Choquequirao trek for solo hikers

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Trekking to Choquequirao on Your Own: What You Need to Know

Important Advice Before You Go

If you’re thinking about hiking to the amazing Inca city of Choquequirao without a guide, please read these tips for a safer and better trip. It’s really important to know that hiking alone on this trail can be risky because it’s hard and things can happen. We really don’t recommend going by yourself.

Getting to Choquequirao: How to Travel

1. Go to Ramal de Cachora:

• Take a bus from the Cusco bus station. You’ll want a bus that’s going to Abancay. Make sure it stops at Ramal de Cachora at approximately 2,900 meters (9,514 feet). The bus ride takes about 4 hours.
• When you get to Ramal, you can take a taxi to Cachora at approximately 2,900 meters (9,514 feet). Cachora is where the hike starts. A taxi will cost you around 20 soles. If you have more time and want to save money, you can wait for a colectivo (like a shared taxi), but they might not come very often.

2. Get Ready and Bring Supplies:

• Buy all your food at the supermarkets and markets in Cusco at approximately 3,399 meters (11,152 feet) before you travel.
• You can rent camping gear like tents and stoves in Cusco.
• In Cachora, you might want to stay at a hostel before you start hiking. The people who run the hostel can give you good advice about the trail and might even offer meals, which means you won’t have to carry as much food.

3. Starting Your Hike:

• From Cachora, it’s a good idea to take a taxi for about 30 soles to cover the first 11 kilometers on a road. This road leads to where the actual hiking trail begins. If you feel strong and want to, you can walk this part.

Hiking Trail: A Plan for 4 Days

This is just a suggestion for how you can plan your hike. You can go faster or slower if you need to.

• Day 1:

  • Walk from where the trail starts to the first viewpoint to sign in.
  • Carefully walk down to the Apurímac River, which is around 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) at its lowest point along the trail. This will take about 3 hours.
  • You can camp near the river or walk uphill for about 2 kilometers to the first campsite called Santa Rosa, estimated at around 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).
  • Make sure to drink water when you can. There are places to get water as you go down and between the first two campsites.

• Day 2:

  • Walk uphill from Santa Rosa to a place called Santa Rosa Alta, estimated at around 2,500 meters (8,202 feet). This should take about 90 minutes.
  • Keep hiking to the next campsite, which is about 3 kilometers away.
  • Then, make the last walk uphill for about 4 kilometers to the campsite near the Choquequirao ruins at approximately 3,270 meters (10,730 feet).

• Day 3:

  • Spend the whole day exploring the Choquequirao ruins. Bring plenty of water with you because it’s a big place and you’ll be walking a lot.
  • Stay the night at the campsite near the ruins again.

• Day 4:

  • Walk down from the campsite back to the Apurímac River. This is about 6 kilometers and should take around 1 hour and 40 minutes.
  • From the river, walk uphill for about 6 kilometers to get back to the end of the trail in Cachora. The first part of this walk is quite steep.

Important Health Tips

• Be ready for a hard hike: The walk to Choquequirao is tough. You need to be in good shape because there are big changes in how high up you are and you’ll be walking for many hours.
• Protect yourself from the sun: It gets hot in the valley. Wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen so you don’t get sunburned.
• Keep mosquitoes away: There are often mosquitoes. Use bug spray and wear clothes that cover most of your skin.
• Drink lots of water: It’s important to stay hydrated while you’re hiking. Bring enough water and maybe something to clean water if you plan to get water from rivers or streams.
• Eat enough food: Bring food that will give you energy. You might be able to buy meals at the campsites if they offer them.
• Get used to the height: If you’re not used to being at a high altitude, spend a few days in Cusco before you start hiking. This will help you avoid getting altitude sickness.
• Be careful not to get hurt: The ground is uneven and steep. Walk slowly and carefully so you don’t twist your ankle or fall.

Why You Shouldn’t Hike Alone

• Your safety comes first: This hike is hard and in a remote place. Going alone makes it much more dangerous if you have an accident, get hurt, or there’s an emergency. There will be no one else to help you or go get help.
• It’s a lot to carry: Carrying all your camping gear and food by yourself can be very tiring and can make you more likely to get hurt.
• Transportation can be risky: If you’re traveling alone, you might have to rely on rides from people you don’t know, which can be dangerous, especially in faraway places.

Advice from “Quechuas Expeditions” (Experts Recommend)

The people at “Quechuas Expeditions” have a lot of experience guiding hikes in this area. They really recommend that you:

• Go with a group or hire a local guide: A guide knows the trail, can help you if you need it, and will keep you safe. Going with a group means there are more people to support you and it’s less risky.
• Use the right hiking gear: Make sure you have strong hiking shoes, clothes that are good for different kinds of weather, and a comfortable backpack.
• Think about renting mules: If you don’t hike for many days often, you might want to rent mules to carry your gear and supplies. This will make the hike much easier on your body.
• Plan your hike carefully: Know the trail, how long you think it will take to walk each day, and where you can rest. Tell someone about your plans.
• Be kind to the environment: Follow the rules of the park, don’t leave any trash behind, and respect the plants and animals.

Warnings About Hiking to Choquequirao Alone

Even though it might sound exciting to have an adventure to Choquequirao by yourself, it’s really important to think about the big dangers and difficulties. We really, really don’t recommend doing this hike without other people and without a travel company helping you. Your safety and health should be the most important thing.

Big Dangers of Traveling Alone:

• Safety on the Trail: The trail to Choquequirao is hard and far from help. If you go alone, you’re more likely to have an accident, like falling or twisting your ankle, and there won’t be anyone there to help you right away. If you have a serious medical problem, it will be very hard to call for help or get rescued. In many places on the trail, your phone won’t have a signal, so if something bad happens, you might not be able to communicate with anyone.
• Being Vulnerable: When you’re by yourself, you’re more likely to be in a dangerous situation, both on the trail and when you’re traveling to and from the hike. The story someone told about a risky car ride back to Cusco shows how dangerous it can be to trust strangers when you’re alone in remote areas.
• Getting Lost: Even though there are some signs, the trail is long and can be confusing in some spots. If you don’t have an experienced guide, you’re more likely to get lost, which can waste a lot of time and could be very dangerous.
• Bad Weather and Tough Terrain: The weather in this area can change very quickly, and the trail can become difficult if it rains or for other reasons. A guide knows how to deal with these situations, but if you’re alone, you might not know what to do.
• First Aid and Emergencies: If you don’t know first aid or can’t get help quickly, even a small injury can become a big problem. A guide is trained to give basic first aid and knows how to get help if there’s an emergency.

Bigger Challenges When You’re Alone:

• Carrying Heavy Things and Getting Hurt: As someone who hiked alone said, carrying all your camping gear, food, and water is extremely tiring. This makes you much more likely to hurt your muscles, twist your ankle, have problems with your knees, and get really exhausted. If you don’t have anyone to share the weight with or help you, you’re much more likely to get hurt so badly that you can’t finish the hike.
• Hard to Stay Motivated: When you’re really tired and your body hurts day after day, it can be very hard if you don’t have anyone with you to encourage you. Feeling lonely can make you lose your motivation and make the hike much harder.
• Problems with Food and Water: It’s very important to figure out how much food and water you’ll need for several days. If you don’t bring enough, you could run out, which can be bad for your health and stop you from finishing the hike. If you need to get water from rivers or streams, you need to know how to clean it properly, and if you make a mistake, you could get sick.
• Hard to Find Your Way and More Likely to Get Lost: Even if there are some signs on the trail, they might not be easy to see or understand in some places. If you don’t have a guide who knows the area well, you’re much more likely to get lost, which could be deadly in such a remote place.
• Dealing with Unexpected Problems: On a hike that lasts for many days, things are likely to go wrong, like the weather changing suddenly, your equipment breaking, or getting a small injury. An experienced guide knows how to handle these situations safely and quickly. If you’re alone, you’ll have to deal with them by yourself, which can be scary and dangerous.
• Setting Up and Taking Down Camp in Bad Weather: If it starts to rain or get very windy, putting up or taking down your tent by yourself can be very hard and even dangerous, especially if you don’t have much experience or the right gear.

You’ll Miss Out on a Lot Without a Guide:

• Not Understanding the History: Choquequirao is a very important historical and cultural place. A local guide can tell you a lot about its history, how it was built, and what it means, which will make your visit much more interesting. If you explore the ruins by yourself, you’ll miss out on all this important information.
• Not Knowing About the Plants and Animals: The area around Choquequirao has many unique plants and animals. A guide can point them out to you and tell you about them and why they’re important to the area. If you’re alone, you probably won’t notice many of these things.
• No Chances to Meet Local People: A local guide often knows people who live in the area and can help you have real experiences with them, so you can learn more about their lives and traditions.
• Not Helping the Local Economy as Much: If you choose a travel company that hires local guides, you’re helping the people who live there and who are working to protect this important place. This is a good way to make sure that tourism helps the local communities.

Transportation Costs:

Narrative Itinerary for the Independent Trek:

Imagine starting your journey in Cusco at approximately 3,399 meters (11,152 feet), where you’ll stock up on supplies for your adventure. Your first step is a 4-hour bus ride to Ramal de Cachora at approximately 2,900 meters (9,514 feet). From there, you’ll likely hop in a taxi to the town of Cachora, also around 2,900 meters (9,514 feet), the true starting point of your trek. After possibly spending a night in a local hostel to gather advice, you’ll begin your first day by taking another taxi for 11 kilometers towards the trailhead, saving your energy for the steep paths ahead. The real walking begins as you make your way to the first registration point, followed by a challenging descent for about 3 hours to the Apurímac River, which sits at a much lower altitude, around 1,500 meters (4,921 feet). You’ll then decide whether to camp by the river or push on for a steep 2-kilometer climb to the Santa Rosa campsite, estimated at around 2,000 meters (6,562 feet). Day two involves a 90-minute ascent to Santa Rosa Alta, around 2,500 meters (8,202 feet), followed by another 3 kilometers of hiking to reach the final push towards Choquequirao at approximately 3,270 meters (10,730 feet), about 4 kilometers further. Day three is dedicated to exploring the magnificent ruins themselves, a vast area requiring significant walking, so you’ll need to be well-hydrated. You’ll spend another night near the ruins before beginning your descent on day four. This involves a 6-kilometer walk back down to the Apurímac River, taking about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The final leg of your journey is a strenuous 6-kilometer uphill trek back to Cachora, with a particularly steep start, marking the end of your independent adventure.

More Context for Recommendations and Warnings:

The recommendations provided are based on the experience of seasoned professionals who have guided many treks to Choquequirao. Their advice to travel in a group or with a guide is not just a suggestion, but a strong caution rooted in the real dangers of the trail. The remoteness of Choquequirao means that in case of an emergency, help can be very far away. Without a guide who knows the terrain, navigation can be difficult, especially if weather conditions change or if you encounter unexpected obstacles. Hiring pack mules is also highly recommended for independent trekkers, as carrying all the necessary equipment for a multi-day hike can lead to exhaustion and injury, significantly increasing the risks for someone traveling alone. The warnings against solo travel are emphasized due to the numerous incidents that can occur on such a challenging and isolated trek. Everything from minor injuries to getting lost can become life-threatening when you are alone and unable to call for assistance. Moreover, a local guide offers invaluable insights into the history and culture of Choquequirao, enriching the experience far beyond what a solo traveler can achieve with just a map. By choosing to trek with a reputable agency that employs local guides, you are not only ensuring your safety but also contributing to the sustainable development of the region and helping to preserve its cultural heritage.