Three-day riding tour in the Sacred ValleyItinerary
Day 1
 Our car will pick you up from
your hotel in the ancient Inca capital of Cusco (altitude
3338 m / 10,952 ft) at 8:30 am. From here, it is a one-hour
drive to our ranch in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our
riding centre is perfectly located in the heart of the Sacred
Valley, between Cusco and Machu Picchu, the famous lost city
of the Incas.
Today
you will have the opportunity to become familiar with our
beautiful Peruvian Paso horses and the traditional Peruvian
riding gear. In the morning, you will get acquainted with
the classical Peruvian riding style when we practice riding
in the safety of our corral. We will take it easy because
it can take a little while to become acclimatized to the
altitude! Around 12:30 pm, we will enjoy a typical Peruvian
barbecue at the ranch. A Pisco Sour (our national cocktail)
is part of the Peruvian tradition and, of course, included.
As the day cools, we will mount for a leisurely (2-3 hour)
riding tour of the area. You will spend the night in one
of the private cottage at the K’uchy Rumi Lodge. After
some rest and a warm shower we’ll have dinner at one
of Urubamba’s famous local restaurant.
 Day 2
Today we depart at 9 am from
the ranch for a wonderful riding day. We will cross the Urubamba
River. Then on to Salinas, the saltpans from Inca times,
still being used by the locals to extract salt from the mountain
spring water. The saltpans consist of a series of platforms
where the salty water is channeled through an impressive
irrigation system and left to evaporate in the sun. Take
plenty of film to capture this unique sight.
We will climb with the horses almost 1000
m (3,281 ft.) to the reach the Andean altiplano. The climb
takes about two hours, and will be at an easy pace because
the change of altitude does not only affect the horses. Once
at 3700 m (12,140 ft.), the stunning scenery and the snow-capped
mountains of Chicon, Veronica and Salcantay is impressive.
We will stop for a picnic lunch at Maras, a typical Andean
village.
 After lunch we ride to the agricultural
terraces of Moray. Hundreds of years ago, people in this
region took four huge natural depressions in the landscape
and sculpted them into levels of agricultural terraces that
served as an experimental agricultural station for the development
of different crop strains. This was possible due to a fascinating
phenomenon: the climates of many different ecological zones
were present at a single site. In the thirty or so meters
of altitude between the bottom and top levels of Moray's
main depression, scientist John Earls has recorded a full
15 degrees Celsius (59 deg. F) difference in temperature.
That is equal to the difference between the mean annual temperatures
of London and Bombay. It is likely that Moray played a key
role in the original transformation of maize into a high-altitude
crop.
There are no great ruined structures
in Moray to impress; it is more for the contemplative traveler
with an affinity for such phenomena as the Nazca Lines, the
stone rings of Avebury and the menhirs of Brittany.
From Moray we will continue our
ride to the church of Tiobamba. At Tiobamba we will meet
our back up car and staff. We will leave our horses with
our staff for the night.
Our car will take you to your comfortable
cottage at the Kúchu Rimi Lodge. In the evening will
have dinner at the ranch and talk about the adventures of
today in front of the open fire. Actual riding time: 5-6
hours approx.
 Day 3
After breakfast, we will
transport you to the point of departure. From the church
of Tiobamba we follow primitive trails across the altiplano.
We will visit the ruins of Cheqoq.
At
Cheqoq, the Incas constructed fascinating cold-storage depots
(pre-Hispanic refrigerators) to conserve the agricultural
products of the region. Cooling of the products was achieved
by using a genius system of underground air-circulation.
From Cheqoq we ride to Lake Huaypo where we will have lunch.
The scenery is spectacular; with snow-capped mountains, wildflowers
and beautiful mountain lakes. We will meet smiling Quechua
children with their herds of sheep or cattle and see campesinos
ploughing their fields in the traditional way, oxen hitched
to a wooden plough.
From Lake Huaypo we continue our ride
to the village of Mahuaypampa, and then make our way back
down to the Valley floor to return to the ranch.
After a
drink at the ranch, we say good-bye. Riding time: 5 - 6 hours.
Altitude: 3700 - 2700 m / 12,140 - 8,860 ft.
 A private car
will bring you back to Cusco late in the afternoon.
The itinerary is flexible. Changes may occur due to weather and other unforeseeable circumstances.
Details
Price
$ 795 per person (min. 2 pers.) — 3 days, 2 nights.
Single supplement: $ 155
Price includes hotel accommodation (2 nights), breakfast,
evening meals (with one soft drink). lunch with wine, all
trip gear, professional English-speaking guide and land transportation.
Weight limit: 90 kg. (200 lbs.)
Riding ability: intermediate & advanced.
Horses: Peruvian Paso horses
Tack: Peruvian
Note: A 4WD vehicle will act as a back up vehicle to the tour.
Dates and availability on request
Note: physical fitness of the rider is required to participate due to the altitude of 3650 m (12,000 ft.)!
Responsibilities
All care will be taken, but we assume no responsibility
for injury, loss or damage in any way.
Guests are expected
to be able to canter comfortably and control
a horse in open terrain at all paces; intermediate
level and above.
Guests are responsible
for having an adequate, valid insurance policy
including coverage for all the sporting activities
that they are likely to participate in. Appropriate
medical insurance is obligatory.
It is understood
by Perol Chico that guests are in a suitable
condition to partake in a riding tour, are
not riding against any medical advice, and
that guests know of no reason why they should
not be participating in such a tour. Guests
will be required to sign a waiver of liability
at the start of the tour. |
|
The Ollantay Ride - Four-Day Ride
The Sacred Valley Ride - Twelve-Day Program
The Ride to the Pacific -
Ten-Day Program
Custom Rides
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