Humantay Lake Hike: A Detailed Review of a Full Day Tour
So, are you up for a day trip to an eye-poppingly stunning location? That is, if you’re okay with pushing your body a little bit? Right, so you might want to look at the Humantay Lake full-day hike, actually. That is, assuming that a vibrant, turquoise lake framed by soaring, snow-capped mountains sounds like your sort of thing? Yet the hike is not exactly a walk in the park; the altitude alone presents something of a test for many, you see.
Why Humantay Lake is Worth the Hike
The allure of Humantay Lake, to be honest, is something of an open secret now, it’s almost become a must-see destination for travelers visiting Cusco, you know? And very justly so. Yet, you find it nestled at the foot of the Humantay Glacier, which, you know, it contributes to the lake’s unreal turquoise color. That, blended with the surrounding mountain vistas, provides scenery which, it could be argued, is picture-perfect.
We recently took the Humantay Lake full-day hike, and the scenery was indeed something out of a movie, more or less, and that’s after plenty of travel over the years, alright? Yet it was the combination of the natural beauty, the physical challenge, too it’s almost as if a sense of accomplishment after finishing that truly makes this hike something special. Yet, prepare for crowds though, so you really won’t be the only one seeking out this spectacle.
What to Expect on the Full Day Tour
Right, so a full-day tour typically starts very, very early, usually somewhere around 4:00 AM. That may sound brutal, to be honest, yet it’s more or less necessary to beat some of the crowds, arguably. So, many tour operators provide transport right from your hotel in Cusco, you know? You will more or less drive for around three hours or so to reach the trailhead at Soraypampa, and you can definitely expect a stop for breakfast on the way.
Arguably, once at Soraypampa, so that’s where the hike proper begins, typically. Now it’s a roughly 3km uphill hike to the lake, yet do not let the distance fool you: the altitude it tends to be the trickiest part. The trail gradually inclines, however it does get steeper near the top, still. At that altitude—around 4,200 meters (13,779 feet)—the air gets thinner and you might very well find yourself gasping for breath, literally.
Take it easy, seriously. Many tour guides will really recommend taking things slowly, that is, frequent breaks to catch your breath, honestly. That hike itself may very well take anywhere from one and a half to three hours, just depending on your fitness level and how well you get on with the altitude. You will most likely pass local vendors offering horses for rent, if the idea of hiking proves way too tough.
The Hike: Step-by-Step
After a pretty early wake-up, so that part is very, very hard by the way, you know? We piled onto our tour bus and settled in for what turned out to be something of a scenic three-hour drive. Right, so the views out the window provided something of a teaser for what was to come, you see.
We then reached Soraypampa after the bus ride, and we took something of a collective deep breath. The air it felt noticeably crisper, which is something, yet the sheer height of the surrounding peaks, that did feel a little intimidating, too it’s almost as if humbling. This is really where the physical challenge began, more or less, to be honest.
As we set off, now, that initial stretch really wasn’t too terrible, honestly. It provided a gentle warm-up. And yet, the landscape itself provides some of a distraction, to be fair: rolling hills, grazing horses, just little stone huts dotting the valleys, arguably. Then the incline gradually got steeper. The higher we climbed, just the more labored our breathing seemed to become, to be fair.
So frequent breaks became something of a necessity, for me at least. Very, very often, we would stop, just to catch our breath, so to sip some water. Other people on our tour definitely seemed to be feeling the altitude just the same, to be honest. As we edged nearer to the lake, anyway, just that the trail turned rockier and steeper still, just so.
For most people, seeing Humantay Lake with your own eyes, well that is just something you have to feel. The unbelievable turquoise water. The sheer sight of Humantay Mountain as a backdrop. Right, so, you almost have to experience it, to be fair. Now we spent at least an hour up at the lake, taking a bunch of photos, just to try and soak it all up. That said, you might want to brace yourself for lots of fellow tourists, by the way.
Essential Tips for the Humantay Lake Hike
Acclimatize Beforehand: So spend a couple of days in Cusco, or very, very any place at a high altitude, before doing that hike. This provides your body something of a chance to adapt to something of a lower oxygen level, by the way.
Dress in layers: So, the weather in the mountains is able to change extremely quickly. Yet you might start out freezing early in the morning. Right, but end up stripping down to something of a t-shirt as you hike, so to protect from the sun and the exertion, literally. That is as it’s important to be prepared for almost everything, like your mom used to say.
Take it Easy: Pace yourself during the hike. Just stop to rest as often as you are in need of. Altitude sickness truly isn’t any joke. Tour guides usually really carry oxygen tanks, for some additional security and confidence.
Hydrate and Snack: Bring loads of water and loads of high-energy snacks like your hiking buddies tell you to. Seriously, it does really provide plenty of the stuff you need.
Sun Protection: That sun at high altitude could be extremely strong. Be sure to take your very strongest sunscreen, more or less, like all the hikers will agree, along with sunglasses and a hat too, so to protect your skin.
Choosing the Right Tour Operator
Now when it comes to choosing the Humantay Lake tour, there are something of a couple of things that, like your buddies have always agreed, tend to be extremely essential to mull over, you see? Start off by like, you know, researching different tour companies, because honestly, they don’t tend to be very much alike, to be fair.
You might want to check online reviews and ratings. To do that helps you know? And also what some people who used to be on the tour used to say, just so you get sort of their vibe? Yet, when you tend to read the reviews, or sort of look at the ratings, be sure to sort of pay the extra-special attention. So look to comments related to the tour guides’ know-how or expertise.
And do this in combination with their safety protocols or whether or not, in a way, there are clear communications, arguably. How good is it you feel, if you know for some reason that the guides just tend to be fully informed. More or less like what you sort of expect if stuff happens, or they really just let the group know and really help each other out so to speak, just so.
Then see sort of how large each of their groups are. What your experience becomes is, and I tend to mean the value you get. That could turn very awful if they are like your great aunt, trying to wrangle a giant family event! You’re probably really best if the guide has only so many folks that are, maybe like you know, a dozen folks, just so to speak.
Included in Package: Be certain of really like what parts of that you expect to be sort of factored right in. Does this also then factor, not just things which, arguably, sound fairly essential such as when to take and take you from. Then do it safely in ways to where to plan for such things. Then that includes food, just sort of stuff you expect. Are those factored or, maybe like you know, something you have to give sort of out of your own pocket, alright?
Altitude Sickness: A Real Concern
Right, altitude sickness has to be considered with something that takes some amount of forethought because, if it has become sort of bad. The chance of becoming very poorly, it’s high. And maybe that will make that really swell day so awful, for certain people. Before signing right up and then hopping so early when the chickens almost might just wake!
Really what will save folks, at a given measure anyway is something of time you put, like two or even three days, while there in Cusco beforehand. Allowing some bit amount of getting okay while at some given height is kind of helpful for the shape that your very flesh is inside and is where folks really gain from this.
Keep yourself extremely watered. Keep sucking water at a high rate while there and sort of doing some steep bits on paths. In short what you see the guides are at the tours. Arguably, when you see folks who start kind of looking a bit not at ease. And a high rate of water also then will let some support for what you have, when just you kind of keep to be sort of swell with it!
Drink that leaves stuff such as tea kind of like they’ve done so long too! In anecdotally when there be what a group likes they say this might assist to get past how it just looks so you can handle going so way high just so far! And yet you may talk also with people such as the medical folk, as sort of a good heads-up, but just be careful how the altitude seems so, it might need stuff. If such they might sort of push they might be really key for when a hike is really tall.
Is the Humantay Lake Hike Right for You?
Is that sort of hike well thought, in your thoughts right? Well might rely greatly on, not just stuff that look clear kind of like where the fit’s for all folks and all there has to give some weight what all your goals is right. You may just ask to kick it, just watch stuff out far. And what you’ve gained there can cause some good things and it would just work well.
Look how you might rate hiking things at way great of length. Rate what you are at from the ones that like, you did them ways past like old paths and what the paths and steep’s sort were that I see. So Humantay, arguably the tall, steep ones up might be tricky when like stuff past isn’t just ways in this range where Humantay does so go!
Really thinking up on these goals may truly sort what the hike means. What you ask there, really could be and, a bit too on some points like how tough, as for, and might also aid well where you pick or so when is something that just goes on now! Be to think how this all ways gives your days, if this just ways how you like sort of what your hike is while in these sites.
Thinking through the options from past hikers might truly, give the weight where, or will go where Humantay then could take folks. Do to that as such for one who, that just wish some calm to that scene just go for that and sort just ask is fine to say, there would not at this time just so.