Salkantay

Salkantay or Salcantay is a snow-capped mountain in the Peruvian Andes, located in the Vilcabamba Mountain Range. Etymologically speaking, it comes from the words Salqa which means wild or untamed, and Antay which means to produce clouds or avalanches. It is called Apu, which in Quechua refers to something sacred.

This snow-capped mountain with 2 snow-covered peaks, named China Salkantay and Female Salkantay, is the 38th highest peak in the Andes and the 12th highest in Peru. The route to access this place is ideal for trekking enthusiasts. To the north of this location lies Machu Picchu, precisely at the end of the cliff that descends from this mountain.

Photo: lukycha

Location

It is located in the Vilcabamba Mountain Range, in the district of Santa Teresa, in the province of La Convención belonging to the department of Cusco.

Climate and Temperature

It has a sunny climate during the day, but very cold at night. The temperature drops below 0°C at night between the months of June to September. From December to March, the area experiences intense rains, causing the closure of access to Salkantay.

Altitude

The highest peak of this snow-capped mountain is at 6271 meters above sea level.

Photo: Rocio Alvarellos

How to get to Salkantay

You must take buses from Cusco to Mollepata. From the road, you can see the Apurímac River and part of its grand canyon. You will reach the town of Mollepata, from where the trekking route to the Salkantay mountain begins.

Adventure Sport

• Trekking

History of Ascents

It is a mountain that has been ascended very few times, with historical contradictions and discussions. The first ascent was in 1952 by a Swiss team composed of Bronimann and Marx. The controversy arises because a few days later, the well-known alpinist of that time, the Franco-American Claude Kogan, also ascended the mountain.

The Swiss climbers managed to reach the summit in the midst of fog, while the Americans ascended from the west side, which was slightly higher. This is why there is a debate about Bronimann and Marx's claim to the first absolute ascent.

The last ascent of Apu Salkantay was in 2013, by a Peruvian-American expedition consisting of Americans Nathan Helad and Thomas Ryan, and Peruvian Luis Crispín Quispe, who became the first Peruvian in history to ascend this mountain.

Video: digitalphat