What to wear and bring to Humantay
Your daypack decides how comfortable the day feels. You leave Cusco in the dark and cold and climb in fierce sun. Then, still before lunch, you stand in a wind blowing straight off a glacier. Packing for that is mostly about layers and good soles. A small stack of cash in soles matters too, because the trail runs on cash.
Three climates before lunch
A Humantay day swings through more weather than most city breaks see in a week. The pickup comes before dawn, when Cusco, at about 3,400 m (11,150 ft), can be close to 32 °F (0 °C) in the dry months. At the trailhead the air is still cold, then the sun climbs over the ridge and the zigzags warm you fast. At the lake, which sits near 4,200 m (13,780 ft), a stiff breeze often comes down off the ice, and anyone sweaty from the climb cools quickly. Dress so you can peel off and pile back on without stopping for long.
Clothes, layer by layer
- A base layer that dries fast. Synthetic or merino rather than cotton, which stays damp once you sweat;
- A warm middle layer. A fleece or a light down jacket for the early start and for the stop at the lake;
- A windproof jacket. The single most useful item at the shore, where the wind cuts through knitwear;
- A warm hat and gloves. Hands get cold at dawn and again on the way down if cloud rolls in;
- Hiking trousers and spare socks. exploor's own kit list includes the extra socks, a good idea if the path is wet;
- A rain poncho. Essential from November to March, when afternoons often turn wet or snowy; the best time to visit Humantay Lake explains the seasons.
Shoes that grip loose stone
Footwear is where people go wrong. The upper trail is steep, with loose stones on a dirt surface, and the descent is where reviewers report the falls, often among hikers in running shoes. Wear hiking shoes or boots with a deep tread that you have already broken in. Chullos Travel Peru bans open-toed shoes outright. The Humantay Lake hike, step by step describes the surface stretch by stretch.
Walking sticks help a lot on the way down. Chullos lends them and Kantu Peru Tours gives one trekking pole per person. Inka Altitude hands out a single wooden stick. If you own a pair of collapsible poles, bring them anyway, since two are steadier than one.
Sun protection at altitude
The sun at this height burns faster than at the beach, and thin cloud filters less of it than you would think. Pack sunglasses, ideally wraparound ones, and a high-SPF sunscreen to put on again at the lake. Lips crack quickly in the dry, cold air, so a lip balm with sun protection earns its place. A cap or brimmed hat helps on the climb, with the warm hat kept for the shore.
Water, snacks and cash in soles
Carry at least a liter of water for the climb and sip it steadily, which also helps with the thin air (altitude at Humantay Lake covers the rest). Breakfast and lunch come with the group days, but the gap between them is long and the climb burns energy, so a few snacks make sense. Kantu's listing names snacks and drinks among the extras you pay for.
Cash in Peruvian soles, in small notes, pays for almost everything on the day.
- The entrance. 20 soles (about $5–6) for foreigners, collected by the local community; Chullos says you buy it in Mollepata;
- A horse, if you want one. Between 80 and 100 soles uphill depending on the listing, paid to the family that owns it;
- Toilets. A small fee at the trailhead and at stops on the way;
- Snacks and drinks. Anything you pick up on the way, which most tours leave out;
- Tips. A few soles for the driver, more for a guide who looked after you.
A few tours fold the entrance into the price. exploor and MachuPicchu Journey include it, and so does CrossoverPeru Tours' day hike, from ~$99, which adds a snack and water. Its catch is that it sells only on Viator and costs about four times a group day for the same route. What a Humantay Lake tour costs adds up the extras for every tour.
Poles in the van
Kantu Peru Tours hands every hiker a trekking pole and keeps its group to 16, with the guide walking at the back beside the slowest climber, from ~$27. Breakfast and lunch are included but not the entrance. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.
Papers, phone and a small daypack
Bring your passport, since Chullos asks for ID. Charge your phone the night before, because the Chullos guide gets in touch on WhatsApp ahead of the trip (give your number with the country code when you book), and you will want photos at the top.
Keep everything in one small daypack. Chullos and Inka Altitude refuse luggage, and Kantu says the same, so leave suitcases and large bags at your hotel. Kantu also bans drones, and Chullos does not allow strollers.
If you plan to ride
A horse from the local families needs cash on the spot, and nobody can promise one will be free when your group arrives. Riders still walk the last steep part, so wear the same hiking shoes. Gloves help with the reins on a cold morning. Our horse-riding guide sets out what each listing charges.
Cusco Grand Adventure's horseback day, from ~$86, includes the ride up from Balcompata, with about an hour's walk back down. Its catch is that a horse for the descent is not included, so carry extra soles if you would rather ride than walk.
Extra for the dome night
BioAndean's two-day trek with a night in a glass dome, from ~$350, calls for a few more items. Pack warm sleepwear and thick socks, since nights at Soraypampa, near 3,900 m (12,800 ft), drop below freezing even with the wood stove going. A headlamp makes the walk to the bathroom and the stargazing easier. The first breakfast is not included, so bring something to eat after the 5 am pickup. Alcohol at the camp costs extra. Humantay and the Salkantay trek covers the second day over the pass, and getting to Humantay Lake from Cusco times the drive.