Humantay Lake

Humantay sits in a bowl below the ice of Nevado Humantay, filled with meltwater and coloured the pale turquoise that suspended rock flour produces. It is reached from Soraypampa, on the Salkantay route, after a climb of about 400 metres that takes most people an hour and a half on a loose zigzag path. It has become one of the standard day trips from Cusco, which means a very early start, a convoy of minibuses and a busy shoreline by mid-morning. The ice above the lake is visibly retreating. Horses can be hired at the bottom for most of the climb and are widely used.

What you actually see

• The lake itself - meltwater coloured pale turquoise, sitting directly below the glacier.
• Nevado Humantay - the ice face above the bowl, dropping small blocks into the water.
• The climb from Soraypampa - a steep zigzag of about 400 metres, with horses for hire.
• The Salkantay valley - the wide glacial valley the road ends in, with Salkantay at its head.

When to go

April to October is the dry season and the reliable window; the wet months bring cloud that hides the glacier entirely. Day tours leave Cusco between four and five in the morning and reach the lake mid-morning, when it is at its busiest. Weather closes in by early afternoon most days, so late arrivals often see nothing at all.

Honest expectations

Altitude is the issue: the lake is at roughly 4,200 metres and the climb is short but steep, and people who arrived in Cusco two days earlier struggle badly. The day is long, with six hours of road for ninety minutes at the water. Crowds at the shore are heavy and drone noise is common. Cold and wind at the top are consistently underestimated.

Nearby

The Salkantay trekking route passes through Soraypampa on its way towards Machu Picchu.