Author

Mateo Quispe

Stories by Mateo Quispe, newest first.
Trekkers resting at the top of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail
The striped red, ochre and green slopes of Vinicunca
Dancers in costume performing at Sacsayhuamán during Inti Raymi
Stone terraces climbing the hillside at Ollantaytambo
Trekkers resting at the top of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail
Article29 Sept

Gear Review: Do You Need Trekking Poles on the Inca Trail?

The Inca Trail's descents are brutal on knees. We compared fixed, folding and telescopic poles over a season of departures, and the rubber tips matter more than you think.
Publisher Andes Trails
6 minBe the first to review
The striped red, ochre and green slopes of Vinicunca
Activity8 Jul

Rainbow Mountain Without the Crowds

Vinicunca's stripes are real, but so are the queues. Our early start and the loop through the Red Valley make it one of the best day hikes from Cusco.
Publisher Andes Trails
4.5 out of 5(2)
Dancers in costume performing at Sacsayhuamán during Inti Raymi
Event28 Jun

Inti Raymi: Cusco's Festival of the Sun

Every 24 June Cusco re-enacts the Inca festival of the sun at Qorikancha, the Plaza de Armas and Sacsayhuamán. How to see it and how to combine it with a trek.
Publisher Andes Trails
Be the first to review
Stone terraces climbing the hillside at Ollantaytambo
Destination24 May

The Sacred Valley of the Incas

Lower, warmer and greener than Cusco, the Urubamba valley is where we start every Peru trip: two nights among terraces, markets and Inca towns before the trail.
Publisher Andes Trails
7 min
3.5 out of 5(2)
Trail winding below the snow-covered Salkantay massif
Guide14 May

Salkantay to Machu Picchu Without a Permit

Glaciers, cloud forest and coffee farms: the five-day Salkantay trek is wilder than the Inca Trail and needs no permit, which makes it our favourite last-minute option.
Publisher Andes Trails
10 min
2.0 out of 5(1)
A cup of coca tea with fresh coca leaves
Article29 Apr

Altitude Sickness in the Andes: A Practical Guide

Headaches, sleepless nights and breathlessness are normal above 3,000 m. Here is how we acclimatise our groups, what the warning signs are and when to go down.
Publisher Andes Trails
9 min
3.5 out of 5(2)
Trekkers resting at the top of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail
Guide24 Apr

The Classic Inca Trail, Day by Day

Everything we have learned from more than two hundred departures on the 43 km Inca Trail: permits, camps, passes and how to arrive at Machu Picchu before the buses.
Publisher Andes Trails
12 min
4.0 out of 5(3)
Curator · stories from independent travel publishers
Reading language: English