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Vilcabamba
This is one of the most significant cities in the Inka History. Vilcabamba is the city that was searched for when Machupicchu was discovered.
The last refuse of the Inka Kingdom for forty years after the Spanish conquistadores had captured the greatest part of the Empire
It is one of the most remote locations to visit deep in the jungle. So the trail to Vilcabamba takes you through a variety of ecosystems as you descend from the Hieghts of the Andeasdown into the richness and diversity of Amazonia.
Choquekirao
Choquequirao means "cradle of gold" in Quechua although this is probably not its original Inca name. It is another "lost city of the Incas" located high on a ridge spur almost 1750m above the raging glacier-fed Apurimac River and surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks.
The US explorer Gary Ziegler suggests that Choquequirao may have been the place where the last Inca, Tupac Amaru, was raised among Inca Priestesses. The abundance of many double jamb doorways and niches indicates that the place was held in high status.
The ruins were first visited and described to the western world by a French explorer during the 18th century. Hiram Bingham visited the site in 1910. This was his first experience of "lost cities" prior to his discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911. The remoteness and inaccessibility have discouraged visitors until fairly recently when COPESCO constructed a footbridge over the Apurimac River below the ruins. Even today the ruins are still rarely visited although, with the enforcement of new regulations on the Inca Trail, Choquequirao is destined to replace the traditional hike as the serious trekkers alternative.
Ausangate
The Cordillera Vilcanota is an impressive range of mountains which include the massive Nevado de Ausangate (6,385m) and three others over 6000m. It's excellent trekking country offering the traveler everything you could want: spectacular mountain scenery, snow-capped peaks, hot springs, turquoise lakes, glaciers, herds of llamas and alpacas, picturesque villages and traditionally dressed Indians. Its also high, tough and cold, so be prepared.
This beautiful seven day circular trek starts and finishes at the small Andean village of Tinqui and takes you around the massif of Ausangate and over three high passes (two of them over 5000m). It is essential to be properly acclimatized for this hike spending at least three days in Cusco (or equivalent altitude) before starting.
Many tour operators provide a horse for each person to ride. Since many parts of the trail are steep, riders will need to dismount and walk with the horse for about 40% of the trek. Horses are also used for carrying all the equipment. If you are not confident on horseback then there are usually some 'trekking only' tours.
There are only a few trekking operators in Cusco offering this trek on a regular basis. During the high season (June-August) it may be possible simply to arrive in Cusco and visit all of the travel companies around the Plaza, Plateros and Procuradores to see if any have a group leaving. Joining a group works out a lot cheaper but it can be a bit of a haphazard affair as far as quality, group size and departure dates are concerned. A company will often say it will leave in two days time and then cancel at the last minute if it can't find enough other people for the group. These 'pooled' service treks can cost as little as $80 for a 7 day trek, although the group sizes can be as much as 20 persons.
Usually the Ausangate trek is undertaken in 7 days, using a combination of trekking and horse riding. Well acclimatized trekkers could complete the trek in 6 days if they want, including all transport to and from Cusco.
Salkantay
The mountains of the Cordillera Vilcabamba rise to form a ragged chain between the regions' two great rivers; the Urubamba and the Apurimac. Along the cordillera's northern side, massive snow peaks collide with lush tropical rain forests.
Located northwest of Cusco, Nevado de Salkantay, the cordillera's tallest peak, is at the eastern end of the chain and rises to 6271 meters above sea level. The name Salkantay means 'Savage Mountain' which may refer to the swirling clouds that rise up from the jungle lowlands and engulf the peak.
The Salkantay to Machu Picchu trek normally takes 5 days and has become popular with trekkers wanting to combine a quieter less trodden route with a visit to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. For the first 3 days you will be surrounded with magnificent scenery and rarely see other groups of trekkers. On the fouth day you join up with the Inca Trail at Wayllabamba and continue to Machu Picchu arriving evening on day 4.
The trek is only a little more difficult than the Inca Trail, and horses can be used for the first 3 days to carry food and equipment. Since horses are not allowed on the Inca Trail, you'll swap over to using human porters for this final section.
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