with its warm climate. We arrive to Q’asa Cross a beautyfull place, where we can appreciate abundant flora and fauna and we might be lucky to spot the Cockerel of the Rocks (Perus national bird) we continue walking towards Tunkimayu in order to direct us toward Concebidayoq where we set our Camp.

Today we will get up at 05:00am to enjoy an early breakfast and start our last hiking day, leaving Concevidayoq. About 2 hours later we arrive to Espiritu Pampa situated in the highland jungle. We feel the different climate as it is now tropical and humid in this valley. We will visit the last refugee of Manco Inca or Manco II and see a rich flora and fauna. We arrive to Chuanquiry the place of our seventh camp.

Today our journey takes us by bus towards the city of Kiteni. We travel up the Alto Urubamba Valley river. After about 6 hours we arrive to Quillabamba and there we take the bus back to Cusco.