Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [184]
For more on Q’oyoriti, a ritual festival that takes place on Ausangate every year, Click here.
Vilcabamba
The real ‘lost city of the Incas,’ Vilcabamba – also known as Espíritu Pampa – is what Hiram Bingham was looking for when he stumbled on Machu Picchu. The beleaguered Manco Inca and his followers fled to this jungle retreat after being defeated by the Spaniards at Ollantaytambo in 1536. The long, low-altitude trek, which takes four to nine days, is very rugged, with many steep ascents and descents before reaching Vilcabamba, 1000m above sea level. You can start at either Huancacalle (Click here) or Kiteni.
WHEN TO GO
There are regular departures on these treks from May to September, and private departures can be organized at any time of year. In the wettest months (from December to April), trails can be slippery and campsites muddy, and views are often obscured behind a thick bank of rolling clouds. The best trekking months are June to August; the high jungle Vilcabamba trek is not recommended outside these months. Temperatures can drop below freezing year-round on all the other, higher-altitude treks, and it occasionally rains even during the dry season (late May to early September).
WHAT TO BRING
Modern internal-framed backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and stoves can all be rented in various places in Calle Plateros from around S10 per item per day. Check all equipment carefully before you agree to rent it, as some is pretty shoddy and rarely is it lightweight. For the cheapest deals on new gear, head to El Molino (Click here). Other essentials include sturdy shoes, rain gear, insect repellent, sunblock, a flashlight (with fresh batteries), basic first-aid supplies and water-purification tablets. Once you’re trekking, there is usually nowhere to buy food, and the small villages where treks begin have very limited supplies, so shop in advance in Cuzco. If you’re on a guided trek, take a stash of cash for tipping the guide and the arrieros. About US$10 per day per trekker is the minimum decent tip to a guide; a similar amount to divide between group arrieros is appropriate.
River Running
Rafting isn’t regulated in Peru – literally anyone can start a rafting company. On top of this, discounting wars caused by bargain-hunting travelers working the Plaza de Armas in packs have led to lax safety by many cheaper rafting operators. The degree of risk cannot be stressed enough: there are deaths every year. Rafting companies that take advance bookings online are generally more safety conscious (and more expensive) than those just operating out of storefronts in Cuzco.
RIO URUBAMBA
Rafting the Río Urubamba through the Sacred Valley could offer the best rafting day trip in South America, but Cuzco and all the villages along its course dispose of raw sewage in the river, making for a smelly and polluted trip. Seriously – close your mouth if you fall in.
Despite its unsavory aspects, the Ollantaytambo to Chilca (class II to III) section is surprisingly popular, offering 1½ hours of gentle rafting with only two rapids of note. Huarán and Huambutio to Pisac are other pollution-affected sections.
There are a variety of cleaner sections south of Cuzco on the upper Urubamba (also known as the Vilcanota), including the popular Chuquicahuana run (class III to IV+; class V+ in the rainy season). Another less-frenetic section is the fun and scenic Cusipata to Quiquihana, (mainly class II to III). In the rainy season, these two sections are often combined. Closer to Cuzco, Pampa to Huambutio (class I to II) is a beautiful