Cutting ties with the outside world, Contracts Manager David Shutoff and Chief Operating Officer Timothy Sweeney set off on an unforgettable hiking and camping adventure across the Andes.
Salkantay Trek Group at Machu Picchu. Tim is the third from the left (in green);
Dave is fourth from the left (in blue).
Tim and Dave traveled to Lima, Peru for Travel Mart Latin America, a conference to promote travel in Central and South America. Following the conference the pair wanted to explore Peru a little further. So these two outdoorsy adventure-seekers opted for an off-the-beaten-path hike that would take them on a very memorable journey through Peru.
They took the Salkantay Trek through Enigma Adventure Tours. A four day, three night trek that consisted of nine-hour day hikes and camping in freezing temperatures. Tim explains that “Salkantay is an ancient quechua word meaning ‘savage mountain’.” After four days, they understood exactly how the mountain got its name. “The trek was amazing. It took us from a high point of over 15,000 feet by Salkantay Mountain, down to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu.” They had a guide and a couple of “wranglers” who cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, led the horses and set up camping tents.
It was an amazing experience for both of them. When I asked them the highlights of the trip, they eagerly shared them with me:
• Seeing Machu Picchu from a distant mountain peak
• Camping in 30 degrees in the middle of the Andes range with Alpaca lining the hills and mountains; then progressing to a tropical climate the following day in the span of a few hours.
• Absolutely amazing scenery
• The variety of the terrain throughout the trek
• Our Peruvian tour guide who’s never been to the U.S. but knew more about American 80’s and 90’s rock music than anyone you’ll ever meet. His name was Paul (not Pablo) and his parents named him after Paul Newman.
• That moment when you get to Machu Picchu and the fog lifts to reveal this entire Incan town perched in the middle of the Andes. You can take a hundred pictures but can never quite capture it.
Take a photo tour of their journey on Facebook:
• Salkantay Trek - Part 1
• Salkantay Trek - Part 2