Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain – 6 Days

The Apu Ausangate, is the fifth highest mountain in Peru, located approximately 100km from Cusco southeast, with its impressive 6,383 meters above sea level and its white glacier mantle dominates the landscape on the horizon. It is one of the largest tropical glaciers in the southern part of Peru and, moreover, it is a sacred Apu since time immemorial for the people of the region.

There are many families of wild vicuñas in their domains, thousands of llamas and alpacas among other animals and birds that inhabit this beautiful ecosystem.

It has a society of high Andean shepherds that developed over the years a unique and very close connection with the nature that surrounds them, with their Apus, society that deserves studies of own and strange anthropologists, who can not but admire this society of the shepherds of the Apu Ausangate. Textile heritage, living culture, starry skies, it is without a doubt, a walk that, if it does not change your life, will change the way you see the world.

We will come and pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at around 4 am and drive to the starting poing of our trek Upis (3hours). At this place we will have our delicious breakfast prepared by our Cook and then we will pack our gear onto pack horses, everyone will have a duffle bag of 7 kilos to put it on the horse this duffle bag will be provided a night before of your departure so beside of this you just need to bring a daily backpack for your personal things,

After having breakfast and packing our gear onto the horse we star hiking up gradually to our first camp site called Pampa Arapa (4,200m / 13,779 feet). Later on to immerse into the highland valley inhabited by llamas and alpacas with dramatic views of Ausangate in backdrops.

After eating a delicious meal, we hike for about 20min to enjoy one of its beautiful lakes that show us the apu Ausangate and then back by the same trail to Pampa Arapa to have our tea and later on dinner.

With two passes to cross today, we wake up everyone at 5 in the morning with the coca tea they bring to your tent and you will have a great breakfast after 30 min. The morning begins with a walk along the Arapa Pass (4958 m) before a slight descent to our place to have lunch near Puma Lake, a deep blue lake and a perfect stop for a rest.

On the way, you will see local shepherds and llamas, the Ausangate mountain on your left, and you will have an expert guide who will explain the history of the locals and talk about the landscape along the way.

After lunch, we will continue climbing for our second pass of the day (Pucacocha pass-5000m) where, if you are lucky, you will see condors and vicuñas until you descend to our Anata camp, where you will be surrounded by high mountains and incredible hanging glaciers.

As always, a camp will be organized for you to change and rest your tired legs and prepare dinner.

Today is the day that we will wake you up very early in the morning at 3:30am this is in order to beat the crowd in the rainbow mountain and have very nice pictures.

After our breakfast we start hiking during the night to Warmisaya Pass (4990m / 16,371 feet) from where we will have a very beautiful view of the sun rise.

From here we begin descending for about 40 minutes and then walk by a gradual uphill enjoying some lakes on the way and finally reach the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain. Soak in the sights and enjoy what we’ve worked so hard for.

After we will back by the same trail to Ananta where we will enjoy our lunch and head up to Ausangate Lake where camp will be set up and waiting for you to take a rest and finally dinner.

Another fantastic day to experience the brilliant hills of colorations next to Ausangate mountain (6,381 m / 20,930 feet), the heights mountain in Cusco, and see more glacial lagoons, after breakfast we will begin again with our trekking, the path takes next pass known as Palomani which is at 5,130 m / 16,826 feet, the highest pass on the whole trail.

From here we will start to take a look at the big mountain and some different hills of colorations that are still nearby, then we will walk downhill to reach the section of the valley, where we will have lunch, in the afternoon we will walk for 2 more hours till the next camp placed at a height of 4,750 m / 15,580 feet. Where, in the afternoon, we will have tea time, then dinner.
All foods included.

We begin the day with an astounding breakfast given by our gourmet expert, at that point we will walk step by step to get the last pass called Jhampa, pass that is at 5,030 m/16,498 feet, where we will in any case have unimaginable perspectives of the ice sheet crests directly in front of us.

From this last pass, we will start to walk step by step downhill for 2 hours until the last camp called Ninaparayoq 4,700 m/15,416 feet where we will see few big lakes. Upon arrival, we will eat and after that throughout the evening to unwind in the last camp.
All meals are incorporated.

Wake up with hot coca tea in the first part of the day to have another incredible day, subsequent having breakfast we’ll hike downhill for 2 hours and 30 minutes to Pacchanta village, the last part of the trail, where we’ll get an opportunity to enjoy of the hot springs.

At this place, we’ll have our last lunch. After lunch we will say goodbye our muleteers, cooks, and aides. We will inevitably drive back to the inn in Cusco.

Finally we will return to your resort in Cusco. All food included, except last dinner.

We also offer a special service only for you or your group, you have the power to choose the size of your group and the date of departure, we will never add other people since it will be organized only for you.

All of our private services include additional items such as:

We offer 3 kinds of service, each with different price ranges and you can book in any of these services according to your convenience, we just need you to be a minimum of 02 people to organize your trip on the date that suits you, all our services are 100 % guaranteed.

We are a direct TOUR OPERATOR that never passes clients to other agencies as most agencies do it here in Cusco to save operating costs with poor quality.

We will make the trip even if there are only 02 people in your group.