DAY 1 CACHORA (2850m / 9350ft) to HUARAC Punku (3100m / 10170ft) to APURIMAC RIVER (1550m / 5085ft).-

We'll be picked up at 4.30 in the morning and driven to Cachora. We stop at Tarahuasi, near from Limatambo where we'll see a great example of the Inca stonework. Unfortunately, we won't appreciate how fine it is at that time of the year. Part of the road has been washed out along the trail because of the stormy rains and we have to get off the van and walk across the flooded path.
We arrive at Cachora around 10.30 and start hiking around 11. During the entire trip, we'll have an hour breaking for lunch. The descent is a fairly long and we'll reach our campsite  about 18.00 when it will be starting to get dark.

Day 2 - APURIMAC RIVER (1550m / 5085ft) to CHOQUEQUIRAO (3000m / 9850ft).-

The first five days-trekking will be followed roughly, according to the initial schedule - waking up at 6, breakfast during one hour at 7, start hiking at 8, and so will arrive at the campsite around 5 or 6 p.m.
The weather breaks upon unkind, displaying thick clouds and rain throughout the  day till 16.00, when  suddenly it turns into favourably mild. Consequently, we'll be enjoying splendid views from and to Choquequirao.
Choquequirao was the bread basket for the incas in the region. We'll see extensive terracing platforms from Choquequirao all the way downwards to the Apurimac river. The most extensive terracing platform is located beside the  mountain through which we'll descend along the next day towards Rìo Blanco.
There's also a long aqueduct running from the  Choquequirao mountain's summit to the city.
This aqueduct is unfortunately broken.
The best part of Choquequirao is  mostly deserted and isn't visited too much..

DAY 3: CHOQUEQUIRAO (3000m / 9850ft) to CHOQUEQUIRAO PASS (3400m / 11150ft) PATACANCHA - WILLOQ - OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES to RIO BLANCO (1800m / 5900ft) to FARM (3000m / 9850ft).-

This day is the toughest  of the hike. The terrains' elevation  changes and the steep trail  from the Rio Blanco to the Victoria passage is very muddy and slick.
Since most of the itineraries, including the original United Mice that I saw in its website include camping at  Rio Blanco and having an extra day to climb to the Victoria passage, we compress  2 days into 1 by ascending to a farm near  Victoria mines.
 Edgar, our guide told us that the extra day is typically scheduled  for unforseen conditions such as the Rio Blanco being too strong to be  afforded, or the Yanama passage being snowed in.
We see a lot of flowers during the trek, including many wild orchids in the later days doing the hike through the cloudy  forests.
On our way down to the Rio Blanco, we'll explore briefly  some  Inca buildings yet uncovered.

DAY 4: FARM (3000m / 9850ft) to VICTORIA PASSAGE (4200m / 13800ft) to YANAMA (3500m / 11500ft).-

Compared to the previous day, this one  will be almost relaxed. We cross the Victoria passage just after lunching, and in Serene  some mild problems with the altitude maybe will occur, but it will be far having passed the passage.. I'm unsure how high Victoria pass actually is. Our guide said 4200 meters, but I've seen other numbers on the web, ranging between 4000m to 4800m. On the way up and down from the passage, we crosses several abandoned mines (Minas Victoria), and Edgar will take us  into one of them for a little bit. We will camp at Yanama village, which is the most picturesque village that we'll see during the trek. It's perched at the edge of a canyon with some spectacular views.

DAY 5: YANAMA (3500m / 11500ft) to YANAMA PASS (4550m / 15000ft) to NEAR TOTORA (3700m / 12150ft).-

We follow the Yanama river which runs through the Yanama valley right up to the Yanama pass.
The first part of the trail through the valley will be  spectacular.
We'll see many high waterfalls on both sides of the valley and the lush greenwood which will make from this  trail something dreamlike. We'll also see a permanent glacier on  top of the Corihuaynachina as we cross this classical  passage surrounded by many archaeological remains.
When we cross the Yanama river to begin our ascending path towards the passage, our guide will inform  us about a Quechua tradition which consist in bringing a rock from the river to a  place on the passage.
Eagers to pay our respect to ancient traditions, in that occassion, we took rocks and Bob foolishly took a rather large stone that he had to lug to the top.

 The Yanama passage is the highest point in the trek and we'll really feel the altitude at this point.
 On that occassion it didn't help that it started hailing when we were 50 meters away from the pass. There was a heavy rain over the campground that night.
 Fortunately we missed the few feet of snow that fell down over the passage, which made  it  impassable.

DAY 6: NEAR TOTORA (3700m / 12150ft) to TOTORA (3500m / 11500ft) to COLLPAPAMPA (Winaypoco) (2800m / 9200ft).-

The remaining days of the trek are significantly less harder than the previous days.
Edgar told us that the Salkantay to Machu Picchu trail joins our route at Collpampa.
We had an easy hike through the Totora village, descending to  Collpampa where we had lunch. There was a hot spring nearby but only the guide and Mihaela took the steep trail downwards to Collpampa.
We camped at Winaypoco, which is about an hour from Collpapampa where there are some hot beer  (since the Salkantay trail has become more popular than the one we took) but it is only open during the high season.

DAY 7: COLPAMPA (Winaypoco) (2800m / 9200ft) to LUCMABAMBA (2000m / 6600ft).-

The hike on day 7 was rather easy but we made  it  by crossing fearlessly   one scary waterfall.
The rivers and waterfalls were swollen with raging  waters this year (because it's an El Niño year) and the waterfalls that are normally quiet  to cross  were  turbulant.
We camped at the village Lucmabamba where I suffered  many  midge bites that itched hardly.

DAY 8: LUCMABAMBA (2000m / 6600ft) to AOBAMBA PASS (2800m / 9200ft) to HYDROELECTIRCA (1850m / 6100ft) to AGUAS CALIENTES.-

Instead of a 2 hours  walk  from the Hydroelectrical plant to Aguas Calientes, we chosen to catch the train  because we would had to walk along the  tracks anyway. We woke up at  4 and started hiking at 6 after having breakfast.  First we ascended to  the Aobamba passage where Edgar pointed out a near Inca trail that led to Machu Picchu after a 3 hours walk.
We  descended  to the Urubamba river where we saw an imposing  hydroelectrical  station.
We stopped at Llactapata on the way down from the passage, hoping to get  a nice view of Machu Picchu, but we were foiled by the thick clouds.
At night we camped at the municipal campground  near  Aguas Calientes.
We walked  over  towards  Aguas Calientes to soak in the hot springs and had our first hot shower of the trip.

DAY 9: MACHUPICCHU.-

We woke up at 5 to catch  the 6.30 bus to Machu Picchu.
For the first time in the trek, we did not need to carry our packs. As we got in the bus, we noticed that everybody  was sleepy whereas we had gotten used to waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning. Machu Picchu is, as it was expected, amazing.
The only problem is the large number of people in the site.
Fortunately, it was the low season and it only started getting crowded around 1000.
By the time it started getting crowded, we were heading  for  Huayna Picchu.
I wanted  also to hike towards  the Temple of the Moon but we ran out of time and had to return to Aguas Calientes to catch our returning  train   to  Cuzco.