Hi everyone,

So I've been riding ( cycling ) in South America for 18 months.

I'm currently in Cuzco, Peru, wondering which route to take on my way north to Ayacucho/Huancayo.
My #1 option is to continue to Ollantaytambo , up the Abra Malaga pass, down to Santa Maria/Santa Teresa ( I'd visit Machu Picchu from there ) and then the dirt track that goes north to Quillabamba then east to Kiteni through the " jungle " and eventually to Ayacucho over the Abra Tapuna pass.

Has anyone ridden or driven it recently ?

It's considered off limits and dangerous on all foreign official travel advisory websites mostly for drug producing & trafficking reasons. I spoke to a few locals here and they've also told me that it's a bit dicey.

I speak fluent Spanish, if it matters.

L.

Hey levelo!
Welcome back. My experiences in the area are somewhat dated. In 2013, I rode Cusco to Santa Maria/Santa Teresa. There are a few streams along the way. The motorcycle was stored at the hydroelectric plant, then I walked ~11 KM by the railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu.
Along the railroad tracks, as I got close to Aguas Calientes, I noticed campgrounds by the river.
I rolled the dice and bought my ticket to Machu Picchu at the official ticket office in Aguas Calientes. I believe I saved money when buying directly, but took a chance that there would be availability. FYI - the cap on visitors was raised this year. There is bus service from the bottom of the hill Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu site. Those who are fit and hardy walk/hike. I did not.

Google Maps (hyperlinked here) shows three roads from Ayacucho to Huancayo, which are all named 3S. In 2023, at the beginning of another trip, I rode the "northern" 3S from Huancayo to Ayacucho. The road skims along the ridge tops. Lovely views of the mountains. On a bicycle, you will encounter steep inclines.

At the end of that trip, I rode the "middle" 3S from Ayacucho to Huancayo, which follows a river. The middle 3S would be easier on a bicycle. I don't have any info on the 3S, which is south of the other two.

I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point along these roads, but on a motorcycle, I was moving a lot faster. I don't want to give you a false sense security, but I have found that in Latin America, everyone is wary of the next region, country...

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Hi Peter & everyone,

Thanks for your input, it's been a while !

I'm still riding strong

As far as Machu Picchu is concerned I also plan to ride & hike to Aguas Calientes and then try to get my ticket there even if I have to wait for a couple of days to get in. Online it's booked solid for weeks on end, so I don't really have any other options

My initial question was more about the Santa Maria/Quillabamba to Ayacucho stretch via Kiteni. It goes pretty deep into the jungle before climbing back up to the spine of the Andes. There seems to be issues with safety in this area and first or second hand recent info about it would help me make my decision.

L.

Hey levelo!

Check with iPeru, the official Peruvian tourist office in Cusco, to inquire about the sold-out online ticket status and ask if you will be able to buy tickets in person when you arrive in Aguas Calientes.

In 2013, iiPeru had an office in Cusco on the north side of the Plaza de Armas de Cusco. Google Maps shows it is still there. +51979980236

Here is the national WhatsApp number:
+51944492314

I'll reach out to a guy in Cusco and ask him for his thoughts on your route and tickets. Sorry to not think of him right away...

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Hey Peter,

iPeru confirmed that I should be able to buy tickets in Aguas Calientes. Supposedly 1000 are dished out every day but they sell very, very fast. They're only valid for a next day visit, and I may not be able to pick the circuit I want.
It's very high season here and the city is mobbed

Thanks for reaching out.

L.

Hey levelo,

I received the following advice from our man in Cusco. Good to know you can get tickets on site, but you'll need to get in line, perhaps early in the morning. =)

TICKETS

"He is not assured of a Machu Picchu ticket, this is high season, agencies snapped them all up months ago. He might be able to get a ticket if he does the rounds of agencies and gets lucky by snapping up a cancellation. The other possiblilty is to make his own way to the town of Aguas Calientes at the foot of the ruins (you can get there by train or trekking) and there are a limited number of tickets sold there, but its first in line, and you have to get in the line at around 3am to get a ticket for the same day. The other way to "see" Machu Picchu is to trek to Llactapata. From there you can see Machu Picchu but from a distance of a few miles."

ROUTE
Regarding the ride via jungle trails that go anywhere near Ayacucho, that is risky. that area is known as the VRAE (Valle de los Rios Apurimac y Ene) and there are narco-guerrillas in that area.

He could do it and possibly he would get through unscathed. But unless there's something there he desperately wants to see, better not to take the risk.

The Vrae is less than 200km from Cusco but its always on the news for the wrong reasons. Apparently there are still some Shining Path guerillas there who would love a foreign hostage for negotiation purposes. I think the police check points would try to prevent his from travelling as well.

Society for Latin American Studies (passage from a 2014 paper)
"The valley of the rivers Apurimac and Ene (VRAE) is one of the main centres of production of coca and cocaine paste in Peru. This is a jungle area located in the southern highland region of Ayacucho, and is notorious for the presence of drug-trafficking and the last remnants of the Maoist guerrillas of Shining."
https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/slas2014/paper/18946

Let me know if you are seeking a potentially more affordable room in Cusco or want to connect with my friend.

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride