|
Lares Valley 4 day Trek
*** LV4G Lares Valley 4 day Group Service 2010
***
|
Map of the Lares Valley Trek |
|
 |
|
GIF format 122 KB (1200 x
1675)
|
Trek Itinerary
Distance: 33km
Duration: 4 days
When to go: Best from April to December although can be done year
round.
Altitude: 2100m to 4450m
Difficulty: Moderate
Day 1: Cusco - Huaran (Sacred Valley) - Cancha Cancha
We pick you up from your hotel at 08:00 and travel by bus for the
1½ hour ride to the village of Huaran (2840m) located in the
Sacred Valley between Pisac and Urubamba. Huaran is the start of
the trail. We’ll meet up with the horsemen and pack the horses.
Leaving the Sacred Valley behind us we head northwards following a
gently climbing trail that runs parallel to the small Cancha
Cancha river. It’s a fairly tough 4 hour uphill trek to our
destination, the small village also named Cancha Cancha (3800m)
where we’ll spend the night.
Day 2: Cancha Cancha - Quishuarani
Leaving Cancha Cancha we continue north east up the valley,
passing small thatched stone houses. After ½ hour the path
flattens out before climbing steeply for the 2½ hour trek to the
first pass, called Pachacutec Pass (4458m). From the pass you’ll
be rewarded with superb views of Pachacutec Lake and the snowy
peaks of Pitusiray. The path continues for an hour along a narrow
ridge until dropping down into a beautiful secluded corrie filled
with glacial lakes and rich in birdlife. The lip of the corrie
descends into the next valley, following a series of cascading
waterfalls to the village of Quishuarani (3700m) about 1 hours’
easy walking from the corrie. We’ll camp here for the night.
Day 3: Quishuarani - Cuncani
Heading west up a small valley you’ll arrive at a lake at the head
of the valley and start a steep zig-zag climb up a narrow trail to
the top of the second pass known as Abra Huillquijasa (4200m),
about 3 hours’ from Quishuarani village. Below you lies a series
of stunning turquoise lakes. We’ll drop down and have a well
deserved lunch beside the lakes before continuing on for the short
trek to the next village of Cuncani (3750m) in the bottom of the
valley (1½ hour from the pass). We should arrive in Cuncani
mid-afternoon and have a chance to see local weavers at work. We
will spend the night at Cucani.
Day 04: Cuncani - Lares Thermal Springs - Cusco
The trail follows the river valley
down hill for about 3 hours to the town of Lares (3100m). ½ hour
before arriving in Lares you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a
soak in some open air thermal springs (bring a swimsuit). You’ll
notice that the vegetation is becoming very green and almost
tropical. From Lares we'll return by private minibus to Cusco
arriving mid-afternoon. This trek can easily be trekked in
reverse.
The above trek
itinerary is only a typical itinerary and the actual campsites
that we use may vary depending on group size, group ability and
weather conditions. |
