Peru – Marcahuasi

Marcahuasi is home to a unique set of huge rocks with curious shapes resembling human faces, animals, and religious symbols. There are many theories as to their origins, they are thought to be the remains of a pre-Incan civilization, although they most likely were formed naturally through erosion.

There are very few tour agencies that will take you there, so best to do it independently. Take a bus to the town of Chosica, where you can change to get another bus to San Pedro de Casta, the town at the trailhead to Marcahuasi (about 3h but you can enjoy the view the whole trip). You should verify the timing because there is only one bus per day going up to San Pedro de Casta (it was 8am, but you should double check in case they changed the schedules). Also, ask at what time the bus will depart San Pedro de Casta on your way down, there is also only one bus a day (2pm for me). Don’t sit at the window if you have vertigo because it’s a very small path next to high cliffs!

At San Pedro de Casta, you should register at the Municipalidad. Entrance to the trail costs 10 Soles for Peruvians and 20 soles for foreigners. Camping is free at the summit. You need to register by showing your DNI or Passport. If needed, you can also rent camping gear (tent for 4 person 35 soles, sleeping bag 10 soles). You will also receive a map of the different trails and points of interest.

I would recommend having lunch before starting your hike. This will be less food to carry up and you will start with some extra energy. There are 2 restaurants in the village that serve pretty good lomo saltado and tortilla for a decent price (around 10-15 soles). I recommend also having maté (coca leaves tea) to prevent the soroche (altitude sickness).

If you don’t want to hike, you can rent horses and go horseback riding to the summit of the mountain. You can also rent burros (donkeys) to bring up your gear and bags. But be aware that they aren’t always available! If you don’t have horses available, you can take a car up (about 10 soles per person), but you will still have to hike the last steep kilometer up. But the hike is definitely worth the effort, and you will probably have one of the local dogs follow you around. They are nice, good company, but do beg a lot for food!

The larga (long) trail is about 5km, steep at some points but not that hard. What makes it hard is the altitude. I had never suffered from altitude sickness, and it really got me! Coca leaves really help when chewing some on the way or as soon as you feel any symptoms (light headed, weakness, heavy legs, headaches, trouble breathing). Fair warning, the taste isn’t good… You should also have a lot of small breaks, especially at the miradores (viewpoints) created along the road to enjoy the view. This is a tough trek, mentally and physically, be aware before starting it!

At the top, at 4100m high, you will arrive at a plateau where you can set up your tent. Fires are allowed but please use the stones and put it out when you leave. You are required to use the toilets that are installed in the side of the plateau. You should go around and explore the surroundings. You should also look at the stars that are amazing…

We went up in the fog and going to the end of the cliffs gave a really impressive feeling. In the morning, everything cleared up and we coud see the amazing landscape.

You can also visit the ruins and the laguna, where you can just sit and listen to the silence.

Don’t forget:

• All the water you will need
• Food and snacks: you will need energy boosts going up
• Coca leaves to chew (or do tea with at the top)
• A lot of layers: it is very hot during the day and gets freezing at night depending on the months (below 0°C) – our tent had literally frozen!
• Camping gear (unless you want to rent it), so you know, the gear you can rent is made for summer, not for winter so you will be cold