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Ausangate 7days / 6nights
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco - Tinqui
After breakfast we will take a 7-hour bus ride to the Andean village of Tinqui, at the foot of the Vilcanota "cordillera" (range). The road offers beautiful sceneries as we pass through the traditional villages of Urcos, Cattca and Ocongate. We will spend the night at a lodge in Tinqui and start the trek in the morning.
Day 2: Tinqui - Upis
After we load our equipment on the horses/mules, we will initiate our 5-hour uphill trek, crossing through "puna" (highland meadow, usually populated by llamas and alpacas), with outstanding views of the sacred Ausangate peak (6,372 m / 20,900 ft'). Many small homes and communities are located along the wide trail. Later in the afternoon we will reach our campsite near the hot springs of Upis. The enjoyment of the springs will depend on the water level.
Day 3: Upis - Lake Jatun Pucacocha
We will leave the camp and hike up to Arapa pass at (4,850 m / 15912 ft) in the morning. A gradual descent will bring us to a group of lakes in the next valley. Along the way we may see llamas and alpacas being tended by local shepherds dressed in traditional clothing. We will continue down this valley for approx. 3½ hours until we reach the gorgeous turquoise Laguna Jatun Pucacocha, where we will set up camp, directly beneath the southwest side of the Ausangate. The views of Ausangate are particularly close up and spectacular. From the campsite you can climb the small ridge north of the camp to see Lake Vinococha. Camping beside Jatun Pucacocha, you may be awakened by the dramatic sound of large chunks of ice falling into the lake. This campsite is high and will probably be cold too.
Day 4: Lake Jatun Pucacocha - Pampacancha
We begin this spectacular but challenging day by crossing Apuchata Pass (4,900 m / 15,908 ft). This lake is fed from the melting snow of Ausangate. After descending past the frozen turquoise waters of Ausangatecocha (“Ausangate Lake”), we regain the altitude we lost as we climb the edge of a glacier moraine to reach the highest point of our trek at Alto Palomani Pass (5,200 m / 17,000 ft). The silence of this remote wilderness area is inspiring. Standing on the south shoulder of Ausangate, we have an excellent view of the Santa Catalina peak (5,808 m /19,060 ft). As we enter the next watershed on a narrow but safe trail, we may see small herds of vicuñas (wild and graceful relatives of llamas who produce some of the finest wool in the world and were revered by the Incas). We continue hiking steeply downhill to our next camp set near the shepherds’ huts at Pampacancha, enjoying the awesome views as we lose elevation.
Day 5: Pampacancha - Comer Cocha
Compared to the previous days, this one should prove relatively easy. During the morning we will see the snow-capped peaks of Tres Picos (6,093 m / 19,990 ft) and Puca Punta (5,670 m / 18,602 ft). We will continue east through the broad green valley of Pampa Jutunpata and up the Rio Campa valley, where we might find viscachas (rodents similar to rabbits), vicuñas and other wildlife. After passing through the small community of Campa and Laguna Ticllacocha (4,850 m / 15,912 ft), we will continue northwest to the final pass of this hike, Abra Campa (5,000 m / 16,404 ft), providing spectacular views of Nevado Puca Punta, Collpa Cruz (5,960 m / 19,553 ft) and Collpa Ananta (6110 m / 20,045 ft). At the pass the trail heads through the long slope of Quebrada Caycohuayjo and emerges above several colored lakes, the last one being Comer Cocha. We will camp beside its greenly turquoise waters.
Day 6: Comer Cocha - Pacchanta
This is another fairly easy day. We will take an approx. 2½-hour hike descending towards the small village of Pacchanta. We will spend the afternoon exploring the village and relaxing in the hot springs, with snow-capped mountains in the background. We'll set up camp near Pacchanta.
Day 7: Pacchanta - Tinqui - Cusco
After a 3-hour hike to Tinqui, where we will leave our muleteers, cook and helpers, we will take the bus back to Cusco, returning late in the afternoon.
Included:
- An informative presentation of the trek (the evening before)
- Round trip transportation by bus to Tinqui village
- All meals (plentiful, nutritious meals—includes pancakes, omelets, soups, fresh fruit, avocado, pasta, chicken, fish, meat, rice, all rich in carbohydrates and suitable for trekking. Vegetarian option available)
- Snacks and hot drinks, including coca leave tea (excellent for altitude sickness)
- Emergency oxygen bottle and a first aid kit (traveler's diarrhea, cuts/ scrapes, etc.)
- Toilet paper
- Tent (Igloo tents - 2 persons in each 4-person capacity with plenty of space for your backpacks) and mattress
- Camping equipment (kitchen and dining tents, camp tables)
- Drinking water throughout the trek (filtered with Rotoplas system)
- Packhorses/mules to carry food, cooking equipment, camping equipment and extra gear (Extra horses/mules may be hired upon request for approx. $15 each. They carry a maximum of 25 kg (55 lbs) each)
- Muleteers, cook and helpers
- Professional English-speaking local guide
Not included:
- Tips for the guide, muleteers, cook and helpers
What to bring:
- Medium size back pack for hiking and another bag for extra gear to be loaded on horse
- Sleeping bag (light and warm)
- Good and well-fitted trekking shoes
- Change of clothes for the whole period of the trek (Recommended “safari” type with pockets and cargo pants with detachable legs.)
- Very warm and light clothes for evening and night: jacket, polar fleece, sweaters, thermal underpants…
- Warm gloves, scarf & socks
- Sunglasses
- Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold
- Rain plastic poncho all year and good rain gear for rain season (November to March)
- Personal toiletry (incl. towel, wipes, tissues…) and sunscreen, lip balm, band-aids (special for blisters), aspirin, etc.
- Insect repellent (very important, especially in rain season) and afterbite
- One or two refillable water bottles and sterilizing tablets (e.g. Micropur)
- Flashlight and batteries
- Camera and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions)
- Snacks: dried fruit, nuts, energy bars, chocolate, biscuits, etc.
- Swimsuit (for the hot springs)
- Cash in Soles and US $ (There are ATM machines in Cusco – Carry plenty of small bills for tipping purposes, drinks, snacks, etc. Change is very hard to get)
- Photocopy of you passport. We recommend leaving the original passport in a safety box at your hotel. If there is no safety box, then bring it with you too.
- Optional: walking sticks or poles (rubber covers required)
Note: We recommend you travel “light” (8 kg–18 lb max) since you will carry your personal items for the day.
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Trekking
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Adventure
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Rainforest