Ausangate Trek (5 days)

In the morning we pick you up at your hotel and start our journey to the village of Upis, the starting point of the trek, passing several traditional villages and enjoying some of the most beautiful sceneries that Peru has to offer. We arrive in Upis in the afternoon and check in our hotel where you can relax and enjoy a relaxing bath in the thermal waters near the hotel.

Today we start our hiking to the Arapa pass at 4,850m / 15,900ft. Then we continue the hike down the valley in the afternoon, passing the green lake of Puqa Q’ocha, until we reach our first camp at the beautiful turquoise Lake Jatun Puqa Q’ocha where we spend the night. At night you might hear the sound of ice breaking away from a nearby glacier and falling into the water of the lake – a really special atmosphere.

In the morning we’ll ascend the second pass of Apuchata (4,900m / 16,070ft) with the turquoise Laguna Ausangate below which is fed from the melting snow of Ausangate. From the lake we’ll climb to the Palomani pass, the highest point of the trek, at 5,200m / 17,060ft. We follow the trail into the next valley and arrive our campsite at Pampacancha.

We start hiking with the snow-capped peaks of the Tres Picos and Puca Punta in sight. Along the trail between the broad green valleys of Pampa Jutunpata and the Rio Q’ampa valley you can observe the delightful viscacha, a small rodent that looks like a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit. You may also be lucky enough to see groups of Andean camelids like vicuñas. The trail continues North West to the final pass of this hike, the Q’ampa pass at 5,000m / 16,400ft. We’ll descend for a couple of hours and camp besides the green turquoise lake Q’oma Q’ocha..

Today we start our last trek for about 2½ hours to the small Andean village of Pacchanta. There you can rest and relax in the hot thermal springs for a couple of hours, maybe have a well-deserved beer and enjoy a nice meal in this interesting Andean village. In the afternoon we’ll return to Cusco by bus.