Peru Gap Year

You will arrive in Cusco and be transferred to Calca which will be your main base throughout this program.

Calca is a colourful little town, nestled amongst the mountains in the Sacred Valley, 9,600 ft above sea level, on the Urubamba River. It is known for its temperate climate, checkerboard fertile fields, tranquillity, and towering mountains. So very pretty.

It is very central which makes it a great location from which to explore and home to Mount Pitusiray – considered as one of the most important mountain gods in the region.

Accommodation

In Calca you will stay in a homestay with a local family. Here you will have your own room and eat with the family providing you with an amazing cultural experience.

Food

3 meals a day provided.

Your first week will be a combination of Spanish lessons, project work and exploration, which will include:

Contributing at Ecohuella, the local organic farm: Since 2010, AASD has worked with communities to improve their ecological farming practices to address malnutrition via greenhouse construction and workshops at an organic demonstration farm called Ecohuella.:

During your first week, you will work at the farm for a couple of mornings, learning about their sustainable development practices and rolling your sleeves up to help with the daily jobs.

During this time, you’ll watch the documentary about the now famous potato farmer so you can further understand the challenges, resilience and resourcefulness required to make a living in this environmentally hostile environment. For more information: here is a link to the documentary Opening the Earth: The Potato King , which AASD’s co-founder, Aaron, and his brother collaborated on.

Sacclio Community: In addition to working at EcoHuella, you will also assist the community of Sacclio, the area opposite Calca along the Vilcabamba River where the farm is located. Some of the activities include harvesting corn, preparing tree seedlings for reforestation projects, participating in youth education and recreation projects.

Exploring Urco Ruins, hikes and jewelry workshop: Intertwined though this week you will visit the Urco ruins, hike to a chapel that overlooks Calca, and along an ancient irrigation canal that leads to an Inca site called Urco, and join a jewelry workshop with the Urco Youth Association; before a friendly game of football.

Spanish lessons: To help with the communication throughout the program we have arranged for you to have 5 x 1 hour informal lessons in your first week to focus on easy conversation.

Food

3 meals a day provided.

Your second week will be focused on adventure - exploring different ruins and hiking through the mountains to get a feel for the remoteness and vastness of the spectacular sacred valley.

Huchuycosco Trek
To kick start this week you will venture off to reach the site of Huchuycosco, which is a stunning location overlooking the mountains. It is one of the most sacred sites in the whole of the Sacred Valley because it was a main water source. Very unknown and off the beaten track – a hidden gem.

Pisac
This is a very well-known archaeological site and home to an epic market, famous within the region. The Quechua communities from the surrounding highlands flock to the market to sell their produce and gather their supplies for the week. Expect to find amazing ponchos, hats, Alpaca products, Andean instruments, paintings and many more souvenirs.

Urubamba
Moray and Salt Mines de Maras are located outside of Urubamba - another town in the Sacred Valley along the Vilcanota river. Some believe that it was used as an experimental agricultural site to help adjust crops to different micro climates while others consider Moray the womb of the Earth used for spiritual ceremonies, to an ancient amphitheatre.

By the third week you should be fully acclimatised and ready to head off into the depths of the Sacred Valley to find the high altitude Lares campesino (farming) community called Quishuarani, who our partners, AASD have just started a collaboration with.

Quishuarani is located high above the tree line where farmers primarily cultivate potatoes. This community is also part of a government initiative to enhance the nutrition of campesino communities through trout fisheries.

While you are here you will visit meet the president of Quishuarani who will take you on a brief tour of the trout hatchery before taking you on a hike along the Siete Cataratas (Seven Waterfalls) trail to reach a lagoon the community considers sacred. On your way, you will probably meet herds of llamas being corralled them and loaded up with cargo on their backs. Llamas are used primarily to transport harvested potatoes from high in the mountains. However, they are only able to carry around 25lbs at a time, so it takes a herd to transport the many sacks of potatoes in a typical harvest.

Here you will spend a couple of nights with the community work side-by-side the farmers helping them in the fields with whatever is in season. It could be weeding, planting, pickaxing but will always be accompanied by chicha (a fermented corn beer) during breaks.

Accommodation

You will stay in Lares, a larger pueblo lower in elevation to visit the baños termales (hot springs) to warm up after a chilly, rainy morning. This is a favorite spot among locals and tourists.

Food

3 meals a day provided.

You will return to Calca to prepare for the big 4-day trek to Machu Picchu.

A bucket list moment – time to immerse yourself in the ancient culture of Peru and venture off for a 4-day adventure to the astonishing Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world.

Machu Picchu was built in the 15^th century high in the Andes mountains above the Urubamba River valley. It’s renowned for its dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar, buildings in line with astronomical alignments and stunning panoramic views. Its exact former use still remains a mystery.

Now’s your chance to visit the breathtaking and iconic Inca site via a bespoke trail led by our guides who speak many local dialects and will lead you through the winding valleys and stunning scenery before ascending to the site of Machu Picchu in time for sunrise

Please note: The exact trail will be confirmed when you are out there as it is very weather dependent and we need to match the team's fitness with right level of challenge.

Accommodation

Tents and local homestays – depending on the route.

Food

3 meals a day provided on the trek.