My highest hike so far. - I took this trip together with a good friend as part of our short stay in Cusco. Our guide Gary and Roman were really amazing. Friendly, punctual, competent and always eager to support us and to make sure the whole experience was marvelous.

I happened to be the only one for this... - <p>I happened to be the only one for this tour on the day of my booking. I was told to be ready by 5.30 am and was picked up by the driver who then told me that we would meet the guide shortly. We then drove for 5 minutes in the car it was not a van since I was the only passenger and waited by the roadside for 30 minutes for the guide, who was en route by taxi. He eventually arrived, talking on his phone and was oblivious to the fact that he was 30 minutes late!! I am not sure why we didnt even wait for him at my hotel itself since that would have meant I could have eaten a proper breakfast there, rather than have only coffee since I didnt want to be late. Anyway, we finally left and headed to our destination. The guide kept asking me the same questions in a loop throughout the trip, it was almost like he had not registered any of my answers. He didnt have a whole lot of information to offer other than the basic facts and was not super-informative about any facilities or otherwise. The driver kept checking his cell phone while driving, on and off, both ways. The ride to and from the place is very scenic for the most part, but VERY VERY DUSTY in some sections. Be prepared accordingly. The lake itself is jaw-droppingly beautiful but of course had a lot of tourists since it is very popular. The hike can be strenuous at times because of the altitude and rocky terrain in parts and I landed up renting a horse both ways. It would be good idea to have some spare cash Soles only in case you need to rent a horse. My guide was helpful in talking to the locals and arranging for the horses. He also helped me take some photos at the lake itself. He was not necessarily unhelpful, he just seemed like he was oblivious to a tourists needs. The boxed lunch/snacks is a good quantity but there is literally no place at Sorayapampa to sit down and eat. The guide told me I could sit in the car and eat while he and the driver had lunch or I could eat anywhere. I landed up literally standing in a corner and eating. It turns out that I had the option of going inside the mini-market where the driver and guide were having a local lunch and sitting there. I figured this out on my own after the fact!!<br/> All in all, I would say that the place itself is stunningly beautiful but there is some fine-tuning to be done as far as the driver, guide and car go car had a weird smell and I left the window open whenever i could, to dissipate the smell. I would have given this tour four stars if there were better options to have lunch at a decent place, rather than simply standing by a shack, AND if the guide/driver situation was smoother.</p>