Visit Ausangate! The Ausangate mountain has been and continues to be one of the most important mountains since Inca times. In the concept of the Andean people, this mountain represents one of the main deities in Andean worship, and it is also significant in contemporary Christian worship. It is also known as Apu Ausangate.
The 5-day Ausangate tour from Cusco that we offer below is designed for you to explore marvelous high mountain landscapes on a route that has not been heavily promoted for tourist activities. You will have the opportunity to appreciate Andean communities, beautiful mountain landscapes, lakes of different colors, and Andean camelids in their natural habitat, such as llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas.
We start our tour very early in the morning, picking you up from your hotel in the city of Cusco and heading towards the charming town of Tinke (Tinki), approximately three hours of travel. After walking for an additional two hours, you will have the opportunity to admire the diversity of flora and fauna in the region. In Upis, we will have lunch prepared at our camp, and we will relax our bodies with hot drinks during the break. At sunset, we will explore the Huayna Ausangate lagoon, capturing the sunset in photographs. This is where we will camp and end our day.
We will wake up early for a delicious breakfast before starting the hike to the Arapa pass, at 4800 meters above sea level, where we will enjoy panoramic views of the mountainous landscape and glacial lakes. We will descend towards the Yanacocha lagoon, keeping an eye out for the presence of animals such as chinchillas and vizcachas, with the possibility of spotting deer and, if lucky, Andean condors. After lunch near Hatun Puca Cocha lagoon, we will experience an incredible view of the Andes. If the weather permits, we will contemplate the stars, learn about constellations, have dinner, and rest.
After breakfast, we will continue walking uphill; this is the most demanding day of all, as we will climb two mountain passes. We will ascend for two hours to the Ausangate Apacheta pass, descend to the Ausangate Cocha lagoon where we will have our snacks before climbing the most demanding pass, Palomani, at 5200 meters above sea level. Upon reaching the pass, we will have a unique view of the mountains, being very close to the base camp for the ascent to the Ausangate snow-capped peak and the lakes formed by the thaw. Later, we will descend to the Huchuy Finaya community where we will have lunch. After regaining energy, we will continue towards Sorapata, where our camp will be waiting for us.
Completing our breakfast, we will walk towards the Jampa pass. The trail is generally flat, but in the last part, we will have to ascend to 5100 meters above sea level. This journey will take us about three hours. Along the way, we will observe herds of alpacas and llamas in their natural habitat. After the Jampa pass, we will descend to the Pacchanta community, crossing part of the route of the 7 turquoise lakes, with stops for photographs. Upon reaching Pacchanta, we will enjoy its medicinal hot springs, relaxing our bodies in its pools. We will rest in this community.
On this day, we will briefly visit the town of Tinke to appreciate some of its agricultural customs. Finally, we will return to Cusco, transfer you to your hotel, thus concluding our adventure through Ausangate.
Initial altitude | 3800 m / 12,467 feet. |
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Highest altitude | 5200 m / 17,056 feet. |
Overall difficulty | V. Difficult. |
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We start very early at 4:30 in the morning, picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. We will travel by car to the town of Ocongate, passing through the most popular villages in the southern valley: Huaro, Piquillacta, and Andahuaylillas. Then, we will head to the community of Tinki, where you will have a brief time to buy the necessary items. Keep in mind that this is the last opportunity for these purchases.
Upon arriving at the Tinke camp, our team of muleteers and support will be waiting for us with a delicious breakfast. We will continue our tour by walking to the next camp in the Upis community. The trail is at the foot of Ausangate mountain, providing a privileged view during the hike. Along the way, we will also observe herds of llamas and alpacas grazing freely, and we will make some stops to take pictures with these fantastic animals.
Arriving at Upis, we will enjoy the prepared lunch at our camp, relax the body, and have hot drinks during our break. In the evening, we will visit one of the first lagoons we will see during the 5-day hike, named Huayna Ausangate. Here, we will enjoy the sunset while taking some photographs.
Dinner and overnight at the Upis camp.
We will wake up early for breakfast and energize ourselves. After preparing our backpacks and the horses, we will follow the trail around the Ausangate glacier. This time, we will have to walk uphill to reach the Arapa pass at 4800 meters above sea level. From this point, we can observe the mountainous geography combined with different lagoons resulting from the glacier thaw.
Upon reaching the Arapa pass, we will begin to descend until we reach the Yanacocha lagoon, also known as the black lagoon. During our descent, we will be on the lookout for wildlife in the area. It is very likely that we will see chinchillas or vizcachas, and sometimes deer inhabit this area. With luck, we might even see vicuñas. The presence of the Andean condor, the largest flying bird in the world, is possible, so it's good to be attentive to any movement in the landscape.
We will have lunch upon reaching our camp, near the Hatun Puca Cocha lagoon. You will feel the peace that only these Andean landscapes can offer. In the late afternoon and evening, weather permitting, we may observe the stars in all their splendor. We will have a brief talk about constellations before dinner and rest.
This third day, we will recharge with a hearty breakfast, as it is the most demanding of our journey. After breakfast, we will ascend for 2 and a half hours to the Ausangate pass (4750 meters above sea level). From this point, the entire landscape gives us a colossal impression of the geography, making you feel small in comparison to the scenery. Next, we will begin to descend towards the Ausangate Cocha lagoon, where we will enjoy lunch amid the Ausangate and the lagoon. After a short break, we will continue ascending to Palomani pass at 5200 meters above sea level. Upon reaching the summit, we will have a short break to enjoy the scenery before continuing our journey.
After our break, we will continue, this time on a downhill trail, walking until we reach the Huchuy Finaya community located at 4650 meters above sea level. This community still maintains many ancestral traditions from the time of the Incas. We will make a small payment or offering to the mountain alongside its community members, expressing gratitude to Pachamama for allowing us to walk on its lands.
Finally, we will continue our journey with less complex features until we reach Sorapata, where our camp will be waiting for us. We will relax our bodies with hot drinks and rest after an intense day.
As every day, we will start early. After finishing breakfast, we will walk to Jampa pass for about 3 hours. The trail inclines as you progress, so we will have to walk progressively. While walking, we will have an impressive view of the Callangate glacier, the second-highest snow-capped mountain in southern Cusco after Ausangate. During our journey in this stage, we will again observe herds of llamas and alpacas grazing freely on the hills. Once we step on Jampa pass, we will begin to descend, crossing part of the 7 most popular lagoons in the Vilcanota mountain range.
Each lagoon has its peculiar name depending on its characteristics. We will have lunch amid the mountains and later reach a viewpoint that allows us to appreciate a large part of these turquoise lagoons. We will continue walking for about 2 more hours until we reach the community of Pacchanta. We will leave our backpacks and enjoy the medicinal and thermal waters of this village. We will celebrate our achievement of completing the Ausangate circuit and relax our bodies for as long as needed.
Dinner and overnight in Pacchanta.
After a 3-hour walk back to Tinqui, we will have time to explore this charming Andean town. Later, we will head back to Cusco in our private transportation, arriving around 18:00 hours, thus concluding our tour.
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