Ausangate to Rainbow Mountain Trek 4D/3N

DAY 1: CUSCO – TINKI – UPIS HOT SPRINGS 

Day 1 begins with pick up at 5 a.m from your hotel in Cusco.

Your private transportation will then take you on a 3-hour drive through the picturesque towns and valleys of the Peruvian Andes, until you reach the town of Tinki. 

Upon arrival in Tinki, you will say goodbye to your driver, eat a freshly prepared breakfast courtesy of our Andean chef, and load the horses up with your belongings.

After breakfast, you will follow your guide along the trail for 3-hours, passing by communities of Quechua speaking locals and their resident alpacas and llamas. Around midday you will stop for lunch, and then continue on for 2 hours until you reach the settlement of Upis and their beautiful Hot Springs at 4,200 m / 13,779 ft.

The afternoon is then yours to bathe your chilly bones in the waters of the hot springs, amidst the backdrop of the snow-capped peak of Ausangate. After which, you will set up camp and enjoy a freshly cooked dinner, prepared by your personal chef.

• Minimum altitude : 3,800 m / 12, 464 ft
• Maximum altitude : 4,400 m / 14,432 ft
• Walking distance : 12 km / 7.5 miles
• Walking time : 6-7 hours

DAY 2: UPIS – ARAPA PASS – PUCACOCHA 

Day 2 will begin with breakfast at 5:30am at the Upis camp.

After breakfast, you will begin the 3-hour hike to the Arapa Pass. The trail winds round the feet of the majestic Ausangate mountain range, eventually ascending up to the summit at 4,850 m / 15,908 ft. At the top you will be treated to stunning views of the snow-capped peak of Ausangate and its encompassing desert like hills.

After reaching the summit, you will descend for 1-hour until you reach the lunch place, followed by a 3-hour hike along the shores of the 3 glacial lakes of Hatun, Pucacocha, and Qomercocha. The water of the lakes boasts tones of reds, greens, and turquoises as the glacial melting sends it down waterfalls, flowing into the lagoons.

The Pucacocha campsite at 4,650m / 15,255 ft will be your resting place for the night. After an 8-hour hike, you will sleep soundly under the shadow of the hanging glaciers, surrounded by grazing alpacas and the Ausangate mountain range.

• Minimum altitude : 4,100 m / 13,448 ft
• Maximum altitude : 4,850 m / 15,908 ft
• Walking distance : 12 km / 7.5 miles
• Walking time : 7-8 hours

DAY 3: PUCACOCHA – AUSANGATE PASS – WARMISAYA PASS – SURINE COCHA

Day 3 will begin at 5:30am with breakfast and a hot cup of coca tea at the Pucacocha campsite.

With the promise of the colours of the Rainbow Mountain on the horizon, you will start the most beautiful day of the tour with a 90 minute ascent to the Ausangate Pass at 4,930 m / 16,170 ft. From this vantage point you will be treated to a stunning view of Apu Ausangate and its hanging glaciers amongst the deep green of the Chilca valley.

The 90 minute descent down the opposing side of the valley, will bring you to the settlement of the Alccatauri community at 4,400 m / 14,435 ft. This rural mountain village will offer you a unique insight into the humble life of the villagers, who live in adobe huts amongst the treeless landscape of the Anantapata valley. As a token of appreciation for the hospitality of the residents, you will offer a donation of Coca leaves to your hosts. A valuable gift to the natives since it cannot be cultivated in the cold climate of the mountains, but is considered a staple of their existence to cope with the altitude here. Whilst in the valley, you will also stop for lunch in the Anantapata Lodge.

After enjoying a hearty lunch at the lodge, you’ll ascend up a llama trail for 90 minutes until you reach the Abra Warmisaya Pass at 5,050 m / 16,568 ft. The summit is the highest point of the trail so far, and a first chance to catch a glimpse of the mountain of 7 colours. The endless expanse of skyscraper mountains and alpine lakes all around you will give you a sense of floating above the world. As you contemplate your surroundings atop the summit, you’ll gift what remaining Coca leaves you have left to the sacred Mother Earth, Pachamama.

With a camera full of photos of that spectacular view, you will descend for 1-hour down to the Surine Cocha camp on the shores of the Surine Lagoon at 4,800 m / 15,748 ft.

• Minimum altitude : 4,400 m / 14,435 ft
• Maximum altitude : 5,050 m / 16,568 ft
• Walking distance : 12 km / 7.5 miles
• Walking time : 8-9 hours

DAY 4: SURINE COCHA – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN – QUESIUNO VILLAGE – CUSCO 

Day 4 will begin at 5am with breakfast and a hot cup of coca tea at the Surine Cocha camp.

As you watch the sunrise over the Vinicunca Valley, you will ascend for 2-hours until you reach the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint at 5,040 m / 16,535 ft. With an hour or so until the crowds begin to arrive from Cusco, you will have plenty time to befriend the magic of Vinicunca in peace.

As you snap the souvenir photos you came for, your guide will take you on a journey through the history of the mountain and the millions of years of geology that formed the layers into the colours we see today. After which, you will be guided a further 40 minutes along the trail to the Red Valley viewpoint.

Although only a short climb from Rainbow Mountain, the Mirador del Valle Rojo is not popular with tourists, therefore will almost certainly feel like an exclusive experience. Nonetheless it is absolutely worth the effort and will have you feeling like you’ve stepped onto another planet in no time. Thanks to the bright red oxidized soil and endless barren hills, the Red Valley appear almost Mars-like. And the 360° vista of Ausangate and Rainbow Mountain, makes this astonishing viewpoint one of the best in the regioin.

The final leg of the tour thereafter, is a 2-hour descent to the Quesiuno Village, where you will have a well-earned lunch and bundle in your private transport for the 3.5 hour drive back to Cusco. Arrival time at your hotel in Cusco is approx 6pm.

• Maximum altitude : 5,040 m / 16,535 ft
• Walking distance : 10 km / 6.2 miles
• Walking time : 5-6 hours