5 Day Backpacking Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain

Day 1 CUSCO – UPIS – YANACOCHA

1. 1

   Nevado Ausangate

   10 hours

   Early in the morning, our private transport will arrive with your guide to pick you up at your hotel and drive for 2.5 hours to Tinki, a small town where we can purchase items for our hike. Then we’ll continue driving for 30 more minutes to reach our departure point, Upis. In route we can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and pause to take photos, before reaching Upis where will start our official hike. The first section of our route is an ascent for a period of about 3 hours until we reach the Upis hot springs. Then we will begin an ascent for 20 minutes until we arrive at Arapa Pampa where we will break for lunch while enjoying a view of Ausangate. After lunch we will continue on our hike, ascending for 2 hours to the first pass, Arapa then starts a descent until our first campsite at Yanacocha. This campsite is a spectacular place for its proximity to Ausangate.
   Hike Duration:approx.6 hours
   Distance Traveled:12 km

Day 2 YANACOCHA – COMER COCHA — SUNSET AT RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

1. 1

   Vinicunca Mountain

   9 hours

   The morning begins with a long hike for 1.5 hours to then start the ascent to Apacheta Pass (5000m /16,404 ft) for 2 hours. This is the perfect place to enjoy a snack while we contemplate the impressive view of Ausangate and its beautiful lagoons.
   We will then start a descent for 1 hour and 30 minutes until we reach our lunch spot, Ananta (4650 m / 15,255 ft). There we will enjoy lunch in the mountains and then continue our ascent to the second pass, Warmi Saya (5000 m / 16040 ft) for 1 hour, to then descend for 30 minutes until our campsite at Qomercocha (4680 m / 15,354 ft). Here we will head to Rainbow Mountain (5050 m / 16,568 ft) for 1.5 hours of gradual ascent. We will enjoy a gorgeous sunset just for us before starting our 1-hour return back to camp.
   Hike Duration:9 hours
   Distance Traveled:16 km

Day 3 QOMER COCHA – PASSO PALOMANI – UCHUY PHYNAYA

1. 1

   Nevado Ausangate

   8 hours

   The third day is both the most beautiful and the most arduous of the trek. First, we will ascend to the Warmi Saya pass (5,000 m / 16,400 ft) for 1 hour, descend again to Ananta (4,650 m / 15,255 ft) for 1 hour, and continue a hike of small ups and downs for 2 more hours until we reach the Ausangate Cocha lake (4,700 m / 15,420 ft).
   There we will have lunch and then begin the highest ascent of the route, called Palomani Pass (5,130 m / 16,830 ft) for a duration of approximately 2 hours. From here we will have an exceptional view of the mountains and glaciers of Ausangate, and start our descent of 1.5 hours to the valley of Phynaya Pampa. After a long and challenging day, we will finally arrive at our campsite at Uchuy Phynaya (4,550 m / 14,928 ft). Here we will rest and recuperate our energy for the next day.
   Hike Duration: 8 hours
   Distance Traveled: 16 km

Day 4 UCHUY PHYNAYA PASO – JHAMPA – NINAPARAYOQ

1. 1

   Nevado Ausangate

   8 hours

   Today our day is more relaxed during the morning, so we will begin our hike a bit later because our lunch spot will be closer. We will start by walking a path where we can observe llamas, alpacas, mountains, and glaciers for the first 30 minutes of the hike. Then, we will begin a small ascent of approximately 1 hour where we will appreciate a gorgeous waterfall in the midst of stunning scenery.
   We will continue along the same path for 1.5 hours until our lunch site, Jhampapampa (4,700 m / 15, 420 ft). After lunch, we will start walking uphill for approximately 3 hours to arrive at our final pass, Jhampa (5080 m / 16667 ft). From there we can appreciate some mountain peaks, lakes, and glaciers. Then we will descend until Nina Parayoq for 1.5 hours, where we will have a high likelihood of seeing vicuñas and a great variety of alpacas, llamas, and lakes, and continue to be sheltered by glaciers and mountains.
   Hike Duration: 7 hours 30 mins
   Distance Traveled: 11 km

Day 5 NINAPARAYOQ – PACCHANTA – CUSCO

1. 1

   Nevado Ausangate

   8 hours

   Today is our last day on the mountain, our last day to enjoy the magical view of Ausangate and the striking lagoons of different colors and functions which we have been able to visit. After breakfast, we will descend to the Seven Lagoons, where we will enjoy a gorgeous view offered by the majestic Ausangate. After taking in the scenery at the Seven Lagoons, we will continue walking to our next site, called Pacchanta. Here, we can enjoy the natural hot springs in the middle of the mountain. After 5 days on the trail, you will enjoy relaxing your muscles in the hot springs and will have the opportunity to purchase some hand-made items produced by local artisans. We will have lunch and then board our private transport, and in 3 hours arrive back in Cusco where we will drop you off at your hotel.
   Not included: Entrance fee to the hot springs and additional personal expenses