Choquequiraw 8 days
Choquequiraw 8D is a trek of 100 km long, designed for people with physical training and experience for long distance walks with different altitudes and different grounds; with fitness and strenght. 8D Choquequiraw invites you to discover the last refuge of the Incas, "La Cuna de Oro" (the gold cradle): the ruins of Choquequiraw and finish this trek with a visit to one of the wonders of the modern world: Machu Picchu. Both archaeological sites, significantly, bear a strong resemblance to each other, therefore, Choquequiraw is known as the "sacred sister" of Machu Picchu, due to the architectural and structural similarity between the two.
This hike has a running average of 7-8 hours per day. It demands a good physical condition, because the walking regimen is high: daily long distances are traveled, passing through different climates (there is constant change) and the ground is very rough by the presence of canyons. Our trek is orientated to people who have as the main purpose of their travel trekking, due to the days you need to trek it. Also Choquequiraw 8D is made for couples, groups of friends or people who want a more personal journey; enjoy a great diversity of climate, landscapes and variety of ground, flora and fauna, and meet one of the Wonders of the World "Machu Picchu" and the last corner of Inca presence, "Choquequiraw".
What’s included
1. A Briefing, one day before the trek. Once there, you will receive all pertinent information for your trek and our staff will answer all your doubts.
2. –Entrance permits to the Choquequiraw Trek and Machupicchu. Once we have received confirmation of your reservation and your deposit, we’ll immediately apply for your permit at the Ministry of Culture (the institution which regulates Machupicchu) to ensure that there is enough space for you and the necessary porters. We can also reserve tickets for either Machu Picchu Mountain or Wayna Picchu at the same time (note that these are optional and have an additional cost. See “Not Included” below).
3. Field Staff:
- Professional Guides: specialized in trekking and selected from accredited universities. Our guides are fluent in English and have five to twelve years of experience in different hikes of the region. They are skilled at managing groups under pressure and are experts at first aid and rescue techniques. The majority of them come from different Andean communities and bring with them their cultural heritage. Along with the rest of the field team, our guides will make your journey a unique experience.
- Chefs: Trained in local gastronomy schools, they are experts in modern Andean cooking, traditional Peruvian meals, international food styles and vegetarian cooking. They have deep knowledge of the nutritional properties of their meals and are experts at cooking as quickly as possible. And all of this, of course, with a strong emphasis on hygiene and food safety during preparation.
- Porters: Responsible for carrying all the group gear and your 8kg (17.6lb) of personal items. They come from various rural communities from the Cusco region, where they still maintain their local customs and traditions. We provide them with accident insurance during the trek and with suitable clothing that allows them to work in comfort. Our porters are also hosts responsible for making your journey an unforgettable experience.
4. Camping Equipment and hotel of 3 stars the last night:
- Tents: These are 4-season, high mountain tents from the brands North Face, Eureka, and Mountain Hardwear. They can withstand harsh winter weather, including heavy rain and snow.
- Sleeping Mats: Our inflatable Thermarest mattresses guarantee a warm, comfortable night’s sleep on the trail.
- Sleeping bag: We use down sleeping bags rated to -10 Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) to ensure a warm night’s sleep.
- Dining Tent: Our spacious dining tent, complete with chairs and a table, gives us all the room we need to enjoy our meals no matter the weather outside.
- Cooking Tent: Comes with all the equipment necessary for our chef to prepare your meals (gas stove and all food prep utensils).
- Bathroom Tents: These tents have toilets with water pumps, and we’ll set them up at all our lunch spots and campsites.
4. Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 morning snacks, 8 lunches, 7 afternoon snacks, 7 dinners.
We’ll have variety of food throughout the hike, all of which will be loaded with the protein, vitamins and carbohydrates to give you the energy that you’ll need on the hike.
- Breakfasts: Fruit salad, yogurt, oatmeal, chocolate, milk, coffee, tea, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bread and butter.
- Morning Snacks: Fresh and dried fruit, crackers, and sweets (chocolate, other candy)
- Lunches: Buffet-style, with soup, 2-4 different main dishes, desserts and hot drinks. The mains will include Peruvian classics, such as lomo saltado (stir-fried beef with rice and French fries) and aji de gallina (mildly spicy, creamy chicken pure), among other options. We can also make vegetarian options.
- Afternoon snacks: Popcorn, crackers, coffee, chocolate, milk, and a variety of teas.
- Dinners: Soups, chicken, pasta.
- Water: We’ll provide you with boiled water every day of the hike, from lunch onwards.
5. Transportation:
- From Cusco to the trailhead at Cachora in a Mercedes Benz minibus.
- Train from Hidrolectric to Aguas Calientes town.
- Bus from from Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes.
- Return train ticket (Expedition class) from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo after your visit to Machu Picchu.
- Bus from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco.
6. Biodegradable products: Personal hygiene products for our staff and clients, and soap for cleaning cooking and camping equipment.
7. Emergency Equipment:
- Satellite Telephones: Each one of our groups carries a satellite telephone at all times to communicate with our office in case of emergency or for clients to use in case they have a personal emergency in whatever part of the world.
- Radios: These have a 10km range and 8 frequencies for our guides, chefs and porters to communicate amongst themselves. Additionally, the radios can be used to communicate with the Machu Picchu and Inca Trail park guards in case of emergency.
- First Aid Kit: We carry a full complement of over-the-counter medication, including alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tincture of iodine, germicidal soap, cotton, gauze, bandages, adhesive medical tape, surgical gloves, analgesics for muscle and stomach pain, antipyretics, anti-allergy medication, anti-inflammatories, oral rehydration salts, laxatives, burn cream, splints, blood pressure measuring devices, and thermometers. If you take prescription medication, you may carry your own drugs.
- Medical assistance by satellite calling: Our guides are very well trainned in first aids but Keep in mind that only a medical professional can write up a medical prescription. Our guides are not allowed to prescribe a treatment for our clients. Is For this reason, we implemented a Doctor’s assistance on the way by sateilite phone calling in case any medical Emergency.
NOT INCLUDED
- Wayna Picchu Ticket
- Last dinner in Cusco.
- Hiking poles
- Tips – These are VOLUNTARY. Each traveler may decide for him or herself whether to give one.
- Travel Insurance: This is not a requirement, but we always recommend that our clients purchase it in case there are problems with their flights or unexpected health problems come up. Be aware if your travel insurance policy has altitude restrictions: some policies are void above 4,000m (13,123ft), and the Salkantay trek goes as high as 4,600m. Other hikes in the Cusco region may go as high as 5,000m.
*A horse to carry 8kg (17.6lb) of your personal gear is included. In case you need to bring additional weight, you must ask for an extra horse at the same time as you make your reservation.
* The horse service will only be available the 6 days of the trek, as those are the most challenging ones, starting on the 7th day there are vehicles for the transportation of luggage.
