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Huaran-Lares Valley + Machu Picchu 4-day/3-night Trek Trek map

ABOUT THE HUARAN-LARES VALLEY  + MACHU PICCHU TREK:
This less-known hike departs from the Sacred Valley of the Incas to enter a route where amazing mountain scenery, glacier lagoons, valley cloud-forest and authentic textile Quechua communities are combined to finally reach the village of Lares, where you can end the trek by relaxing in its famous hot springs. A unique hike to get in touch with Andean people and learn about their traditions and life-style.

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Itinerary

Day 1: Cusco to Cancha Cancha

We leave Cusco at 7.00am in a private transport and drive for 2h towards Huarán, the starting point of our trek. On this first day, we walk for approximately 5h following an uphill path that starts in a valley with lush vegetation and that will take us to our first campsite in Cancha Cancha, a small farming community in the middle of a spectacular mountain scenery. We will stop for lunch along the way. Once we get to Cancha Cancha, we set our camp and get to know the local people and their way of living.  Meals: L, D

Day 2: Cancha Cancha to Queuñaqocha Lagoon

We leave our camp after breakfast to start walking along an ascending path that will lead us to the first mountain pass of the trek, the Abra Pachacutec (4400m/14432ft/3h), from which we can enjoy awesome views of glacier lagoons and the surrounding valleys. Along the hike, we may also have spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains in the area, such as Colquecruz, Minas and Sirijuani. We will have lunch after the pass, to then descend to Quiswarani, a small peasant and textile community, from where we continue following an uphill path until we reach the beautiful lagoon of Queuñaqocha, where we set up our second camp.  Meals: B, L, D

Day 3: Queuñaqocha Lagoon to Lares and Aguas Calientes

Today we continue our hike towards the second mountain pass, the Abra Willkiccasa (4100m/13448ft/2h), offering impressive views of both sides of the pass, especially of the Colquecruz and Pitusiray mountains. The trail continues along changing puna, lakes and agricultural areas with roaming deer until we arrive in Cuncani 3h later, another small peasant community from where we follow our hike down a fertile valley with more vegetation, crops and agricultural communities. Along the trail we may see native flowers such as begonias and wild orchids. After an approximated 2h walk we arrive in Lares, capital of the district with the same name, a large village whose principal attraction are its pleasant hot springs, where we can enjoy a dip. After lunch, our private transport will drive us to Ollantaytambo, where we board an afternoon train that will take us to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, we are accommodated at the selected hotel/hostel.  Meals: B, L

Day 4: Machupicchu to Cusco

After an early breakfast, we board a bus to go up to Machupicchu and then immediately begin a complete guided tour of the Inca citadel that will take approximately two hours. We then have free time to walk around, climb the Huaynapicchu Mountain, where one can appreciate spectacular views of all of Machupicchu, the valleys and mountains that surround it, or visit the Temple of the Moon or the fabulous Inca Bridge. In the afternoon, we meet in the town of Aguas Calientes where, if you like, you can visit and relax in its hot springs. From here we take the train back to the city of Cusco, where we arrive after nightfall.  Meals: -

* Departure and arrival times are approximated.
** Campsites are subject to change according to our guide’s criteria and the group progress

Difficulty degree of this hike : Moderate to challenging

What is included:

• Pre-Departure briefing
• Collection from your hotel in the morning and transfer in private transport to Huarán, starting point of the trek
• Personal tents: 2 people in each 4-people-capacity tent, to allow for higher comfort and a safe keeping of backpacks. Our tents are 3-season, highly maintained to ensure an excellent performance in field. Eureka Timberline 4 Outfitter tents are employed when double accommodations is requested and Eureka Timberline 2xT for single travelers.
• One foamy sleeping pad per person
• Dining tent with tables and chairs
• Kitchen tent
• Toilet tent  with bio-degrable toilet facilities
• English speaking professional guide and official tourist guide (2 guides for groups of over 8 people)
• Chef and cooking equipment
• pack animals (to carry tents, food and cooking equipment)
• 1 emergency horse every 6 persons
• Wranglers
• Accommodation for all our staff
• Meals (02B, 03L, 02D + daily morning snack + daily tea service except last day). Vegetarian menu is available at no extra cost
• One textile snack bag per person to avoid the usage of plastic bags that contaminate our environment
• Filtered boiled water
• Bio-degradable personal hand soaps
• Bio-degrable dishwashing detergents used by our kitchen staff
• Others: hot water every morning and evening for washing purposes / boiled water to fill in your water bottle every morning and night, and at lunch time if requested with enough time ahead
• Lares hot springs entrance fee
• First-aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle
• Private transport from Lares to Ollantaytambo
• RT Expedition train ticket Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu Pueblo-Ollantaytambo
• 1D Machu Picchu entrance fee

What is not included:

• Breakfast on the first day
• Dinner on the last day
• Visit to the hotel springs in Machu Picchu Pueblo
• Tips: please note that our agency staff is well paid so please feel free to tip or not as you wish

What we recommend that you bring:

• A backpack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek
• Rain gear (jacket and pants if available) or rain poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco)
• Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots recommended
• Sandals or jogging shoes for a higher comfort while at camp
• Warm clothes, including jacket, fleeces. Thermal clothing is also recommended, especially for sleeping
• Sleeping bag (please inform our Reservations Department if you wish to book this extra service at the moment of your booking)
• Sleeping pad: will be provided by us but is to be carried by you
• Flashlight/headlamp and batteries
• Camera, films and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions)
• Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold
• Sun block
• After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body
• Insect repellent – minimum recommended 20% DEET – no malaria risk has been reported
• Handkerchiefs
• Toilet paper
• Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc. Please note that we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. This recommendation applies for all clients being used to a specific snack, as it may happen that it is not included in our selection
• Non-disposable canteen (Nalgene type) and water for the first morning. Optionally: water- sterilizing tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route. Otherwise, we provide filtered boiled water, which is safe to drink and has not reported any health problem so far
• Small towel
• Swimsuit (if you wish to take a bath in the hot springs)
• Cash in soles and/or US$
• Optional: walking sticks or poles

Optional services available at extra cost:

• An extra horse to carry your personal items: US $90 for 3 days . A horse can carry up to 20 kg

• Sleeping bag rent: US $21 for 3 camping days. Our sleeping bags are –18ºC-comfort (0ºF) and mummy form and include a sleeping liner. They are cleaned after every use and have a maximum usage of 30 trips
• Therm-a-rest inflatable sleeping pad rent: US21 for 3 camping days
• Massage sessions: US$60.00 per 1-hour session (US$50.00 per session if at least 2 sessions are booked). Our massage therapists have the highest recognition in Cusco and offer the following treatments: relaxing massage, stress-relieving massage, spinal column massage, energizing massage, Inca massage, altitude problems, aroma therapy, therapy with honey, therapy with glass, therapy with stones, foot reflexology, shiatzu, reiki and puddle of flowering. We recommend massage sessions before and after your trekking program. Services are at the hotel and are only available in Cusco.

Appropriate clothing along this hike:

Hiking pants and T-shirts are commonly used during the day, complemented by sweaters, fleeces and waterproof jackets. It is very convenient to have light raingear available in the daypack (rain poncho or jacket and/or rain pants) as the weather changes easily and rains can suddenly occur. At night, warm clothing is required along the route. The rest of necessary implements are included in the “What we recommend that you bring” list.

Climate:

Cusco’s climate is divided into two differentiated seasons: the rainy season, from November to April (the heaviest rainfalls occurring usually between January – March); and the dry season, from May to October. The dry season is colder, so temperatures can drop to below 0 degrees at night.

Along the route to Lares, temperatures range from 10-20ºC during the day if it’s sunny, to 5-15ºC during the day if not sunny and depending on the elevation. Temperatures drop at night, especially in the first two campsites, at higher elevation, reaching 0-5ºC although rarely below.