Chinchero Alto is one of the most technical biking circuits in the city of Cusco. Located 45 minutes by car from Cusco, in the town of Chinchero. The trail was formerly used by the Inca empire, to connect the lower part of the sacred valley with Chinchero and other roads leading to Cusco. Currently many villagers still use this road to move their products or animals, however, the main activity is hiking or trekking, in addition to the descent by bicycle.
Chinchero Alto offers many sections of stone, combined with loose soil. You will start in a eucalyptus forest bordering a canyon towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You will find Inca stairs and vestiges of food warehouses that were formerly used by Inca settlers. Undoubtedly a fun circuit if you are looking for some freeride combined with history.
Chinchero Alto has a distance of 5.5 km, with a positive difference in altitude of 219 meters and a negative difference in altitude of 1160 meters. Although it is not a very long circuit, its route is very intense, culminating in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Certainly this is a fairly technical course, with obstacles that require advanced intermediate experience. Now if you are a novice, this circuit may not be for you. However, if you are determined to ride the trail, take the precaution of always wearing a helmet and protection such as knee and elbow pads.
Chinchero Alto is located in the heights of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The climate is generally quite dry and cold, however, the rains are present more frequently in the months of December until the end of April. We recommend that you always carry in your backpack a jacket or light jacket that can cover you from the cold and rain.
This circuit is a singletrack type of trail that is very close to downhill. Most of the route you will be descending rather than pedaling, making it attractive to many cyclists. The stairs and the archaeological zone located in the middle of the road, also is a ponderable characteristic that makes the difference in front of many circuits of Peru and the world.
To get to the circuit of Chinchero Alto, it is necessary to hire a car with a rack to transport bicycles and that can take you from the city of Cusco to the town of Chinchero. This would be the most comfortable option for you to travel without problems, the cost is obviously quite high and finding the car available is somewhat complicated. The other option is to risk taking a collective bus and try to tie the bike in such a way that it will not be damaged or fall down.
These buses leave from Pavitos Street or Grau Avenue in Cusco, the price is not expensive, but you must take into account that, when you reach the end of the circuit, you will have to pedal to Urubamba and get this transport again to return to Cusco.
Now, to save you these logistical problems and travel calmly, we invite you to visit our Mountain Biking tour of Chinchero Alto, and we will help you to make your biking experience the best.