Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain 6 Days

Discover the route from Ausangate to Rainbow Mountain

6 Days

TRIP SUMMARY

The Cordillera Vilcanota is an impressive range of mountains which include the massive Snow Mountain Ausangate (6,385m) and three others over 6000m. It’s an excellent trekking country offering the traveler everything you could want like spectacular mountain scenery, snow-capped peaks, hot springs, turquoise lakes, glaciers, herds of llamas and alpacas, and enjoy seeing the Rainbow Mountain with natural mineral formations, villages, and traditionally dressed Indians. It’s also high, tough, and cold, so be prepared.

This beautiful six-day trek starts and finishes at the small Andean village and takes you around the massif of Ausangate and over three high passes (two of them over 5000m). It is essential to be properly acclimatized for this hike spending at least three days in Cusco (or equivalent altitude) before starting. If you are concerned with the altitude or have never trekked at a high altitude before please consult your doctor for proper advice to prevent altitude sickness

Usually, the Ausangate trek is undertaken in 5 days, using a combination of trekking and horse riding. Well acclimatized trekkers could complete the trek in 4 days if they want, including all transport to renting Horses to ride and from Cusco. The best months for doing the trek are April to November.

Itinerary Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain 6 Days

Day 1: Cusco – Tinqui – Upis

Your guide will meet you in Cusco early in the morning, and take you via private transportation to the starting point of our trek- Tinqui. Here you will enjoy a local lunch, while your gear is being loaded into pack horses. After lunch, you will begin hiking to our first camp. On this day we only hike for a few hours until we arrive at the village of Upis. Here you can take a soak in the hot springs, while enjoying coca tea, and relax your muscles until dinner.

Distance: 8km/ 3 miles
Elevation: 4100m/ 13,450ft
Hiking time: 2 hours

Day 2: Upis – chillca

With two passes to cross today, we wake everyone up at 5 am with coca tea brought to your tent and you will fuel up with a big breakfast for the day ahead. The morning starts with a hike up Arapa pass (4958m) before a slight decline to our lunch spot near Lake Puma cocha – a deep blue lake and a perfect stop for a break. Along the way, you will see local herders and llamas, Ausangate mountain to your left, and you will have your expert guide explaining the history of the locals and talking about the landscape along the way. After lunch, we continue uphill for our second pass for the day (Pucacocha pass-5000m) where if you’re lucky you may see condors and vicuñas until descending to our campsite of chillca where you will be surrounded by high mountains and incredible hanging glaciers- watch for the glacier crashing into the lake below! As always camp will be set up for you to change and rest your weary legs and dinner will be prepared.

Distance: 15km
Elevation: 4300m/ 14,100ft
Hiking time: 7 hours

Day 3: Chillca- Rainbow Mountain (5200m)- Lake Ausangate

Today starts with Chillca pass (5051), a very colorful mountain but only a preview of what we will see. After crossing the pass you enter into the Red Mountain valley, a wildly desert landscape with vibrant colors all around, and llamas roaming the ground below- as you approach the top of the pass you will see the beautiful Rainbow Mountain in the distance, but you’re not quite there! From here you descend to circle the lake and continue walking a Peruvian flat until we are presented with one final climb to the Rainbow Mountain. Soak in the sights and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard for. We will enjoy lunch in the surrounding area, and head back down the valley to make our way to the stunning Lake Ausangate where camp will be set up and waiting for you to take a rest.

Distance: 20km
Elevation: 4300m- 5200m – 4300m
Hiking time: 7-8 hours

Day 4: Lake Ausangate- Palomani Pass – Pampacancha

Covering fewer kilometers today, as yesterday was a big day, we pass beautiful glacial tarns, and lush green pampas, and follow the edge of the river. Today is a great day for spotting wildlife so keep an eye out for condors, and vicuñas.

Distance: 17km (10.5 miles)
Elevation: 4300m – 5400m – 4300m
Hiking time: 7-8 hours

Day 5: Pampacancha – Qampa Pass- Pacchanta (hot springs/ Camping)

With only one pass to cross we will take our time today enjoying the deep blue lagoons, and alpine glacial colored lakes along the way. If you are brave enough you can even jump in to cool off. Views of the massive Ausangatemountain are still visible, only today you will get to enjoy them from a new angle along with views of Pacchanta Valley. Our goal is the hot springs of Pacchanta where we will enjoy a nice soak and the views of the Ausangate Mountain above.

Distance: 16k
Elevation: 4300m- 5400m – 4000m
Hiking time: 6-7 hours

Day 6: Pacchanta – Tinqui- Cusco

Today is the easiest day of our trek as we make our way back to the starting point of Tinqui walking on flat ground and celebrating our accomplishments. Once we arrive at the village you will have your last lunch while everything is packed up in our private transportation to make our way back to Cusco where. You will be dropped off at your hotel arriving around 5 pm.

Distance: 16k
Elevation: 4000m (descending)
Hiking time: 3-4 hours