Explore the Ausangate trek and Rainbow Mountain. This combination is one of the best hikes in Southern Cusco.
The geological formations of the Rainbow Mountain will blow your mind away while the Ausangate trek will give you the best hiking experience along the 10th highest mountain of the Americas.
Trek Details:
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What's Included
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Itinerary:
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Day One
Starting time: 5:00am Travel: By bus for 4 hours to the village of Tinki, followed by hiking afterwards. Difficulty level: Hard. The high altitude at which this trek takes place at makes it a bit harder than other treks. Highlights of the Day: On this day we meet our horsemen and other staff members. From Cusco, we will start our bus ride to Tinki, a place filled with a significant number of native professional mountain climbers. We will walk along the plains surrounding the Ausangate mountain. Our destination for the day will be Pacchanta, a local community of Llama and Alpaca herders. Meals: Breakfast on the way to Tinki (not included), lunch on the trek and dinner at the campsite in Pacchanta. Accommodation: Camping in tents at a campsite at Pacchanta. The temperature at night is usually around 1°C/34°F. Other information: It is a challenging but an amazing experience to hike around the massive Ausangate mountain 6384m/20944ft. Be sure to bring sunscreen as the UV exposure is higher at this altitude. |
Day Two
Starting time: 5:00 am Travel: Trekking all day. Difficulty level: Strenuous. Highlights of the Day: On this day we continue the climb from Pacchanta to Qampa pass 5000m/16400ft. The trail is rocky and arduous, but the views of the lakes and glaciers will make our hike inspiring and motivational. Upon arriving at our destination in Qampa, we will have some free time to get soaked in the local hot springs, which is quite a treat after our exhausting hike. Meals: Breakfast at the campsite in Pacchanta, lunch on the trek and dinner at Qampa campsite in the evening. Accommodation: Camping in tents at Qampa 4500m/14763ft. The temperature at night is usually around 1°C/34°F. Other information: After we arrive at our destination in Qampa, we have a chance to indulge in the local hot springs. The views surrounding this campsite are breathtaking. Be sure to pack a good towel for this trek. |
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Day Three
Starting time: 5:00 am Travel: Trekking all day. Difficulty level: Strenuous. Highlights of the Day: The Ausangate trek is part of the Urubamba mountain range. Along this trek, there are many mountain passes that we have to overcome. Today we will walk toward the Palomani pass 5200m/17056ft, which is the highest point of the trek. The feeling of reaching our highest point is both overwhelming and inspiring. From Paloman pass we will start the slow walk downhill towards our campsite at Pukaqocha. Along the way, the intense turquoise color of these glacier lakes will delight our eyes providing us with a unique photo opportunity. Meals: Breakfast at our campsite in Qampa, lunch along the way to Palomani pass and and dinner at our evening campsite in Puqaqocha. Accommodation: Camping in tents at a campsite at Puqaqocha. Other information: This is the hardest day of our expedition. On this day we will reach the highest altitude of the Ausangatetrek. The views are breathtaking and every step we take is worth it. |
Day Four
Starting time: 5:00 am Travel: Trekking for half the day. Difficulty level: Strenuous Highlights of the Day: Early in the morning , after breakfast we depart from Puqaqocha and climb again to Yauricunca pass 5122m/16800ft. The tough ascent to the mountain pass will be rewarded with the astonishing views of the Ausangate and Rainbow mountains. From here we will make our way to Vinicunca. Late in the afternoon we will arrive in Vinicunca (the rainbow mountains), here we will enjoy the contrast of the sunset and the picturesque mountains formed by thousands of years of accumulation of sandstone sediments. Meals: Breakfast at our campsite in Puqaqocha in the morning, lunch along the trek to Yauricunca pass and dinner at the campsite in the evening at Vinicunca.. Accommodation: Camping in tents at Vinicunca. Other information: Our plan is to get to Vinicunca for the sunset. The contrast of colors during the sunset and sunrise is different. The sunlight changes the tone of the colors of the mountain during these two different times of the day. |
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Day Five
Starting time: 5:00 am Travel: Trekking and bus to Cusco. Difficulty level: Moderate. Highlights of the Day: After we enjoy the morning views of Vinicunca and the uniqueness of its picturesque mountains, we will make our way down to the place where we will meet our transportation. The bus ride to Cusco will take approximately 4 hours. Meals: Breakfast at Vinicunca, lunch along the way to Cusco. Dinner is not included for this day of the tour. Other Information: You will be back in Cusco to your own accommodation for this evening. We will be arriving back at Cusco for approximately 6:00pm |
Prices:
The Ausangate-Rainbow MountainTrek goes from April through November. We DON'T do this trek in January,February, March, and December. Our tours are based on the number of people in a group. Priced per person:
Student Discount:$25 off per person Student discounts applies to students holding a valid Green ISIC card. Children under 16 qualify for student discount. Please send all to info evolutiontreksperu@gmail.com IMPORTANT: One of the reasons that our price may be higher than that of other agencies is that we ALWAYS book the maximum number of porters possible (according to Peru's labor regulations) so that our porters are not overloaded. Beware of this when booking they might be cheaper because of this! 2 people (minimum group size) should have a maximum of 5 porters and 16 people (max group size) should have 22 porters. ** Tips for porters, cooks or guides are optional and are NOT included in price. However our advice is that you tip our staff based on their performance, service and knowledge. Our guidelines for tipping our staff is: porters 100 Soles. Assistant cook 150 Soles. Main Chef 300 Soles. Assistant Tour guides can be tipped collectively by the members of the group. Main guides are tipped on a one on one basis. |
What you need to take
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Optional items to take:
Optional services not included.
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other important information
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MEALS:
MEDICAL INFORMATION
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WATER:
TREKKING BOOTS
DRUGS, SMOKING AND ALCOHOL
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TIPS FOR HIKING THE AUSANGATE-RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
Before the hike:
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HOW TO TRAIN FOR THE AUSANGATE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
You might be wondering about how you are gonna get in your best shape for your hike in Ausangate Peru. Maybe you think you will not be able to do it. Trust us, we do this every day. If you follow the information below. You will have an amazing inca trail adventure. First, Prepare your mind The success of your trip depends on it. Preparing for a trip could be time consuming, stressful and exhausting. Most likely you might feel like you are not ready enough, fit enough, etc. The fact is that when it comes to traveling, there is not such a thing as being 100% ready. In the words of my dear friend Marinel. “You learn best by just doing it. Be mindful of your fears and anxieties. Learn the means to pacify them. But also remember that despite of preparation, imperfect scenarios will still creep in on you.” In Peru we have a common saying which is “The nature of a wanderer (traveller) is to make her path along the way." One cannot be in control of everything as we do in our daily lives at home. The fact is that travelling offers us the opportunity to let go of the need to want to control everything, and lets us enjoy the beauty of travelling whatever challenges it might pose us. Your resilience and open-mindedness will be put to the test no matter how experienced of a traveller you are. The world is full of differences that you need to be prepared to embrace. Finally, looking back on your trip, you will be proud of the impact it had on you mentally and physically. |
