WAYKI TREK
We are a local business that was formed in 1998 by a group of professional guides in tourism from different rural communities, who have worked for many local and international businesses. They have sufficient experience to work with WAYKI TREK, a competitive business in the market of tourism and over the years have proven their efficiency and are now highly recommended by the members of the South American Explorers Club, South American Handbook Footprint, Travel Guide Peru, Forums of the Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor. The Footprint Guide has recognized us as the best operators of the Inca Trail, for other tours and small groups with personalized services.
Wayki Trek offers 12 once-in-a-lifetime treks on the trails around Cusco, including three versions of the famous Inca Trail, tailored to your physical fitness and time constraints. Also available are 10 other tours in different parts of Peru, including trips to the jungle, Arequipa, Nazca and others. Whichever trek you choose, you will have an unforgettable experience.
WAYKI TREK is a pioneer of sustainable tourism with great environmental and social responsibility among the local businesses, which permits us to share our activities with the local settlers, especially with the rural communities who benefit directly. The social work that we carry out are:
Recuperation of Identity with training through workshops,
Communal Libraries in different communities and provide a
Medical Center which is in an isolated community away from the populated communities.
OUR TEAM
OUR ADMINISTRATORS
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Leo Cusi ( Manager ) |
He began working as a porter, cook and later as a guide on the Inca Trail where he traveled hundreds of times for many years and also to Lima, the Balestas Islands, the Nazca Lines, the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Manu, Bolivia and Chile. His passion is to travel and diffuse its culture. He loves it when the tourists have an unforgettable experience and take with them a wonderful image of Peru.
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Americo Aguilar Llamacchima Americo, 40, is part owner of Wayki Trek. He has been working with Wayki Trek for 8 years, first as a guide and then as an administrator in the office. He speaks Quechua, English, Spanish and some Italian. Americo was born in Paccarectambo, a small town south of Cusco. When he moved to Cusco, he studied at the Universidad San Antonio Abad in Cusco for 5 years to earn his tourism license and then 1 year at the Xcel Centro de Idiomas to learn English. Americo now lives in Cusco with his 2 children, ages 3 and 1. His favorite part of working in tourism is traveling, meeting new people, and teaching people about his culture. |
Jimena Molina Santibañez Was born in Lima, she’s studding Economy at the University of Piura who’s located at Lima, She speaks Spanish, English, a little of French, and French Haiti and she had the opportunity to study at USA-FL-Fort. Lauderdale. . |
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Manuel Huallpamaita Fernandez Manuel, 42, makes the office run smoothly, organizing the guides and also the logistics of each tour. Manuel has a wide range of experience in the tourism business in Cusco. He has worked as a guide doing city tours, as an administrator in a hotel and as an English translator for many tour agencies. He also worked for 14 years as an English teacher for a local high school. Manuel speaks Quechua, Spanish and English and has studied in the Centro de Formación en Turismo in Lima, La Escuela Internacional de Gerencia (EIGER) in Cusco and the Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano in Lima. He lives in Cusco with his wife, two daughters and son. His oldest son is finishing high school and will soon begin to study engineering or architecture |
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Gorki Dalens Paucar Gorki, 40, has worked for Wayki Trek since its beginnings. He has seen Wayki Trek grow from a small company without computers or internet to one of the major locally-owned tour agencies in Cusco. Gorki helps with reservations and manages the needs of the porters. He also works closely with the Inca Trail Regulator Office to schedule entrances to the trail and to Machupicchu. Gorki was born in Quillabamba, a community in the jungle outside of Cusco, where he learned his first language, Quechua. After he moved to Cusco when he was nine, he learned Spanish. He studied tourism at the Instituto Superior Tecnologico (ESITUR) for three years and also learned conversational Italian. He now lives in Cusco with his two children. Gorki likes the Wayki team because of the trust within the company. He likes that everyone treats each other like friends, but everyone can also be serious and get down to business. |
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Juan Fernandez Ccama Father of Edith, Juan, 57, does housekeeping for the Wayki Backpackers Hostel. Juan lives in Cusco with his wife and has 4 children. He speaks Quechua and Spanish and attended school until he was 17 when he started working. His favorite typical Peruvian food is Chiriuchu, which is a mixture of many meats, including guinea pig, chicken and others, served cold. |
OUR GUIDES
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Jose Antonio Cusi Camero First as a porter, then as an assistant guide and now as a professional guide, Jose Cusi, 28, has hiked the Inca Trail over 150 times. Jose was born in Cusco but then at 9 months, moved to a small town in the countryside called Huayllacocha to live with his grandmother. When he was seven, he moved back to Cusco where he finished high school and attended the Instituto Superior Tecnologico Antonio Lorena where he studied tourism for 3 years. Jose speaks Quechua, Spanish, English and some French. He is also CPR certified with the Red Cross. Jose’s favorite trek is Lares because people live traditional lifestyles, wearing traditional dress from that area and are proud of where they are from. |
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Jose Antonio Delgado Cavero Jose Antonio, 25, has worked for Wayki Trek for 3 years. He was born in Huhuayracmachay, a small town near Salkantay and worked for many years helping his parents to guide horses for tourists. As a child, he mastered treks such as Salkantay and Vilcabamba, among others. He then worked as a porter and then as a guide on the trail. He studied tourism and English for 3 years at the Instituto Superior Tecnologico Americana. He now lives in Cusco and speaks Quechua, Spanish and English. Jose Antonio likes working for Wayki Trek because everyone is responsible and organized and because the owner, Leo, is always in the office and very friendly. When Jose Antonio isn’t guiding, he likes other adventure sports, such as mountain biking and horseback riding |
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Jose Loayza Condor First as an assistant guide and then as a guide, Jose Loayza, 26, has been working for Wayki since 2005. He has hiked the Inca Trail over 120 times. Jose is from a small town called Huayllacocha. He speaks Quechua, Spanish and English and studied tourism for 3 years as the Instituto Tecnologico Americana del Cusco. Jose is a bird enthusiast and his favorite trek around Cusco is the Inca Trail because of the variety of birds it offers. When he is not working, Jose likes to read about history. |
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Edgar Tito Peralta Edgar, 32, has been working with tourists in the mountains for 10 years. Having done more than 200 Inca Trails, Edgar is one of Wayki Trek’s most experienced guides. He speaks Quechua, Spanish and English and studied tourism at the Tecnologico Tupac Amaru in Cusco. He currently lives in Cusco with his wife and his 6-year-old daughter named Sumac Chasca, which in Quechua means “beautiful star.” His favorite part about working at Wayki Trek is that it is like a family with a very friendly environment. |
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Edwin Cusi Huaman Edwin, 27, was born in a small town called Huayacocha but moved to Cusco when he was 11 years old. He studied at the Instituto Americana del Cusco for 3 years to be a tour guide and 2 years to work in hotel management. He also studied English in the Instituto Peruano Norteamericano (IPNA). He worked for a hotel until 2007 when he started working as a guide for Wayki Trek. He speaks Quechua, Spanish, English and some French. When he isn’t hiking, he likes to do other adventure sports with his friends, like going mountain biking. |
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Wilfredo Emilio Farfan Florez (Wily Jones) Wilfredo’s friends all call him Wily Jones because he started working 17 years ago, around the time that Indiana Jones came out. Wily, 42, started working for Wayki Trek in 1997. He has hiked the Inca Trail over 600 times, making him Wayki’s most experienced guide. Wily speaks Spanish, Quechua and English and lives in Cusco with his wife. They are expecting a baby in August. He studied tourism for three years at the Instituto Tupac Amaru and also studied English for 1 year. Wily loves to teach and to share what the Incas built. He loves to live what the Incas created and bring back the connection that they felt with the Pachamama, the mother earth |
OUR CHEFS
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Elias Uñapillco Apaza Elias, 29, has been working with Wayki Trek for 3 years. He started working on the Inca Trail as a porter and then studied for 1 year at the Instituto America de Cusco to be a chef. He was born in the small town of Huayacocha and now lives in Cusco with his wife and 1-year-old son named Alexis. He speaks Quechua, Spanish and is learning English by practicing with tourists on the Inca Trail. Elias is an excellent cook. People tell him that the most delicious meal he cooks is pasta alfredo and sopa novoandina (Andean soup).
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Rule Alvarez Huamán Rule, 25, has worked for Wayki Trek for 5 years. For his first two years at the agency, Rule worked as a horsemen in Salcantay. After completing his degree as a chef after 1 year at the Instituto Latinoamericano, he began working as a chef on the Inca Trail and other treks around Cusco. Rule was raised in a small town near Machupicchu, Santa Teresa, where he learned Quechua and Spanish. He now lives in Cusco. Of everything Rule prepares on the trail, his most delicious meal is lasagna. |
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Nazario Huamán Luna With over 14 years of experience on the Inca Trail, Nazario, 33, is Wayki Trek’s most experienced chef. Nazario has hiked the trail between 400 and 500 times and has worked for Wayki Trek for 4 years. Each year, he takes a cooking course for 15 days to learn new dishes and techniques. He is from a small town where the first campsite is on the Inca Trail called Wallabamba, but now lives in Urubamba with his wife. His most delicious plate is Lomo Andino, which is beef served with a local herb called muña, rice, potatoes and tomato. |
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Celio Quispe Puma Celio, 23, has worked for Wayki Trek for 4 years, first as an assistant chef and then after studying for 4 months at the Centro de Informacion y Turismo (CENFOTUR) as a chef on the Inca Trail. Celio lives with his wife and his 1-year-old son, Jan Carlos, is a small town called Huilloc, about an hour from Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. Celio is another chef in Wayki Trek, Toribio’s cousin. Celio speaks Quechua and Spanish. His signature plate is “Aji de Gallina,” or spicy chicken and he also enjoys cooking pastries. Celio’s favorite trek is Lares because of the hot springs and because the path is smooth. |
Jubel Kacha Salgado Jubel, 22, has worked for Wayki Trek for 2 years, first as an assistant cook and now as a cook. He studied for three months to be a cook on the Inca Trail and now hikes the trail about three times a month. He lived in Paucartambo, a province south of Cusco, for his entire life until he moved 4 years ago to Cusco where he now lives with his wife. His first language is Quechua and he also speaks Spanish. Jubel’s favorite thing to cook is stuffed avocado. His favorite part about working at Wayki Trek is that the “boss,” Leo, is like a father to everyone who works there |
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Flabio Usca Flabio was a porter on the Inca Trail before becoming a chef. He has been working for Wayki Trek for 3 years. Flabio was born in Huilloc and now lives with his wife in Ollantaytambo. He speaks Quechua and Spanish. |
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Domingo Supa Franco Domingo, 40, has been working on the Inca Trail for 13 years, first as a porter, then as a head porter, then as an assistant chef and finally as a chef. He took a 15-day course at the Instituto Senati after being an assistant chef for 5 years to become a chef. The most delicious meal he cooks is zucchini with quinoa or rice. Domingo was born in Chaquepay in the district of Huarocondo and speaks Quechua and Spanish. He now has a wife and 3 children, ages 20, 15 and 13. Domingo went to school until he was 12 years old. Recently, he went back to school to finish elementary school. He also plans to finish high school. He likes the Inca Trail because he finds the hike relaxing and enjoys talking with the porters and guides. |
OUR PORTERS
About 50 porters work with Wayki Trek to help carry equipment on the Inca Trail. Between 18 and 61 years old, the porters and cooks zoom past the tourists, each carrying 20 kilos (44 pounds), to start cooking and setting up the tents before the tourists get there. These incredibly strong men were born in the mountains in four towns around Cusco, Huayllacocha, Huarcondo, Chaquepai, Chiirpahauya. Because they are so familiar with hiking in the mountains, they usually hike the trail in their ojotas, traditional sandals. When they are not working, most porters dedicate themselves to their chacra, local community and the agriculture in the area.
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Angel Cusi |
THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE US:
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* We are a local company, administered by professional guides of much experience of indigenous origin, who support the community farmers and are a part of our social projects.
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* The size of our groups is small, from 3 to 8 passengers because we want you have an exhilarating time with our customized services.
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In the Inca Trail, you will have the opportunity to visit the porter’s village, where you will be acquainted with the porter and his family, customs, traditions and daily activities. It will be an unforgettable experience!
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* All our excursions have interactive activities with the community farmers, where you will share their customs and traditions. They will make you feel much more content and feel close to nature… This is an experience you will never forget.
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* We provide fair treatment such as just salaries, sufficient nutrition on treks, to all of our employees, especially the porters, cooks, guides and the office staff. We all work like “Waykis” that means friendly brothers. That is our company’s philosophy.
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* We have a great social and environmental responsibility in the areas of our operation; in 2011 we are implementing the system of environmental management, to get certified with the ISO 14001.
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* We constantly support the communities’ farmers in the construction of medical clinics, rural libraries, maintenance of schools among others.
