Ausangate Trek Recommended Itinerary

AUSANGATE  TREK is a vital mountain god of the Incas and is still worshiped by locals daily. Besides the occasional herder, you’ll see very few people as you leave the start and finish of this trail, one of the most challenging and exciting hikes in southern Peru, at 3800m from the town of Tinki. Tinki is a three to four-hour drive through Urcos.

KONDOR PATH TOURS management can arrange trek guides, mules, and muleteers (Arriero) for hikers. The Ausangate Circuit explores the Cordillera Vilcanota, winding around multiple peaks over 6,000m, with the highest peak, Ausangate, at 6,372m, still the midpoint of the standard trail. Many camps exceed 4,600m, and two exceed 5,000m.

The first day of hiking uphill from Tinqui takes you to a natural camp at the bottom of a valley almost 4500m above sea level, near the hot springs near Upis, with stunning views of Nevado Ausangate. Rainbow Mountain Trek Full Day

The second day requires approximately six hours of hiking, following the valley up and into the next valley through the high pass of Arapa (4800m), heading for the camping area at the red-colored lake of Laguna Jatun Pucacocha. You can see and hear the western Nevada Ausangate Icefalls against a backdrop of herds of alpacas. Reasons to do the Rainbow Mountain Tour

The third day tackles the highest pass of all: Palomani (5170m). From the start, there are views of the Laguna Ausangate Cocha. The trek continues up and down, passing the Ausangate Climb Base Camp for another three to four hours, but it offers some of the best scenery, particularly Ausangate Peak. Red Valley, All you need to know is to hike in 2023

The fourth day continues downhill to the Pitumarca Valley, uphill to a campsite beyond Jampa, a remote settlement beyond the power grid. But just on this side of the magical Campa pass (5050 m), where piles of stones or burial mounds left for centuries by locals and travelers adorn the landscape in honor of the god of the mountain. There are spectacular views of the snow-capped peaks of Puka Punta and Tres Picos.

The fifth day takes you uphill through the pass and next to Lake Minaparayoc. From here, it’s a three to four-hour descent to the campsite at Pacchanta, where there are some inviting hot springs traditionally enjoyed by hikers as they near the end of this trail. After that, it’s another three hours of walking back to Tinqui for road transport to Cusco.