Ausangate Circuit Trek in Peru — 10 Days

The Ausangate circuit is a self-contained high-altitude trek around one of the main massifs of the Vilcanota range, south-east of Cusco. Over six walking days the group crosses several passes, passes glacial lakes and alpaca pastures, sleeps in tents and returns to Cusco through Pacchanta and Tinqui.

The high point is the Palomani pass at 5200 m. On the same day the route first climbs Apuchata at around 4900 m, descends to Ausangatecocha and then gains height again. The Jampa pass at 5070 m follows the next day. That sequence makes the route demanding even without technical obstacles.

The trip runs to ten days: arrival, two nights and two days of adaptation in Cusco, the full six-day circuit and a departure day. A participant flying in from sea level cannot remove those first days. If fresh acclimatisation has been completed before arriving in Peru, its profile is still agreed with Mountain Guide before the trip is changed.

Crampons, an ice axe and rope work are not used on the base line, but a participant must move confidently on stony trail and hold a working pace for many hours. Previous walking or climbing experience at around 5000 m is a reasonable minimum for an application; final clearance depends on the résumé and on current fitness.

The camps lie in remote valleys. Mobile coverage and internet are not guaranteed. The local team carries group equipment and a personal duffel of up to 7 kg on horses, sets up camp and prepares meals. A participant carries a day pack and has no access to the duffel until the evening.

Communities live in the Ausangate area for whom the mountain has cultural and religious significance. The group follows the rules of passage, does not photograph people without consent, does not leave the trail across pastures and follows the local guide's instructions.

The guide changes the start time or the end point of a day in snow, thunderstorms, where the trail has washed out or where someone is suffering at altitude. Evacuation in this area depends on the availability of a horse and a road, so an insurance policy must cover the actual activity and an altitude of 5200 m.

Day 1. Arrival in Cusco

Meeting, transfer to the hotel and rest. In the evening, an initial briefing and a check on how everyone is feeling after the flight. Night in a hotel.

Day 2. First acclimatisation day

A quiet walk in Cusco with no forced gain in altitude, and a check of footwear and the drinking routine. The main task is to recover after the journey and to assess the reaction to the first night. Night in a hotel.

Day 3. There-and-back walk and preparation

We make a second acclimatisation walk around Cusco. The guide chooses the specific point and altitude according to the state of the group, the weather and access, but the day includes a walking load and a return to the same hotel. Afterwards we pack the duffels. Night in a hotel.

Day 4. Cusco - Tinqui - Upis

An early drive to Tinqui, where we meet the muleteers and start walking. We continue to Upis and set up the first camp. Where access is open, the local hot springs can be visited. Night in tents.

Day 5. Upis - Arapa pass, 4800 m - Yanacocha - Pucacocha

We climb Arapa, then follow a series of differently coloured high lakes to the Pucacocha camp below the glaciated massif. This is the first day above 4800 m, so we keep an even pace. Night in tents.

Day 6. Pucacocha - Apuchata, 4900 m - Ausangatecocha - Palomani, 5200 m - Uchuy Finaya

The hardest day of the circuit. After the first pass we descend to Ausangatecocha, then gain height again to Palomani at 5200 m. From the pass we drop down to the community of Uchuy Finaya. Night in tents.

Day 7. Uchuy Finaya - Jampa pass, 5070 m - Pampacancha - Jampa

We cross another 5000 m pass, descend to Pampacancha and continue to the Jampa camp. A repeated altitude load calls for attention to appetite, coordination and recovery. Night in tents.

Day 8. Jampa - Otorongococha - Pacchanta

We walk along the glaciated slopes and lakes of the Vilcanota range, then descend to Pacchanta. If the springs are operating, we finish the day with a soak. Night in tents.

Day 9. Pacchanta - Tinqui - Cusco

The final stage brings us out to Tinqui. After lunch we return to Cusco by road. The arrival time depends on the state of the road. Night in a hotel.

Day 10. Departure

Transfer to the airport according to the confirmed flight time. Additional days in Cusco or a continuation of the journey are quoted separately.

• A Mountain Guide trek leader for groups of 4 participants or more
• A local trekking guide for the whole circuit
• Meeting and send-off at Cusco airport as set out in the itinerary
• The Cusco - Tinqui and Tinqui - Cusco transfers
• Four nights in a hotel in Cusco, twin rooms
• Five nights in tents, twin occupancy
• Meals on the walking section and breakfasts in the hotel
• The work of the cook, the muleteers and the pack animals
• Transport of a personal duffel of up to 7 kg
• Group tents, kitchen, dining equipment and camp furniture
• Treated drinking water on the trek
• The compulsory local fees for the stated line
• Entry to the Upis and Pacchanta hot springs when they are operating
• A group first-aid kit

• International flights and domestic air tickets
• Visa and other entry documents where these are required by the participant's nationality
• Medical insurance for trekking up to 5200 m
• Single occupancy in a hotel or a tent
• Sleeping bag, personal clothing and personal equipment
• Lunches and dinners in Cusco
• A personal riding horse and the carriage of baggage over 7 kg
• A separate excursion to Rainbow Mountain
• Medical costs, search and rescue and evacuation
• Tips for the local team
• Costs arising from the weather, road conditions, trail closures or community decisions

The Ausangate circuit can be arranged for a private, family or corporate group on its own dates within the season. Before quoting we agree the participants' experience, the staff accompanying the group, the hotel standard, single tents, the baggage allowance, communications equipment and reserve days.

A private format allows the pace and the start times to be chosen within the safe logic of the route. It does not allow acclimatisation to be dropped for someone who has flown in from sea level, or Palomani and Jampa to be moved without reassessing the overall load at altitude.

Adding Rainbow Mountain, further hot springs or any other point makes it an extended trip, quoted separately. A family enquiry is accepted only after each participant's experience at altitude has been assessed.

• A valid passport
• A visa, if one is required for your nationality
• Insurance covering multi-day high-altitude trekking, rescue and evacuation from up to 5200 m
• Air tickets and any documents needed for transit
• The details needed to register with the local operator and with the communities
• Digital copies of your documents on your phone and in cloud storage

The rules for entering Peru and for access to the route are checked before the trip, against your nationality, the season and any decisions currently in force in the communities.

The main dry season around Cusco and in the Vilcanota range runs from May to September. Clear weather is more common in those months, but the nights in camp above 4300 m stay cold, and the temperature drops below freezing soon after sunset.

On Palomani and Jampa you can meet strong wind, snow, hail and a sudden loss of visibility. Daytime sun at altitude is strong even in cold weather, so you need protection from ultraviolet as well as warm layers.

From October to April, rain and snow become more likely. Local operators do not usually run the six-day circuit in February, because of the wet season and trail maintenance. In the other months, whether a particular departure runs depends on the state of the trails, the passes and the access road.

Your guide checks the forecast before departure and assesses conditions at every pass. In a thunderstorm, after fresh snow, where the trail has washed out, or if a participant is unwell, the start time and the day's end point may be changed.

The basic itinerary includes four nights in a hotel in Cusco in twin rooms and five nights in two-person tents on the circuit. The particular hotel and the campsites are confirmed for your chosen dates.

The camp team carries the tents, the kitchen, the food and the agreed personal baggage. You arrive at a camp that has been set up for you, but you should be ready for field conditions and for the pack train to be delayed by the state of a pass.

On the trek, breakfast, a daytime meal, dinner, hot drinks and treated water are included. Breakfasts are included in Cusco. Other meals in town are paid separately unless the quote states otherwise.

A vegetarian or vegan diet, allergies and any other restrictions must be reported before the food is bought. Once the self-sufficient section has begun, ingredients cannot be swapped at short notice.

On the circuit there is no guaranteed shower, electricity, Wi-Fi or mobile signal. Toilets depend on the particular site and may be fixed or camp facilities. The hot springs at Upis and Pacchanta are a bonus, not a substitute for a proper shower.

For personal hygiene you need your own toiletries, a quick-drying towel and a dry set of clothes to sleep in. On a short self-sufficient section there is effectively no scope for doing laundry.

Your holdall travels with the pack train and reaches you in the evening. You carry water, a snack, waterproofs, a warm layer, documents, a personal first-aid kit and a head torch in your day pack.

You will need your own power bank for charging. A signal may appear briefly near settlements, but it cannot be relied on. Emergency communications and evacuation procedures are covered at the briefing in Cusco.

Documents and baggage

• Passport and digital copies of your documents
• Insurance for high-altitude trekking to 5200 m, including evacuation
• Day pack of 30-40 litres with a rain cover
• A soft holdall of the agreed weight, to be carried by horses
• Dry bags for your sleeping bag, clothing, electronics and documents

Clothing and footwear

• Broken-in trekking boots for stony and wet trails
• Light footwear for camp
• Base layers and a separate dry set of clothes to sleep in
• An insulating layer and a warm jacket with a hood
• Waterproof shell jacket and trousers
• Warm hat, buff and two pairs of gloves
• Sun hat and spare trekking socks

Personal equipment

• A warm sleeping bag for sub-zero nights above 4300 m
• Trekking poles
• Head torch with spare power
• Category 3-4 sunglasses and SPF 50 sun cream
• Bottles or a hydration system holding at least 2 litres in total
• A power bank for the whole self-sufficient section
• Personal first-aid kit, toiletries and a quick-drying towel

The final list is checked against the forecast and the state of the passes. Crampons, an ice axe and a climbing harness are not needed on the standard Ausangate circuit.