Salkantay Self Guided Rough Draft

The purpose of this post is to provide a rough overview of my experience on the Salkantay Trek and to provide you, the reader, with as much information that I can to be able to enable to plan your own Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. First off, it is important to know that I did this trek unguided and without the assistance of an agency. What this means is we obtained and carried all of our own gear, and also planned and executed all of our own itinerary for the trip. This is, in my honest opinion, the best way to do the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu but as I said this is my opinion and nothing else. This trip isn't for everyone and it will be up to decide weather or not this is the best for you. For those of you that are drawn towards this type of trip, this write up is for you.

Gear:
This is will be, by far, the most expensive part of your trip, if you don't already have the gear necessary for the trip. I know that there are options to renting some gear in Cusco but from the reviews that I have read and what I have seen, the gear is subpar and I am a bit of a gear snob. I believe having good gear can make or break a backpacking trip thus if you want to have a good experience backpacking you will take good gear with you. Plus buying gear is a investment into future treks and trips that will be well worth the initial expense as long as you continue to use it.
So here is a list of the items that I took with me and the shared gear that my wife and I carried.
(Mountain Hardwear = MHW, and Sea to Summit = STS )

Packs-
- My well used 5 year old Gregory Baltoro 70 liter Backpack- This pack has been good but is also heavy, bulky and falling apart for heavy use. I bought a Mountain Hardwear (MHW) Sol Col 70 liter backpack instead that is lighter, could double as a day pack and is waterproof, but it arrived the day after I left for Peru.
- MHW Scrambler 30 Daypack. You will need to have a day pack for going into Machu Picchu because it is prohibited to take large back packs into the ruins
-STS backpack rain cover for my big pack

Sleeping System-
-MHW Phantom 15 Sleeping Bag. Lightweight, True to the temperature rating, made out of 800 down so it packs down small, and water resistant down to boot
-Sea to Summit (STS) Reactor Thermolite Sleeping Bag Liner- I love this thing. It does add warmth to your sleeping bag but the reason that I love it the most is because 1) in warmer temperature I can un zip my sleeping bag completely and use it as a down blanket while the liner prevents cold spots. With the liner I can and have essentially use my 15 degree bag in temps up to 65 degrees and beyond that the liner is comfortable to sleep in alone with out the bag. 2) the liner protect the sleeping bag from getting dirty and the down from getting ruined by natural body oils and sweet.
-Thermorest Neoair All Season Air Mattress. Lightweight, comfortable and durable. You can get a lighterweight pad for the trek as you will not be sleeping directly on snow but this pad has stood the test of time and if my personal go to pad.
-STS Aeros Pillow Premium. Best lightweight pillow on the market. Packs down super small, weight 2.8 oz and is comfortable to sleep on.


Shelter-
-MHW Skyledge DP 2 Person, 3 Season Tent.

Cookware/Water Filter-
-Soto Micro Regulator Stove- I love this little guy. Super lightweight, small, burns hot, easy to regulate the amount of gas it is using, boils water fast, inexpensive, and because it can regulate the amount of gas being use makes for a great stove to cook with instead of just boiling water.
-STS X-Pot, Bowels and Cups- Although it isn't the lightest pot on the market, it is amazing. I love this pot because it holds up to 2.5 liters and collapses down into the size of a large pancake so it doesn't take up crazy amounts of space and it is easy to pack. Also to note is that the lid had a built in strainer that I really like and when the 2 cups and bowels are collapsed down they fit perfectly inside of the collasped pot. Very compact system and perfect for traveling. My personal favorite system on the market
-STS Titanium Spork
-Stove Fuel purchased from a local store in Cusco
-Platypus Gravity Works Water Filter. I could write a full report about how much I absolutely love this water filter but I just leave it at saying it is Lightweight, super fast and effortless to use. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Having a good filter is not only nice to have while backpack but is also very useful while traveling in countries where the quality of water is questionable. Enough said
-One bottle of Iodine Tablets as back up for water purification.

Hygiene/Emergency Kit-
-Standard lightweight first aid kit
-Seam Grip Glue and Tape for fixing anything and everything
-Magnesium Stick for lighting fires and my stove (the lighter button on my stove is broken)
-Black Diamond Icon HeadLamp. It is a heavier headlamp but I enjoy having the extra power and like that it is water proof and solidly built
-Spot Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger. Purchase by my parents to keep an eye on me and make sure that I am ok, this little device takes my position via satellite and can send a simple set messages to either let them know that I am ok or that I need help. It can also end out an SOS message that goes to some emergency response team that will come rescue me in critical situation. My parents and family enjoy watching in real time my position and progess though out a trek. It is a good thing I guess =)
-STS Travel Towel. lightweight and important to have as there will be many opportunities to either bath in a glacial lake or in a hot shower provided by the camp host but they will not have towels available so you will need to have a towel.
-Standard hygiene kit (toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste, deodorant, extra contacts and solution, soap and shampoo.
-2L Camel Pack Hydration Pack
-1L Nalgene Bottle
-Travel size sunscreen

Clothing:

Head:
-Beanie
-lightweight ball cap
-Sunglasses

Tops:
-2 Icebreaker full Marino Wool T-Shirts.
-1 Smart Wool Long sleeve mid weight Merino Wool Crew Shirt
-1 Patagonia R1 Fleece Hoody.
-MHW Ghost Whisper Down Jacket. The best lightweight down jacket on the market. Weighting just 6 oz, this think is warm and packs down super small. It is the kind of layer that I will take with me without thinking twice unless I am going rock climbing or doing something very abrasive as it is also thin and could tear easy. My wife and I both have one and wore it pretty much every morning and evening during the colder hours before getting into the warm sleeping bags.
-MHW Quasar Lite Jacket. A fantastic well built, lightweight waterproof jacket. I really like this jacket because it breaths a hundred times better then Goretex shells, is half the cost, and is just a waterproof ( 100% waterproof ) all the time. To add I really like the color and fit of the jacket and is my favorite hardshell (waterproof/windproof jacket) I have owned to date
Hands:
-Some lightweight windproof gloves

(Note: I never really used/needed the Patagonia R1 Fleece as it never really got that cold... at least while I wasn't in my sleeping bag. All of the other layers were used often)

Bottoms:
-2 Prana Zion Stretch Pants (one with zip of legs and one normal) My favorite outdoor pants on the market. Great fit, look good, durable, light, stretchy, dry fast and wind resistant. I have been using these pants for years and haven't found anything better for hiking, climbing, outdoor loving.
-3 ExOfficio Boxer Brief. dry fast, lightweight, and don't get stinky very fast
-Eagle Creek Money Belt. Stylish and very good at hiding a lot of money that won't get lost or stolen
-Swimsuit

Feet:
-La Sportiva FC ECO 2.0 GTX Hiking Shoes. Great shoe and La Sportiva has alway fit my foot very well. They are holding up well and are waterproof. No blisters, or hotspots to report.
-3 pairs of Merino Wool Socks.
- A pair of random cheap lightweight flip flop sandals purchased at the local Peruvian market for 4 dollars. A must have for kicking it around camp, taking showers in and want not.

Food:
-Really to you taste but I just want to note that at he local grocery store we found dried mashed potatoes, pastas, small packets of sauces, Ramon Noodles, dried sausages, hard cheeses, instant soaps, lots of dried fruit, nuts, beans and what not for making trail mix from.

(Note: depending on how you do the trip, budget and desires you will only be required to cook your own food for 2-3 days as you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner most of the day along the trail if planned accordingly.)

Misc: (know your own abilities and don't pack more than you can handle, everything will matter at high elevation)

-Camera. For me this included about 15 lbs of equipment but for many it may just be a simple little point and shot.

Gothic Peak MHW Lamina Z Spark

Last week, MHW sent me one of their new models of synthetic sleeping bags to test out, the Lamina Z Spark. In the pass I have always thought that bulky and heavy went hand in hand with synthetic sleeping bags, but this was not the case with the Lamina Z. At 2.1 lbs it fell well within the weight limit for backpacking and compressed down as small as 7 X 9 inches. My only concern was that I received the Lamina Z Spark which is a 34 degree sleeping bag at the end of February. On top of that I love to camp in the mountains, as high up as I can. My plans for the weekend were to hike up Gothic Peak (6,213 ft) in WA and camp just below the summit at 6,130 feet on a narrow exposed ridge. The forecast looked favorable for the weekend so I decided that I'd just have to put the sleeping bag to the test. I also decided to pair it with a sleeping bag liner to add about 10 degrees of warmth allowing me sleep comfortably in temperatures down to 25 degrees. Satisfied with our plan, my wife and I packed up our things and headed out. To reach our campsite on Gothic Peak we had to hike roughly 5.5 miles and gain just over 4,000 vertical feet. The first half of the trail was snow free hiking through lush green forest but around 3,500 feet we began to encounter snow and soon enough we were hiking in full on winter conditions. The trail was buried under snow with about 6 inches of fresh powder on top. After 4.5 miles we reached Gothic Basin (5230 ft) where we found a sunny dry rock to rest on and had lunch. Looking out across the frozen Foggy Lake we looked up at Gothic Peak another 1000 feet above our heads.  A friend had told us that he camped on a small ridge about 80 feet below the summit but as we looked up at the Gothic Peak, we began to wonder if there would be a spot big enough for our tent. As we started hiking up there around 2 in the afternoon, we began encountering people coming down from the summit and asked them if they had seen a spot to camp below the summit. Everyone said that there wasn't a good campsite, and that the small ridge was too rocky and narrow for a tent. Their responses only increased our concerns but I also knew that my friend had indeed put a tent up there so we decided to continue on to take a look for ourselves. When we reached the ridge, just before the final scramble to the summit of Gothic Peak, I looked around and there it was, a very small, old snow tent platform just big enough for our tent. I let out a sigh of relief and smiled. I got to work immediately and in no time at all we had our tent set up with a breathtaking view out of its doors. Satisfied, I crawled inside the Lamina Z and kicked back enjoying the evening views from inside the tent. Looking east I could see a seemingly endless expands of mountain peaks including Sloan Peak, Glacier Peak, Mount Stuart, and the mighty Mount Rainier. As the mountains began to change colors in the last light of day and the temperatures plummeted, I fired up the stove and began to cook dinner all without having to get out of the Lamina Z. For being a 35 degree bag I was already very impressed with how warm and comfortable it was. I felt like the luckiest man in the world while seating there eating dinner, but the real test was to come as the sun extinguished behind the horizon and the temperatures continued to plummet. At this point I pulled out my thermometer and placed it inside of the tent to accurately test how well the bag preformed. The temperature read 34 degrees so I pulled out the sleeping bag liner, crawling into it while in my sleeping bag, zipped up the tent doors and went to sleep. At around 4 am I woke up feeling warm and toasty. I thought that it must have been at least 30 degrees inside the tent but when I took a look at the thermometer it read 25 degrees. I was impressed. With the sleeping bag and liner combine the comfort sleep rating is 25 degrees and I couldn't agree more. Every part of my body from head to toes felt just about perfect. I smiled with great satisfaction and fell back asleep until sunrise.
At 7am the alarm went off and I simply opened up the door, pulled back the fly and laid comfortably in my Lamina Z and watched the sunrise while taking a few pictures. It was one of the best mornings I have had to date. All of the gear that I had brought with me on the trip worked great and I would not change a thing. Thank you Mountain Hardwear for the kick ass sleeping bag and the Trango 2 tent that made this trip possible.