Lares – folkloric valley and hot springs 3 days

We leave Cusco at 5 am in the morning and arrive to Urubamba, the Pumawanca district later in the morning. In the hacienda Pumawanca we enjoy our breakfast while the muleteers arrange the equipment on the mules. Hereafter we start our slow ascent through an area of Eucalyptus and local plants and trees, then after one and a half hours of walk we arrive to the first resting place where we can take a bath in a nice crystal clear stream (3215masl.). We continue to our lunch spot close to the archaeological site of Inkaracay where we can appreciate an Inca building of 2 floors (3500masl.). In the afternoon we walk towards the first waterfall in 3730 masl. We pass a very typical village with its mud houses covered with Andean ichu grass. From the waterfall we have an amazing view of the landscape we just have been passing through, and we take a small break here. In the way we walk along the typical vegetation of Chachacomo trees. In Toccopampa (3920masl.) we rest a while by the clear creek before walking the last part up towards SIGLLAKASA on the left side of the snow peak Chicon. With the first views of the snow we arrive to our camp called Huyo Pampa in 4075 masl.

2nd Day

We wake up to an amazing view of the mountains around us. We are in a greenish pampa with thousands of the mysterious close-to-extinction native queña trees. After a nutritive breakfast we start the ascent towards the pass. We cross through the queña tree forest on the way to the 4600 masl. generally covered with snow. Sometimes we can appreciate the interesting Viscachas (like rabbits with long tail), and in 4455 masl. we pass the beautiful lagune of Champacocha with the snow peaks as background. From here we have about 30 min. more to the Sicllakasa Pass in 4600 masl. In clear weather we spend a long moment here before starting the descent through the rough stair like stone-formations of volcanic rock, that we find on this side. On the way down we pass beautiful lagunes, the biggest one called Yana Cocha in 4350 masl. Arriving to the top part of the Lares Valley we can appreciate the ecological level called Puna, where we have our lunch with view of small huts and fields of lamas and sheep eating herbs. All afternoon is going smoothly down, we pass the village of Conkani (3670masl.) and continue pass the cemetery of Kelkana before arriving to the thermal baths of Lares (3125masl.), where we arrive in the late afternoon. We enjoy the hot water and relax our feet and tired muscles.

We leave the village of Lares during the morning. On the way back to the Sacred Valley we drive by many small lakes and colourful bushes following the river of Lares. After half an hour we arrive once again to the ecological level of Puna, with the llama and sheep enclosures, surrounded by animals eating pasture. Once again we can also appreciate the typical houses and potato fields almost all the way to the pass. After the pass we go down over a great grass prairie and passing through the canyon of Calca leading to the Sacred Valley. From here we go directly back to Cusco. OBS! Those who go on to Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu leave the group in Calca.