Alpaca Expeditions Commitment
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This year we have created an amazing new program in the local language called “Ricsishun Nukanchispata” which means “Knowing Ours”. In Andean villages, most children never leave home and grow up seeing only their village. NOW with our program children from different villages and students from local schools have a unique opportunity to go on a free tour to visit several Inka archeological sites we have on our Sacred Valley Tour. In the surrounding areas of Cusco, the kids will also have the opportunity to visit our newest tourist attraction, Rainbow Mountain.

Our Goal is that every Sunday at least 15-17 children from ages 8 to 14 years old will be picked up from their village and go on a tour with an Alpaca Expedition guide and chef. They will learn about their culture, traditional food, and what their ancestors built. After the tour, they will be returned to their villages in the evening. We hope that at the end of the year at least 700 students will have visited these sites, and can feel proud with what we have taught them about their rich Inka culture.

This is another amazing program Alpaca Expeditions has started. Since our owner grew up in an Andean village, he has experienced how poor the educational programs are in the rural areas that are located far away from the city of Cusco. Sometimes only one teacher is able to teach and must teach multiple grades different courses. In 2017 and 2019 the education and children were not improving, so Alpaca Expeditions employed and sent one teacher that teaches English, Computer skills, Mathematics, and Literature. This teacher is supported by Alpaca Expeditions and they are a dedicated full-time teacher to at least 170 children from 5-12 years old.

100% of our porters do the Inka Trail and only 5% have been to Machu Picchu. Why? Even though they do the Inca Trail each week carrying all of the hikers’ gear, the Rangers don´t allow them past the last campsite. They only get to come back to Cusco and prepare for the next group. Because of that, Alpaca Expeditions has created for them and their families a trip to visit this 7th wonder as a tourist. Each year we organize two trips with around 80 porters to travel to Machu Picchu with their families in February and August. February is their month off since the Inka Trail is closed, and August is the winter break for their children. We know that going to Machu Picchu is very expensive and that is the reason why many families who farm are unable to visit. Everyone at Alpaca Expeditions appreciates the hard work our porters do and we want to thank them by providing this free all expense paid (train tickets, accommodations, entrance fees, bus tickets, & transportation) trip. We are proud to say that Alpaca Expeditions is the only company doing this incredible social project.

Alpaca Expeditions is a company dedicated to preserving nature. It’s a company that has worked hard in order to preserve the trails and treks for the enjoyment of the local people and future generations. Some hikers, porters, and even local people have been found to throw away garbage along the trails leaving them dirty and negatively affecting the local people and indigenous wildlife that live in the Andes. Every year our company organizes a Cleaning Campaign where we have staff members clean the trail and pick up plastic bottles or any non-organic item.

The tradition in remote areas of the Andes is to clean teeth with only water. Of course, that is not enough to have your teeth in good healthy condition. That is why Alpaca Expeditions has hired a team of Odontologist to visit the remote villages where our porters come from. There they provide dental services by cleaning the children’s teeth, filling cavities, correcting bad teeth, extractions, and teaching how to use toothpaste and brushing. They also help by donating hundreds of oral cleaning kits for each child.

For a long time we all have experienced many forest fires and deforestation all over the world, and the Andes especially the Cusco region is no stranger to this big problem. Many people looking for larger farmland are burning forest, cutting down trees for industry reasons, and each year we are left with less and less vegetation. In addition to this issue, most farmers are growing trees that negatively impact the environment. Such as eucalyptus trees that deteriorate the surrounding soil and with their natural oils create a dry environment that is prone to wildfires. Unfortunately, the local farmers only see their own benefits in the profit they make and not the needs of nature itself.

Alpaca Expeditions is taking advantage of the wet seasons and each year donates at least 10,000 Polilepys Trees to the local villages.

For many years these villages have been forgotten by our Peruvian government, especially those villages located in the middle of the mountains which do not even have access to cars and people can only arrive by horses. We consider that our region Cusco receives more than a million tourists per year which would make you think that Cusco is the richest region BUT it’s not. Considered as one of the poorest region in Peru due to the money collected from tourists being sent to Lima.