Ausangate Trail & Rainbow mountain Hike, Rainbow Mountain of Peru, also known as Vinicunca, are stunning and can be seen on the spectacular Ausangate Trek 5 days.
The Ausangate (6398m/20991f) is considered one of the most beautiful snow-capped mountains of the Andes. The region around the mountain offers impressive scenery of mountains, glaciers, lagoons and streams. Furthermore, the Andean people are very hospitable and preserve the respect for nature. The farmers have excellent knowledge in the raising of cattle such as the vicuña, the alpaca and the lama, which are all appreciated for their fine quality of wool and meat. The four hours drive from Cusco to Tinqui is an excellent preparation for the differences in temperature and altitude.
“GET UP. GO. EXPLORE.”
ALL DEPARTURES 100% GUARANTEED - IF YOU'RE BOOKED, YOU'RE GOING
BRIEFING: The day before the trek, you will meet with your trekking guide at our EXPLORE ADVENTURES office or hotel and meet all the members of your group. Your guide will explain to you about the trek, route and all the necessary recommendations will be provided to you. This will take approximately 40 minutes, where you will receive your duffel bags that will be carried by horses along the trail.
OVERVIEW
Ausangate Trek plus Rainbow mountain Hike 5 Days Itinerary:
Altitude: 3900 - 5200 m. / 12795 – 17060f
High-season: May – November
Duration: 05 Days - 04 Nights
Level of difficulty: Moderate
*A minimum of 2 persons is needed for this trek
ITINERARY
DAY 1. CUSCO – UPIS – AUQUI
We pick you up at hotel at 3:30am to leave the city of Cusco then to have three and a half-hour driving to get Upis, along the way we will see picturesque towns, and we will stop for a couple of times to enjoy the sceneries, once we arrive to Upis we will meet up with our local muleteers and horses, where we’ll get ready to start the great adventure, we will walk for about 8 hours to get the first camp site called Auqui (4,500m / 14,715feet). Right from beginning we’ll walk uphill to get the first pass called Arapa(4,650m / 15,206feet) and then we’ll walk downhill to get our lunch spot, after having lunch we’ll walk uphill again to reach the next pass located at 4,950m / 16,187feet. From this pass the trail is downhill until the camp site. Once at the first camp site we’ll enjoy tea time, subsequently dinner.
- Hiking Time, 8 hours aprox…
- Hiking Distance, 14km/ 8.6 miles
DAY 2, AUQUI – RAINBOW MOUNTAINS – AUSANGATE QOCHA
In the morning we will have a beautiful sunrise at the top of Ausangate’s summit, we will enjoy this view having our breakfast, later on to climb up for 2 hours to get the next pass which is at 5,000m / 16,350feet, from where we’ll walk downhill and on highland plane sections to get the famous Rainbow Mountains, after enjoying the awesome views at these colored hills we’ll come back on the same way to get the same camp site to have our lunch. In the afternoon we will continue walking for 2 and a half hours to arrive the second camp spot called Ausangateqocha(4,700m / 15,369feet), this camp site is located at the backside of the Ausangate mountain thus we will see the mountain from a different angle, and there is a nice lagoon close the camp site, where we will see many highland birds. In the evening we will have tea time, subsequently dinner.
- Hiking Time, 9 hours aprox…
- Hiking Distance, 16 km/ 9.9 miles.
DAY 3, AUSANGATE QOCHA – JHAMPAPAMPA
Another great day to enjoy the mind-blowing coloured hills next to the Ausangate Mt (6,381m/ 20,866feet), a highest mountain in Cusco, and to see more glacier lagoons, after having breakfast we will begin again with our expedition, the pathway starts right away uphill until reaching the next pass called Palomani that is at 5,080m / 16,612feet; where, we’ll start to take a glance the massive mountain and some other colored hills, then we’ll walk downhill to get the valley part, where we’ll eat our lunch, and in the afternoon we’ll walk up to the next camp spot located at an elevation of 4,800m / 15,696feet. Where, in the evening we’ll have tea time, subsequently dinner.
- Hiking Time, 8 hours aprox…
- Hiking Distance, 12 km/ 7.4 miles
DAY 4, JHAMPAPAMPA – PACCHANTA
We start the day with a great breakfast that is provided by our chef, then we walk gradually up to get the last pass called Jhampa pass(5,190m / 16,971feet), from this last pass we start to walk gradually downward, after 2-hour walking we arrive to lunch place, that afternoon we have 3 more hours to get Pacchanta town where we spend the last night, in the evening we have time for a dip into the thermal water or hot springs. At night we have a special dinner which is made as a surprise by our quechua chef, and we enjoy the last supper all the team members together.
- Hiking Time, 8 hours aprox…
- Hiking Distance, 12km/ 7.4 miles
DAY 5, PACCHANTA – CUSCO
Wake up hot coca tea in the morning to have another great day, after having breakfast we leave Pacchanta, to drive back to Cusco, on the way we’ll stop to make our last lunch in Tipon LAND OF THE GUINEA PIGS or Saylla and have a typical dish of the region, such as guinea-pig or chicharrón (grilled pork). (Typical dish of the region included) eventually we’ll arrive to our hotel in Cusco, then to have the farewell meeting. End of Ausangate Trek experience.
- Hiking time: 4 hours
Transport time: 4 hours
INCLUDED
With the Ausangate - Rainbow Mountian Trek Package you will receive:
Cultural Immersion Experience
- Visit to Patabamba village
- Home stay at the community
- Explore the community with your guide and share the day in the lives of QUECHUAS.
Transportation and tickets
- Private transportation from Cusco to trailahead
- ticket for Vinicunca mountain
- ticket for ausangate mountain and campsites
- Private transportacion back from the trek to your Cusco hotel
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- hotel in Aguas Calientes
Equipment
- Sleeping liner and mat
- Dining & bathroom equipment
- Tents for two people (single tents available for extra cost)
- Saddled horse (1 saddled horse for every six passengers)
- First-aid kit
- Tables and seats
- First aid kit/Emergency oxygen bottle
Team
- Professional, knowledgeable bilingual guide
- A cook to prepare your meals
- Mule handlers and mules
Food
- High quality meals to provide the necessary energy for this challenging trek (including vegetarian options upon request)
- In addition to three meals daily, you will be given revitalizing snacks
- Hot drinks such as tea and coffee, as well as enough water for your canteens, water bottles, or hydration packs (collected from local streams and boiled while on the trek)
Not Included
- Sleeping bag
- Breakfast on the first day
- Lunch on the last day
- Tips
PRICE
Price per person: US$600 (Minimum 2 persons; departures all year)
* We include duffle bags 8kls and a horse that will carry your personal belongings in all of our treks at no additional cost.
*Emergency horse available throughout the trek, in the event someone is not feeling well.
Discounts
- Student Discount (with valid ISIC card) – $25
- Under 15 Discount – $25
- Under 7 Discount – $35
Rentals
- Hiking poles - US$15.00 (pair)
- Sleeping bag -4 season - US$30.00
- Private Tent - US$30.00
- Air mattress -$15
WHY EXPLORE
Cultural Immersion Experience
Travel is about meeting the local people and experiencing different ways of life. That is why EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU immerses you in the local communities. Visit the most interesting and off the beaten track locations to experience the real Peru! Have a unique cultural adventure at local communities, COMMUNITY STAY and CULTURAL IMMERSION before each trek and take part of our tours.
We are a 100% locally owned and operated company! Proud to be Quechuas!!!
EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU offers an assortment of adventurous treks and exciting tour packages in Peru, specially designed to appeal to most visitors' budgets that doesn't have a negative impact on the environment or adversely affect local communities. EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU employees are local, Peruvian people. We work to invest in our own country and develop social work to offer our people a better lifestyle and provide opportunities to keep growing. This is the main difference between local companies and foreign companies and associated companies.
Our Group Services have a maximum group size of 8
most tour operators work with a maximum of 16 on the Inca Trail, since this is authorized by law, or even higher on other trekking routes.
We treat our staff
Including chefs, porters and wranglers with the utmost respect and fairness. EXPLORE ADVENTURES not only complies with the Porter Law and Regulation, but our wages are over the minimum requested by law and above the average pay by most tour operators.
We have expert Tour Guides
For special requests (ornithology, history and archaeology, flora and fauna and also generalist guides). All our guides have been trained in advanced first aid by certified doctors in Peru. On all of our treks, not only on the Inca Trail, there will be a guide for every 8 guests. The head guide will ensure the utmost safety to our guests by providing them undivided attention.
We use innovative equipment
Such as an igloo, waterproof, spacious tents, camping equipment specialized for high mountain treks, such as Vaude, Eureka and Doite tents. Each tent has a capacity for 3 people, but are used only for 2 people.
We have one of the most outstanding meal services in the field
Our chefs have been highly trained by several institutes in Lima and Cusco. You should be prepared to not only have a superb trekking experience, but also a culinary one, including generous and delicious breakfasts, snacks, lunches, tea services and dinners. Our delectable menus include a variety of Peruvian and international food and also cater for vegetarian and other dietary needs at no extra cost. EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU is recognized for its buffet meals, the quantity and quality of food, and its freshness.
EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU performs responsibly.
Making sure to cause minimal impact on the environment of the natural protected areas where it operates.
We pay legal taxes (19% IGV or consumption tax)on all services contributing to the country’s growth and development. Further to this, we pay a 30% tax on all earnings.
Our superb treatment to our staff is not reduced in the low season: porter and chef wages are maintained, same as guide fees.
Finally, EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU strives to provide top quality service to its clientele and will continue to listen to their comments on how to improve our services and take it to a higher level. Our clients are extremely satisfied as our numerous testimonials prove. Please read their trip reports on the Testimonials section of our website and also on Tripadvisor.
