Bucket List / Adventure Travel Goals
Trek To Rainbow Mountain
Ticked off in December 2015
Climb to 5,000 metres in the Andes to a mountain painted in stripes of red, ochre, turquoise and violet.
The adventure
It's a long, early drive from Cusco, then a slow climb up a valley where alpacas graze and the air gets thinner with every step. At this height even a gentle slope leaves you gasping, and horses wait by the path for anyone who needs one.
Then you reach the ridge and the colours appear: bands of red, yellow, green and purple running across the mountain, laid down by minerals over millions of years. Until about the 2010s it was mostly hidden under snow and ice. Behind it the glaciers of Ausangate, at 6,384 metres, fill the horizon. You get a few minutes to take it in, catch your breath and take the photo before the cold and the altitude send you back down.
Why it’s epic
- The viewpoint at around 5,000 metres above sea level.
- Stripes of colour from iron oxide, sulphur and other minerals.
- Views of Ausangate, one of the highest peaks in southern Peru.
What it is
Vinicunca, or Montaña de Siete Colores, is a ridge in the Andes striped with red, yellow, green and purple mineral layers. The viewpoint is at about 5,000 metres.
How to do it
Most people go on a tour from Cusco, leaving around 3 or 4am. The walk from the car park takes one to two hours each way.
Top tip
Spend a few days acclimatising in Cusco first; the altitude is the real challenge.
Need to know
- Altitude sickness is common; acclimatise and turn back if you feel unwell.
- Expect cold, wind and sometimes snow at the top.
- Cash is needed for the entrance fee and horse hire.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- Under £750 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- A long day from Cusco
- Best time to go
- April to November, the dry season
- Fly into
- CUZ airport
Day tours from Cusco are cheap; the flight to Peru is the main cost.
Do it yourself
My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Comments