Ausangate Trek 5 days 4 nights - 5 Days

We’ll depart from Cusco very early in the morning, for our three-hour trip heading to the small town of Tinqui (3.800 meters / 12,464 feet). As Tinqui is located on the new Interoceanic highway, it can now be reached much faster than in previous years. We’ll pass through beautiful landscapes and several traditional villages such as Urcos, Cattca and Ocangate. After our lunch in Tinqui, we’ll continue our trip for 3 hours passing by a wonderful prelude of the magnificent landscape of the Vilcanota Range, with excellent views of Ausangate. We will walk two more hours until we reach the hot springs in Upis (4.400 meters / 14,432 feet), which offer fantastic views of Ausangate at the end of the valley. Here, we will camp overnight.

Meals: Lunch-Dinner

Area: Prelude to the Vilcanota Mountain Range.

Accommodation: Camp (in Upis (4.400 meters / 14,432 feet)

Distance: km/ miles ( 4-5 hours)

In the morning, we will cross the open Arapa pass (4.850 meters / 15,908 feet). From here, we’ll continue walking for 3,5 hours down the valley, passing the green lagoon of Puqa Q’ocha until we’ll reach the turquoise waters of the Jatun Puqa Q’ocha lagoon. Then, we will ascend the second pass, the Apuchata (4.900 meters / 16,072 ft), overlooking the impressive Ausangate Q’ocha lagoon and its turquoise blue waters. This lagoon feeds on the melting snow of the snow-capped Ausangate. Tonight, we’ll camp here.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch-Dinner

Area: Vilcanota Mountain Range

From the lagoon we’ll ascend to the open pass of Palomani (5.200 meters / 17,056 feet) – the highest point of our trek. From the open pass we’ll follow the trail to the valley where we can rest and have lunch. In the afternoon, you can enjoy the views of the snowy Tres Picos and Punta Puca. We will continue walking through the wide green valley of Pampa Jutunpata and up through the valley of the Q’ampa River. We’ll spend our third night in this area.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch-Dinner

Area: Vilcanota Mountain Range

After passing through the small community of Q’ampa, we’ll head northwest to the last open pass of this hike – the Q’ampa pass (5.000 meters / 16,400 feet). We will see several lagoons of different colors on our way, and we will have lunch next to Q’oma Q’ocha. After lunch, we will walk for several hours before reaching the small village of Pacchanta. There, you can enjoy the hot springs for a couple of hours and even have a well-deserved beer, if you like! We will set up a camp near Pacchanta and have the afternoon free to explore this interesting Andean village. (Tonight, you also have the option of staying in a basic hostel).

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch-Dinner

From Pacchanta it is a 3 hour trek back to Tinqui, where we will have time to explore this traditional Andean village before taking our private bus back to Cusco, arriving there at about 6:00 p.m.

Meals: Breakfast – Lunch-

Accommodation: n.a.

Distance: km/ miles (3 hours)