DAY 1: CUSCO TO UPIS COMMUNITY

This adventure generally begins with your transfer from Cusco to the village of Upis; a 3 hours trip; where you will be met with a hot drink. A local family will demonstrate the extraction of milk to prepare breakfast. You will also observe the processing of local dairy products.

Then, you will travel for 15 minutes in a vehicle to the community of Marampaqui where you will have an Andean cooking class based on local organic products. You will enjoy a lunch made by the locals and yourself.

The next activity will be to visit the community of Pinchimuro, a 15 minutes drive away. In this community, you will be witness of the manufacture of garments from the fiber of alpacas and vicunas. A unique experience. You will return to the community of Upis to be explained about the cultivation and harvesting of the potato, typical tuber of the region.

At the end of the day, you will share with a local family a typical dinner and spend the night at their home.

Walk distance: 0 mi/ 0 km

Min altitude: 11,286 ft / 3,440 m

Max altitude: 12,395 ft / 3,778 m

Aprox. Time: 5 hrs (by car)

Difficult level: Easy

DAY 2: UPIS HOT SPRINGS – HUAYNA AUSANGATE

After breakfast, you will meet the trekking staff with whom you will share this exciting adventure. You will hike for 3 hours until you reach the thermal baths of Upis where you can enjoy its hot transparent waters. There you will also have lunch prepared by your trekking chef. The view that you will have from this place of Ausangate is very impressive.

After lunch and a short rest, you will continue your hike for 3 more hours until you reach the Huayna Ausangate camp, where you will have dinner and spend the night. The route is full of imposing Andean landscapes with beautiful lagoons on its slopes, as well as wildlife observation.

Walk distance: 6.2 mi/ 10 km

Min altitude: 12,395 ft / 3,778 m

Max altitude: 14,700 ft / 4,480 m

Aprox. Time: 5 hrs

Difficult level: Moderate

DAY 3: HUAYNA AUSANGATE LAGOON – ARAPA PASS – HATUN PUCACOCHA

You will wake up in the middle of the Peruvian Andes, with a hot drink as part of your breakfast and with the imposing view of Ausangate. You will begin a 3 hour ascent to the Arapa pass at 15,770 feet. The views from the pass are breathtaking, with snow-capped peaks and colorful lagoons. With a lot of luck you will be able to see condors flying overhead. Then, you will begin the descent, passing by the Yanacocha lagoon until you reach the Hatun Pucacocha lagoon camp, where you will spend your third night of trekking.

Walk distance: 6.8 mi/ 11 km

Min altitude: 12,395 ft / 3,778 m

Max altitude: 15,770 ft / 4,806 m

Aprox. Time: 8 hrs

Difficult level: Moderate

DAY 4: HATUN PUCACOCHA – AUSANGATE PASS – PALOMANI PASS – SORAPATA

This day of trekking will be the most challenging of all, you will reach the highest point of the entire trek, the Palomani Pass, located over 16,814 feet. After an energetic breakfast, you will begin a 3 hours’ ascent to the Ausangate pass, located at 15,500 feet and with spectacular views of the Vilcanota mountain range. From here you will descend to the Ausangate Cocha lagoon, where you can enjoy lunch with a view of the lagoon.

After lunch and a brief rest, you will begin a 2 hours’ ascent to the Palomani pass (17700 feet) where you will witness an Andean ceremony of gratitude to the mountain and Pachamama. You will be able to recharge yourself with the energy of the mountains before starting the descent. This entire trek is full of unique views and challenges. The terrain varies from rocky grasslands to grassy meadows and you may see wild vicunas along the way. You will arrive at Sorapata camp where you will spend the night.

Walk distance: 10 mi/ 16 km

Min altitude: 14,700 ft / 4,480 m

Max altitude: 16,814 ft / 5,124 m

Aprox. Time: 9 hrs

Difficult level: Challenging

DAY 5: SORAPATA – JAMPA PASS – PACCHANTA HOT SPRINGS

On this day, you will cross the last mountain pass, Jampa Pass (16,600 feet).

After breakfast, you will begin a 2-hour ascent to the Jampa pass, from where you will have the last breathtaking views of the Andean landscapes. From there begins a 3 hour descent to the camp in the village of Pacchanta. As you descend, you will notice that the landscapes change from steep mountains to greener and more fertile valleys. In Pacchanta you will enjoy lunch and then you will have the afternoon free to enjoy a relaxing bath in its famous hot springs. You will spend the last night camping near the village.

Walk distance: 8.6 mi/ 14 km

Min altitude: 14,700 ft / 4,480 m

Max altitude: 16,600 ft / 5,000 m

Aprox. Time: 8 hrs

Difficult level: Challenging

DAY 6: PACCHANTA TO CUSCO

On this last day, you will have a special farewell breakfast with the trekking team. You will also be able to enjoy the thermal baths one more time before starting your trip to Cusco to conclude your adventure on the Ausangate trek.

Max altitude: 13,780 ft / 4,200 m

Aprox. Time: 4 hrs ( By car )