Colorful Mountain & Red Valley Full Day USD 45
This hike offers unique panoramic views, for those who love mountains and great open spaces, combining the visit to the Rainbow Mountain, and that of the Red Valley, in the best altitude hiking option, above 5,000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l. – 16,404 ft.), enjoying spectacular landscapes, in an almost psychedelic vision.
ITINERARY
Between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m., we´ll pick you up at your hotel, to travel, aboard a group tourism transportation vehicle, along the Southern Valley, on the asphalted road to Puno. After two and a half hours, we´ll get to the District of Cusipata (3,310 m.a.s.l. – 10,859 ft.), in the Province of Quispicanchis, where we´ll have breakfast.
Then, we´ll go on, aboard our vehicle, along a compacted dirt road, passing by several farming communities, like Japura and Hanchipata, to get to the Community of Pampachiri (4,600 m.a.s.l. – 15,091 ft.), where the road ends. There, we´ll start hiking, for about 5 km. (3.2 miles), to the Vinicunca Mountain Pass (5,020 m.a.s.l. – 16,469 ft.).
That horsepath goes gradually up to the pass, in a one and a half-hour hike, during which we´ll have the opportunity of observing alpacas and lamas and, at the top, we´ll get to contemplate the famous mountain range, and its impressive colors.
At the pass, we´ll have some free time, to enjoy the most beautiful panoramic views Mother Nature offers us, with the Colorful Mountain, that looks like a rainbow, in its pink, whitish, red, green, greenish-brown, brown and mustard-yellow tonalities.
Afterwards, we´ll descend, along the Red Valley, for about two hours, to reach the starting point of the second part of our hike, through magical places, with beautiful red mountains and, if we are lucky, we´ll sight vicuñas, condors, wallatas (Andean geese), etc., ´till we get back to our vehicle that will take us to Cusipata, for lunch.
In the afternoon, we´ll return to Cusco, where the vehicle will leave us a few blocks from the Main Square (Plaza de Armas), between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.
INCLUDED - NOT INCLUDED
Included:
- Tourism transportation vehicle: 19-passenger Mercedes Benz.
- Professional mountain guide.
- Breakfast and lunch.
- Hiking sticks.
- First-aid kit and oxygen.
Not Included:
- Entrance tickets to the Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley.
- Horses, to carry hikers.
- Water, snacks, personal medicine, etc.
- Tips and personal expenses.
REOMMENDATIONS
What to bring:
- Daypack.
- Mineral water and snacks.
- Clothes for warm weather, rain and cold, in successive layers.
- Wool bonnet, scarf and gloves, sunglasse and sunblock lotion.
- Mountain hiking shoes or sneakers (tennis shoes).
- Photo/video camera and extra batteries.
- Light binoculars.
- Hiking sticks.