The AUSANGATE Glacier is the fifth highest mountain in Peru with an altitude of 6,380 masl / 20,931 feet. It is one of the most impressive treks in the Andes and is especially for lovers of hiking, nature, flora and fauna and the beautiful mountains and glaciers that this Andean paradise offers.

Discover the INCA TRAIL that crosses these mountain ranges where you can see beautiful lagoons of different colors that adorn the valleys and meet closely the people with their multicolored traditional costumes, passing through small villages that are in the foothills of these impressive mountains and walk in the company of the glacier all the time, amid large herds of alpacas and llamas that decorate the landscapes accompanied by small rivers and waterfalls along the hike and end the adventure in the warm hot springs of Pacchanta.

We will share with you our culture, history and traditions that our ancestors left us and we will make an offering with coca leaves at the highest point of the trek, the Palomani pass (5,200 m.a.s.l. / 17,060 ft.). From here you will be able to see the chain of mountain ranges that surround the imposing AUSANGATE GLACIER. If you like to hike near glaciers, snow-capped mountains, stargazing, being surrounded by nature and being away from the daily routine, this adventure is for you. Enjoy the maximum freedom, feel the energy of mother earth, breathe the pure air and feel how your spirit connects with the mountains and the sky in this magical place that we catalogued as…

AUSANGATE, THE PARADISE OF THE ANDES.

ITINERARY AT A GLANCE

Itinerary

Day 1

Cusco – Ocongate – Tinke – Upis – Hot Spring

In the morning we will travel to the starting point of the trek and arrive at Upis camp where we will spend the first night and have the opportunity to visit the thermal baths of the place.

 Day 2

Upis – Lake Wayna Ausangate – Arapa Pass – Huchuymayu – Lake Pukacocha

. We will visit the first lagoon located at the foot of the Ausangate Glacier, a place that was used as a ceremonial center for rituals, and then we will climb to the first high point of the hike to reach the second camp.

Day 3

Pucacocha Lake – Pucca Pass – Ausangate Valley – Ausangate Cocha

We will walk to our next camp and on the way you will be able to appreciate the lagoons that surround this imposing glacier. You will be able to visit one of these lagoons and see the trout that inhabit this turquoise lake.

Day 4

Ausangate Cocha – Palomani Pass – Huchuy Pinaya – Jampa Pass – Pachaspata

Enjoy the landscapes and mountains that surround the place and admire this landscape adorned with lagoons of different colors and the vicuñas that inhabit these valleys in the Andes of the city of Cusco.

Day 5

Pachaspata – 7 lakes – Pacchanta – Cusco

You will see 7 lagoons with different colors and we will have time to rest and admire these places painted by nature. Then we will arrive at the camp for lunch and then we will return to the city of Cusco.

The AUSANGATE Glacier is the fifth highest mountain in Peru with an altitude of 6,380 masl / 20,931 feet. It is one of the most impressive treks in the Andes and is especially for lovers of hiking, nature, flora and fauna and the beautiful mountains and glaciers that this Andean paradise offers.

Discover the INCA TRAIL that crosses these mountain ranges where you can see beautiful lagoons of different colors that adorn the valleys and meet closely the people with their multicolored traditional costumes, passing through small villages that are in the foothills of these impressive mountains and walk in the company of the glacier all the time, amid large herds of alpacas and llamas that decorate the landscapes accompanied by small rivers and waterfalls along the hike and end the adventure in the warm hot springs of Pacchanta.

We will share with you our culture, history and traditions that our ancestors left us and we will make an offering with coca leaves at the highest point of the trek, the Palomani pass (5,200 m.a.s.l. / 17,060 ft.). From here you will be able to see the chain of mountain ranges that surround the imposing AUSANGATE GLACIER. If you like to hike near glaciers, snow-capped mountains, stargazing, being surrounded by nature and being away from the daily routine, this adventure is for you. Enjoy the maximum freedom, feel the energy of mother earth, breathe the pure air and feel how your spirit connects with the mountains and the sky in this magical place that we catalogued as…

AUSANGATE, THE PARADISE OF THE ANDES.

Day 1

Cusco – Ocongate – Tinke – Upis – Hot Spring

We start the day at 5:00 a.m. and we will pick you up from your hotel in our private transportation and head towards the community of Tinke (4,200 m.a.s.l. / 13,779 ft.). The trip will take approximately 3 hours and you will be able to observe the high Andean villages along the way or you can simply rest and sleep the whole way.

Once there we will have a nutritious breakfast prepared by our field team of cooks and muleteers who will accompany us throughout the hike. After getting ready and having everything ready we will start with the adventure. The first part of the hike will be uphill through small villages, local people with picturesque costumes and potato plantations until we reach a fork from where the road will be flatter. From this place we will be able to observe alpacas and llamas grazing in all the plain. Then we will arrive to the small village of Upis (4.400 m.a.s.l. / 14.435 ft.), where we will have a delicious buffet lunch and after enjoying it you can rest in our tents exclusively made to withstand the different climates and temperatures that are experienced in the mountains. Remember that all the time we will be in front of the AUSANGATE GLACIER and that the camp is located in front of this natural monument.

Later you will have the opportunity to relax in the small thermal baths and then we will have happy hour (hot drinks, milk, chocolate, coffee accompanied by snacks and popcorn) and to finish the day savor a delicious buffet dinner with the best Cuzco and Peruvian food to delight your palate. Remember that in all our camps you will have the opportunity to admire the stars and constellations that adorn the Andean sky.

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Distance: 10 km / 6.213 mi.

Hiking time: 4 – 5 hours

Starting elevation: 4,200 m.a.s.l. / 13,779 ft.

Highest Elevation: 4,400 m.a.s.l. / 14,435 ft.

Camp elevation: 4,400 m.a.s.l. / 14,435 ft.

Difficulty: moderate

Day 2

Upis – Lake Wayna Ausangate – Arapa Pass – Huchuymayu – Lake Pukacocha

We start the day by waking you up with a hot coca tea in your tent. Then you will have time to pack your backpack and after a nutritious buffet breakfast we will be ready to start.

We will start the hike through the plains in the direction of the Wayna Ausangate Lake (4,500 m.a.s.l. / 14,763 ft.). Where you will have the opportunity to touch with your own hands the crystal clear water that has this attraction located at the foot of the glacier and you will have time to record and take all the pictures you want while we share very important information, you can also see a circular construction in which many shamans come to make their ceremonies and offerings to this mystical place. Don’t worry we will do it at the highest point of our hike.

Then we will return to the road and start climbing towards the Arapa pass (4,800 m.a.s.l. / 15,748 ft.). You will be able to observe the valleys that surround this place and the snow-capped peaks in the distance. We will continue walking over these peaks for approximately one hour and then descend to Huchuymayu where our cooks will be waiting for us with a comforting buffet lunch and then we will have time to rest.

Then we will continue with a small descent to reach the lake of Pukacocha so you can rest and take pictures of all this natural environment. Then we will cross a river and begin the ascent to our camp at Hatun Pucacocha (4,650 m.a.s.l. / 15,255 ft.), which lasts about one hour and thirty minutes. There our camping equipment will be waiting for us, ready for you to settle in and rest. Afterwards we will have happy hour and before resting we will treat you to an exquisite buffet dinner and after the next day’s briefing you can go to rest. 

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Distance: 14 km / 8.699 mi.

Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours

Starting elevation: 4,400 m.a.s.l. / 14,435 ft.

Highest Elevation: 4,800 m.a.s.l. / 15,748 ft.

Camp Elevation: 4.650 m.a.s.l. / 15.255 ft.

Difficulty: moderate

Day 3

Pucacocha Lake – Pucca Pass – Ausangate Valley – Ausangate Cocha

We will wake you up with a hot coca tea and then you can prepare your trekking equipment and enjoy a nutritious breakfast to start the day with a lot of strength.

 We begin the hike with a one hour and thirty minute ascent to the Pucca Pass (4,850 m.a.s.l. / 15,9120 ft.). This climb will be a bit steep, so take all the time you want to get to the top. The effort will be well rewarded because from this point of the hike you will be able to see the majestic AUSANGATE GLACIER face to face.

From here you will have a panoramic view of the valleys of Anantapata and Ausangate. You will be able to see all the lagoons with their different colors that are at the foot of the glacier. Also the great mountain ranges with their snowy peaks that adorn all these valleys decorated with different colors, and do not forget to look among its plains to a wild animal that is found inhabiting these places and normally stop in herds, the famous Vicuña of the Andes. This will be an important point in the whole tour because you will have the opportunity to see in all its beauty one of the most impressive natural wonders of the Andes, THE GLACIER OF AUSANGATE (6,380 m.a.s.l. / 20,931 ft.). It will be the best place to meditate and connect with mother nature and feel all the energy of the Andes while you observe in all its grandeur to this glacier that protects with its great mantles of valleys, rivers and mountains to all living beings that inhabit all these lands.

AUSANGATE, known as the maximum guardian and protector of the city of CUSCO, was a place of pilgrimage where ceremonies and offerings were made as the Apachetas (small stone towers), which were loaded from the base of these mountains to the highest part of the roads and left there as our respect, appreciation and admiration.

Do not lose sight of the blue sky that covers with its mantle all the Andes, cradle of the sacred bird of the Incas, the condor. Considered a sacred bird in Andean mythology for being the spiritual messenger between our land and the deities that are in the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars…

After having been in this magical and mystical place and having recharged the energy of nature, we will continue a descent of one hour to reach the valley and from there it will be a small climb to reach our lunch spot. Rest and savor the rich dishes prepared by our mountain cooks with a great variety of Andean food. Then we will continue climbing until we reach the Ausangate pass (4,780 m.a.s.l. / 15,682 ft.). From there we will begin our descent to our camp located in Ausangate Cocha (4,500 m.a.s.l. / 14,763 ft.). After a warm drink and a comforting dinner we will go to our tents to sleep.

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Distance: 10 km. / 6.213 mi.

Hiking time: 7 – 8 hours

Starting elevation: 4,400 m.a.s.l. / 14,435 ft.

Highest elevation: 4,850 m.a.s.l. / 15,912 ft.

Difficulty: Moderate

Day 4

Ausangate Cocha – Palomani Pass – Huchuy Pinaya – Jampa Pass – Pachaspata

After waking up with coca tea and having your things ready, we will enjoy a hearty breakfast, and then we will be ready to continue with our adventure in the Andes.

We will start with a climb of approximately 2 hours to the summit. This will be a zigzagging and somewhat steep climb. When you reach the top you will feel how your senses connect and harmonize with the environment. Congratulations, you are now at the highest point of the entire hike, the Palomani Pass (5,200 m.a.s.l. / 17,060 ft.). Relax and enjoy the landscapes, valleys and mountain ranges that you will be able to observe from this place. While you rest we will share with you one of our most important traditions, an offering with the sacred coca leaves. Connect your soul and spirit with these mountains that were considered sacred by our ancestors and feel the pure breeze of the Andes while you touch the sky.

After this magical moment and having taken the souvenir photos we will begin to descend to our lunch spot, Huchuy Pinaya (4,650 m.a.s.l. / 15,255 ft.). Taste a varied buffet lunch and hot drinks, do not worry because after lunch you will have time to rest and take a nap.

 Then we will continue with the tour through the small valleys of the place and you can observe a large waterfall that comes from the Ausangate glacier. You can see how many alpacas and llamas are grazing in all these places accompanied by herds of sheep surrounded by small streams. We will continue with the ascent to the second highest peak, the Jampa Pass (5,000 m.a.s.l. / 16,404 ft.). Another of the most beautiful places of the tour where you can admire the different glaciers that surround Ausangate. You will admire closely this natural beauty with small lagoons on the edge of the snow-capped mountains and you will see large Apachetas (stone towers left by travelers as an offering). Admire the beauty of this part of the mountains.

Once ready we will start descending until we reach our campsite in Pachaspata (4,700 m.a.s.l. / 15,419 ft.). After some hot drinks and a nutritious dinner we will go to our tents to rest, where we will spend our last night in the mountains.

Comidas: desayuno, almuerzo y cena

Distancia: 15 km / 9.320 mi.

Tiempo de caminata: 7 – 8 horas

Elevación inicial: 4.500 m.s.n.m. / 14.763 ft.

Elevación más alta: 5.200 m.s.n.m. / 17.060 ft.

Dificultad: Desafiante

Day 5

Pachaspata – 7 lakes – Pacchanta – Cusco

We start the day in the middle of the mountains accompanied by alpacas, llamas and after our breakfast we will begin with today’s hike.

We will follow a path marked by stones that will take us downhill through meadows until we reach the famous place known as 7 lagoons (considered a new tourist attraction that today many people do in a day hike and of course is part of our tour). This place has lagoons of different dimensions and colors and each one of them has a peculiar name that we will share with you at that moment. These places are frequented by shamans who come from far away to make ceremonies and offerings to the water. Then we will continue along the path that has been preserved by the people of the area where you will see stone constructions, cross small streams and have the opportunity to see the Andean rabbit, the vizcachas (chinchilla family).

When we finish descending we will arrive to the town of Pacchanta (4.200 m.a.s.l. / 13.779 ft.). and we will be able to enjoy the thermal baths that this magical place offers, located in the slopes of the mountain ranges and with the landscape of the majestic GLACIER OF AUSANGATE in the background.

Then enjoy the last lunch in the mountains and after a rest we will be ready to board our private transportation to return to the city of Cusco.

All the effort will be rewarded with the memories of all that you lived and enjoyed in this great adventure through the Andes and we are sure that you will take the best memories for a lifetime.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Distance: 7 km / 4,349 mi.

Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours

Starting elevation: 4,700 m.a.s.l. / 15,419 ft.

Final elevation: 4,200 m.a.s.l. / 13,779 ft.

Difficulty: Moderate

WHAT IS INCLUDED?
HIGH QUALITY SERVICE AND SAFETY
– Briefing:
One day before your trip you will meet with your guide to learn more about the itinerary you will take on this adventure. You will also get to know the most important information about the day to day of the trip. We will give you your duffel bag where you can put the extra things you will need during the trip. Remember that in this meeting you can talk about the different options or food restrictions you have.
– Professional mountain guides:
All our guides are graduates of the most important universities and institutes of Cusco. They are chosen for their great experience, responsibility, professionalism and above all for the great passion and pride they have for our history and culture. They will be proud to share with you everything related to our ancestors. They will make sure that your trip will be unforgettable. Your safety is guaranteed from the moment we pick you up in Cusco until we drop you off at your hotel at the end of the trip.
– First aid kit:
Our guides are specialists in first aid, rescue and evacuation if necessary. Because they have specialized training and are certified by the international red cross. They are highly trained and will always have a first aid kit and oxygen for any emergency. Your safety is guaranteed with us.

– Camping equipment:
We have the best logistic equipment for our trips such as eureka and the north face high mountain tents (3 and 4 seasons). Made especially to withstand the most intense climates of the mountains. We also have dining tents, kitchen tents, kitchenware and utensils. For you to spend comfortable moments at meal times.
Meals: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners.
Our high mountain chef is trained to cook and please you with the most delicious Peruvian and Cusquenian food. As well as the tastiest drinks, snacks and desserts that will leave you satisfyingly happy. Food options such as vegans, vegetarians or any restrictions are no problem for our cooks and will not have an additional cost.
– Snacks:
Every morning before the hike you will be provided with snack, fruits, cookies, chocolates, candies, So you can enjoy them during the hike.
– Water:
We have a water filter especially for use in the mountains. Each morning we will provide you with cold boiled purified water so you can fill your bottle or camell back. You will have the option to refill more water at lunch and dinner time, as you require.

Wake-up tea.
Every morning we will wake you up with a hot drink of your choice, tea, coffee or coke. Our guide will bring this drink to your tent for a warm start to the day and then you will have time to prepare the things you will use during the trek.
Happy hour.
In the afternoons after arriving at our camp we will have happy hour (hot drinks, tea, coffee, milk, chocolate), and some snacks (cookies, crackers, popcorn). At this time we can talk about the day and look forward to a delicious dinner before resting.
For hygiene.
A small towel and soap will be provided before each meal for hand hygiene.
Transportation: private service from door to door.

We know that the most important thing on your vacation is your well-being and safety and that is why we organize our trips with the utmost care, because the most important thing for us is you.
Our experience offers you safety, comfort, good service and the satisfaction of our clients is our letter of introduction. If you have any questions write to us and we will be happy to help you so that all your doubts are clearly resolved.

Acclimatization.

Travelers arrive from different parts of the world, from different altitudes and even from sea level for this the recommendation is to arrive 2 or 3 days before to the city of Cusco (3,400 m.a.s.l. / 11,154 ft.). The altitude, the flight time and the time change can affect you especially if it is your first time in our city. No special training is required for this adventure, but acclimatization is recommended before starting the hike. We have alternatives before you travel. Day hikes for better acclimatization, we recommend some of them.

City tour

Sacred Valley

Salt mines of Maras and Moray

Mountain of colors, Vinicunca

Colored mountain, Palcoyo

Waqrapucara

Seven lakes, Ausangate

Queswachaca, Inca bridge

Biking, horse riding, rafting, zip line and more…

We have a special promotion for you that you will love, contact us right now and get an offer for the tour of your choice.

Informative meeting.

This meeting is very important, to share with you the information of the trek, day by day. Normally it is one day before the trip and the duration is 30 to 40 minutes. We will coordinate to choose the best place to meet you. Remember that the itinerary on the mountain about the next day will be at the time of dinner, to have the most clear information about all the days.

Duffel bag.

At the time of the briefing we will provide you with a duffel bag where you can put the extra things you will need for the trip, pants, polo shirts, socks, shoes, etc.

The capacity of the duffel bags is (7 kg. / 15.432 lb.), per person. Feel confident about the safety of your luggage and the inclement mountain weather because we have plastic to protect them from dust and rain.

Extra luggage.

If you have luggage that you are not going to use during the trip, don’t worry because you can leave it with us. We have a special storage room for your extra luggage and we will pick it up when you start the trek and return it when you finish your adventure. It is totally free and it is part of our service.

Door to door service.

Before starting the trip we will pick you up from your hotel, hostel or air b&b with our private transportation (if you are a little far from the city center or your accommodation has narrow streets to reach with our mobility we will coordinate it with you). We do not want any mishap to happen before, during and after the trip and that is why we will always be with you.

Feel free to ask all the questions you want to know, we will be happy to clarify all your doubts and concerns.

Important things to bring on the hike.

Cash (Souvenirs, Drinks, Snacks and Tips)

Water Bottles or Camelbaks

Sunscreen (SPF 50+)

Mosquito Repellent

WipesHand sanitizer

Hat

Snacks

CLOTHING

Hiking Pants (2)

T.Shirt (2-3)

Hiking Underwear and Socks Sets (4)

Warm Jacket

Thermal Fleece

Comfortable Hiking Boots

Waterproof Jacket / Rain Poncho

Wool Hat (Bennie)

Sneakers or Sandals (To wear at the Camp)

Waterproof Gloves

Towel (Quick Dry)

EQUIPMENT

Sleeping Bag

Trekking Backpack

Trekking Poles

Power Bank

Plastic Bags

Head Flashlight