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Rainbow Mountain Peru: Experience and Advice

I have always had so many dreams of my wishes and one of them was to visit Ausangate trek to Rainbow mountain 4 days in Peru. In the first place, a sacred peak to the Incas in which sacrifices were made to the gods, in second, a natural spectacle created by mother nature who enjoyed painting a real rainbow in the Peruvian Andes . I don't know exactly how long I've been dreaming of exploring this rare pearl of the universe ... Weeks, months, maybe years. The fact is that finally I did it and it was an even more beautiful and exciting experience than I imagined.

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For this reason, National Geographic has included Vinicunca Mountain among the 100 places to visit at least once in their life, and I couldn't agree more with them.

How to Reach Rainbow Mountain

Unfortunately, over the past few years, the disarming beauty of Vininunca has been discovered and disseminated en masse. So, contrary to a few years ago, it is now a very popular tourist destination (which does not surprise me at all) and is easily accessible. There are in fact numerous organized tours that depart from Cusco and accompany you to this earthly paradise, giving you an unforgettable day. The current price for exploring Vinicunca is around 60 SOL (15 €) including breakfast and lunch.

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Although the tours are very cheap, simple to book (just buy a tour in one of the many agencies in the center of Cusco) and satisfactory, I highly recommend organizing yourself. Why? Because a half-day trek to Vinicunca is not enough! Moreover not all those who leave on an organized tour reach the summit also because, to be able to do the whole route, there is a maximum limit for ascent and descent that must be respected. In addition to this, once you are on the path that will lead you to the rainbow summit, you will find yourself immersed in a spectacular landscape that winds through scenarios that change from day to day. Snow-capped peaks, fiery red peaks, narrow swamps rich in llamas, alpacas, horses and birds will frame your path to the end. This is why your desire to continue exploring the area will be greatly discounted. Not to be missed are also the small local communities scattered along the route, which keep intact the age-old culture and the Peruvian traditions made in turn of a thousand colors and bright shades, vicuña , the native animals with a precious coat that have populated the Andean highlands for centuries. I therefore recommend organizing Andean Path Travel trekking at Vinicunca!

-> There are two key villages to organize your Andean Path Travel tour: Cusipata and Pitumarca.

Once in both, you can find hostels to stay in and taxis that will take you for a few euros to the entrance of the rainbow mountain path. There is also a hostel right at the entrance to the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and tourist mountain trail. So moving on your own is not at all complicated, indeed.

How to Prepare the Trekking

Vinicunca is a mountain of 5,200 meters above sea level which is part of the Cordillera of the Andes, so the trek will take place at a very high altitude , a factor that does not facilitate breathing. It is therefore advisable to prepare the body in advance by spending days at these altitudes, thus allowing a suitable acclimatization to face the effort.

There are also bottles containing a natural liquid to be snorted to allow the brain a better oxygenation and a decrease in mental pain caused by altitude and frost. Getting one of these bottles is easily done at the entrance to the trek.

The climate during the trek is not particularly cold, but as soon as you reach the top, the temperature becomes cold and often snows. For this advice, dress up as an onion carrying a backpack to use to make life easier. Even if you visit rainbow mountain hike 2 days in the summer remember that we are still at 5000 meters!

If you think you are not fit enough to tackle this trek, don't worry because you can adopt the horse option that you can take at the entrance of the mountain or during the journey itself. The price they will charge you at the starting point is higher (around € 20 return ), but if you decide later on the route - even if you meet fewer free horses - the price goes down considerably.

CURIOSITY'

What makes Vininunca so special?

When the ice that covered the mountain dissolved, it revealed to the world the incredible beauty that it hid, or the different mineral layers of which the rock was composed. The red comes from oxidized iron (also known as rust), the yellow is due to the presence of iron sulfide , the brown purple comes from goethite or limonite oxidized , and chlorite is what causes the different shades of green (excluding vegetation).

 

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Are the colors of Vinicunca really so vivid ?

CURIOSITY'

What makes Vininunca so special?

When the ice that covered the mountain dissolved, it revealed to the world the incredible beauty that it hid, or the different mineral layers of which the rock was composed. The red comes from oxidized iron (also known as rust), the yellow is due to the presence of iron sulfide , the brown purple comes from goethite or limonite oxidized , and chlorite is what causes the different shades of green (excluding vegetation).

Time plays a fundamental role in determining how vivid colors are with the naked eye, but on a bright and clear day the mountains really look like a wavy rainbow. Before tackling the trek I was convinced that in every photo circulating on the Internet there was a hand of Photoshop, but surprisingly I changed my mind once I reached the top of the mountain...

Is it worth it ?

There is no denying that trekking in Vinicunca is one of the most strenuous things you will do, especially if you are not passionate and used to trekking, but I assure you that it will also be one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences you can have. The Rainbow Mountain is in fact in all its magnificence only once it reaches the top: the sediments of stones and minerals of different colors create one of the most beautiful natural spectacles in the world and the view enjoyed from the top is something incredible that you it will repay all the effort.

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