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Day by day description
Day 1 CUSCO / OCONGATE / TINKI / QOÑAMURO (Sunday)
Pick-up at your hotel in Cusco. Leaving by vehicle southwards we arrive at
Huambutio and start
our winding ascent. From here we continue over a rolling landscape and at
the pass we view the
Cordillera Vilcanota on the horizon for the first time. Descend past the
village of Ccatca and
outlying communities to finally reach Ocongate and a chance for last minute
purchases. Continue
to Tinki where we set our first camp at 3,800 m. (12,464ft.), near Qoñamuro.
Day 2 QOÑAMURO / UPIS (Monday)
Start the day visiting a local family and their way of life at the community
of Q'oñamuro and then
continue across the wide open pampas above the tree line past small
settlements of herders and
weavers - their crafts will be on sale. As we slowly approach the northern
face of Mt. Ausangate
we will run into herds of alpacas. A crew of packhorses and llamas will
accompany us along the
way. Camp at Upis, with snow capped mountains around us at 4,400 m. (14,432
ft.(Trekking: 5-6
hours, Distance: 9kms).
Day 3 - UPIS/PUKACOCHA (Tuesday)
Our campsite is left below us as we slowly ascend up Upispampa, getting
closer to the north face
of Ausangate. An ascent up the Inkapampa valley brings us to the Arapa Pass
at 4,670 m. (15,318
ft.). We border and traverse the arid rolling landscape to then slowly
descend to the small lakes
past the valley of Samacancha to arrive at Lake Pucacocha below one of the
Ausangate glaciers -
a beautiful campsite at 4,575 m. (15,006 ft.). If we are lucky, we will hear
and see ice falling.
Above the campsite the rock spire Mt. Sorimana will stand guard. (Time: 7
hours, Distance: 8Kms)
Day 4 PUKACOCHA /PALOMANI/WANUWANU (Wednesday)
Leaving camp, a slow ascent will bring us to the Alcatani pass at 4,650 m.
(15,252 ft.). Here we
begin our descent to Ausangatecocha - a beautiful blue lake formed by the
melting glacier with a
view of the southern face covered with glacial formations. From
Ausangatecocha we start a steep
ascent to the Palomani pass at 5,050 m. (16,564 ft.). As we cross into the
valley of Machuraqay
we will see beautiful views of Mt. Mariposa with its cone peak. We descend
to Chillcaphinaya at
4,400 m. (14,432 ft.), a valley filled with grazing Alpacas. The surrounding
ridges of the Cordillera
Vilcanota have varying hues of rock, sand and reddish earth - a unique
Andean panorama. We
ascend to the large pampa of Wanu Wanu where we camp at 4,450 m. (14,596 ft.)
Day 5 - WANU WANU/NINAPARAYOC/PACCHANTA (Thursday)
Walking to the headwaters of WanuWanu, with Mt. Acero looming above us (also
known as
Huamantilla) we reach the run off from the glacier. As we begin our ascent
to the pass of Jampa,
Mt. Callangate, with its jagged spires covered in ice, dominates our trek as
we edge our way over
the pass at 4,950m. (16,236 ft) with its retreating glacier and ice-fields
beckoning us closer. We
have lunch at Pachapata. The ridge above offers a view of the Lake
Qomercocha and
Hamacocha. We traverse the ridge and enter the waterhead of Mt. Ninaparayoc
with its lake
below. A nice walk down this valley with Mt. Ausangate behind us - we have
now completed
almost a full circle around the mountain (camp and overnight). Rolling hills
now extend below us
as we hike into Pacchanta for a chance to visit the hot springs.
Day 6 NINAPARAYOC/PACCHANTA/TINKI/CUSCO (Friday)
Leaving the community by vehicle with a chance to buy local textiles, we
head towards Tinki
crossing the vast hills and fields that are settled by local campesinos,
until we reach Tinki. From
here we return to Cusco the way we came.
SERVICES INCLUDED: Transportation by vehicle to start and from the end of
trek to your city of
departure, two-man tents including sleeping pads, pack animals, kitchen crew
and commissary
gear with all meals included as well as a bilingual guide on the trek, who
will handle the first aid
kit.
SERVICES NOT INCLUDED: Meals in the cities, last hotel night (Day 6),
alcoholic beverages,
extras, tips, laundry service, additional tours, insurance and airline
tickets (where
applicable),sleeping bags, hiking boots and other personal gear
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