SummitPost.org

Gracias. Seen from the highway somewhere near the Urubamba valley.


(click to enlarge)

Can't tell for sure, but looks like Salcantay

Looks like the east face of Salcantay - but I didn't realise you could see that from the valley. We drove up the valley last June, en route to Ollantaytambo, but did not trekking there.

I did get a great view of Salcantay from the plane flying in to Cusco.

Edit: No - just checked the aerial I took and it doesn't match the east face of Salcantay. Where in the Urubamba valley were you?

After reviewing the photos taken around the same time, this was during a bus ride between Cusco and the trail entrance at Kilometer 82.

Here's one from earlier the same morning, don't know if it shows the same peak: http://www.davidalbeck.com/photos/2011/ ... a/i001.jpg

Here's another, closer to the time of the photo at the top of the thread: http://www.davidalbeck.com/photos/2011/ ... a/i002.jpg

I only remember seeing somewhat distant peaks from the road to Ollantaytambo. They were not close enough to get a clear photo as in the OP, so I guess that the photo is taken closer to the trailhead. I didn't hike the Inca trail, but took the train from Ollantaytambo. And I do remember seeing towering glaciated peaks from the train. The train didn't go fast, but the Rio Urubamba canyon is pretty steep, and by the time I had my camera ready, it was hidden again, so, unfortunately, I have no photos.

Looking at the map, there really is just one candidate: my money is on Nevado Veronica (location -13.165,-72.326). I checked with Google Earth, and while you can't see it from Ollantaytambo, the valley opens up nicely a little bit further to the NW and it's in view - provided there are no trees or other obstructions of course. So, that's where I guess the photo could have been taken.

Here is a pic I found with a peak that looks very much like the one in the OP:



It's on this site, and the author labeled it Nevado Veronica.

Yep, those two are the same peak. I did think of Veronica, it's the only other possibility, but I didn't think you can see it from the road. Maybe I just wasn't looking.