Ausangate Hikes: The Low-Down on Peru’s Most Spectacular Hiking Circuit.
If you want to reach for the sky during your adventures in Peru, the Ausangate to Rainbow Mountain trek is just what you need. No other hiking trail in the country will bring you as close to the mountain spirits as the Ausangate Cusco Circuit, making your Andean experience sacred and awe-inspiring.
Reach for the sky on this Cusco trek. The scenic trekking routes around Ausangate offer some of the most spectacular and remote hikes in all of Peru. If you fancy relaxing next to llamas, taking selfies by turquoise lakes and wandering in the shadow of Cusco’s highest peak, then come to Ausangate. The allure of Rainbow Mountain is also intoxicating and it’s in the same region, so if you fancy extending your Ausangate hike to include a visit to this colourful peak, that’s totally doable too!
Here’s a helpful overview of the Ausangate hike, so you know what to expect if you decide to take on the challenge.
Ausangate is located in the Vilcanota mountain range, about 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Cusco. Famous for having multiple peaks over 6000 m (19,685 ft), the Vilcanota mountain range is home to the highest mountain in the Cusco region – Ausangate.
Treks to Ausangate begin and end in the village of Tinki, which is a four-hour drive from Cusco, so it makes sense to spend some time exploring this Inca city before setting out on the trek. You can easily catch a flight from Lima to Cusco, so even though the trek is so remote, it’s actually surprisingly accessible.
The dry season, which runs from May to September, is the best time to do the Ausangate trek. During this time, there is more likely to be clear trails, blue skies, and warmer weather.
The rainy season is between October and April and with it comes, you guessed it!, lots of rain. This can turn to snow in the mountains and cause the trail to close for short periods of time.
We went in mid-June and had the most amazing weather, every day was sunny and blue skies and we only experienced hail/rain once just as we were setting up in our tents one night. The nights were cold, but the days were nice and warm and many times I was just in a tank top and leggings.
The beauty of this trek comes at a price: this is a high-altitude alpine hike that doesn’t go below 14,000 feet for a long time. While the hike itself can be quite strenuous, it’s the altitude that makes this hike challenging.
Properly preparing for such a high altitude is the key to having a successful hike. Hikers should not only be in excellent physical condition before attempting this hike, but they should also have taken adequate time to acclimatize in Cusco (at least 3 days is recommended).
On the Ausangate trek, altitude sickness is a real possibility, so it’s very important to take it seriously. It usually sets in above 2,000 m (6,566 ft), and symptoms of altitude sickness include headaches, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and dizziness. Left unchecked, they can lead to much more serious health problems. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately descend to a lower altitude. Coca leaves and coca tea may be offered to alleviate some of the discomfort, but the only way to properly recover is to go back down the mountain.
Most of the trails on the Ausangate treks are above 4,000 m (13,123 ft), so it’s imperative that hikers spend at least three days in Cusco to allow the body to acclimatize. This isn’t a huge hardship, as you’ll probably want to spend time exploring the ancient Incan capital anyway, visiting the churches and plaza on a walking tour. Cusco is much more than just the gateway to the Andes. (Check out our tips for spending 3 days in Cusco while you acclimatize)
