Despite having heard about the South American Explorers Club (SAE Club) some time ago, it took me a while before finally investigating it for myself… and I’m glad I did!  I went on my first hike with them yesterday and it was a blast.  We hiked from Chinchero to Urquillos, and then stopped by Pisaq to grab something to drink and catch the end of the Holland vs. Costa Rica game. Not a bad little Saturday : )

Getting There…

We all met up at the SAE Clubhouse at 8:45am.  A nice mix of people showed up and in the end we totaled ten including the guide, Matt.  We left the Clubhouse and made our way into the center of town where we got on a “collectivo” towards the small town of Chinchero.  The walk took about 15 minutes and the bus about 45 minutes, maybe a little more.  Sometimes it can take a while for the “collectivos” to depart as the drivers often wait for the mini-van to fill up before taking off, but since we were a big group we filled the mini-van and left pretty much immediately.  The ride cost S/. 6.00, or about $2.00.  We got off in Chinchero and walked up towards the market.  A few little alleys later and we were at the start of the trail…

A Little History…

Chinchero is located about 30 minutes north of Cusco, has a population of about 15,000 people and has an altitude of roughly 3,762 meters above sea level.  Back in the day it was an obligatory stop on the walk to Machu Picchu, and today is considered a “granary” for Cusco due to its high production of crops, especially potato (1).  There are some wonderful hikes in this area, and markets here sell a variety of artisanal goods.  Considered to be the birthplace of the rainbow, its Sunday market is particularly nice, and much less touristic than the one in Pisaq (2). It’s not very far from Cusco or hard to get to, making it a great place to go if you want to get out of the city for a day.

The Hike…

The hike was very scenic, peaceful and varied.  There were very few tourists on the trail aside from our group, making it all the better.  From the very first few steps you feel transported into a different time, an Incan time, and reenergized from the more stressful life in Cusco.

After only a few hundred meters we found ourselves in front of an example of some very impressive Incan agricultural terracing which are still in use today.  On top of this terracing is the main church in Chinchero, notable for its Incan and colonial influences. Not too far down the path we came across another cool site… a large sacred stone which has been carved out and was used for birthing ceremonies by the Incas. The stone has some interesting formations due to water erosion.

Continuing along the route we passed by some little waterfalls and nice Incan stonework.  Eventually we climbed about 15 minutes down into the valley to some waterfalls where we rested and had lunch.  The only slightly difficult part of the trek was climbing back up to the main trail from here, but once we did there were some spectacular views of the valley and of a snow covered mountain in the distance called Pitusiray.  We walked alongside the side of the mountain and passed some houses before ending up in a small village called Urquillos.

Urquillos and Getting Back…

Our trip “ended” once we arrived in the small village of Urquillos.  There was a nice central plaza and stunning views.  People were out listening to music, and some local youths were trying to get a tuk-tuk to start.  We rested here for a moment and then we walked about 10 minutes to a town called Huayllabamba where we found the main road to catch a bus or “collectivo” back to Cusco; however, since the Holland vs. Costa Rica World Cup match had just started we decided to stop y Pisaq first to grab a drink and see the game.  Holland won on penalty kicks, and the elderly, potty-mouth, Dutch women there went crazy!!!  After the game we found another “collectivo” which brought us back to Cusco for S/. 3.50.

Hike Grade: A

This was a really nice hike.  In total it took about four hours and was not especially difficult, with the possible exception of the 15 minute climb back up from our picnic near the waterfalls; otherwise, is was mostly flat or downhill the entire time.  More importantly, our guide Matt and everyone in the group were super friendly and made the day really fun and enjoyable. It was also nice to be able to stop by Pisaq on the way home and see some of the World Cup.  I would highly recommend this hike to anyone interested in getting out of the city for the day and not looking for anything too strenuous.  Also, definitely check out the SAE Clubhouse… they do loads of cool hikes and the guide, Matt, is a really chill dude. Check out their website for more information: saexplorers.org

Bibliography:

1) “CUSCO – CUZCO.” CHINCHEROS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://www.cusco-peru.org/cusco-peru/alrededores-cusco-chinchero.shtml>.

2) “Chinchero, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco, Peru.” Chinchero, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco, Peru. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/destinations/cusco/chinchero.html>