Day Four of the Salkantay Trek

Just when I thought the hard part was over…

Day 4 of the trek was just as long as Day 2. Though not as high in altitude, it was still quite the challenge. By this point we were all sore, tired and drained, and I honestly thought the hardest section was behind us. So, it was just my surprise when we saw that there were many recent landslides along the trail that we had to climb over; one right at the start of the hike. Not only were there several rough areas of fallen rocks and trees, but there was also a 4-hour uphill hike before we could finally rest at the Llacatapata site with a clear view across the valley to Machu Picchu. We were so close to our goal, and it gave us such satisfaction, even though we were not yet done. From here, we hiked down 1,000 feet through the warm jungle, over rivers and 6 miles along some railroad tracks until we finally reached the city of Machu Picchu, where warm showers and soft beds awaited us.