Circling the 5th highest mountain in Peru, The Ausangate Trek is truly an incredible adventure that takes hikers through some of the most incredible terrain in South America.  Often overshadowed by the more famous Salkantay Trek and Inca Trail, the Ausangate Trek should be on your radar, andis one of the only treks in Peru where you can still find solitude!

While there are numerous variations of the trek, the gist of it is a circuit around the entire mountain Ausangate.  It may not sound like much, but the hike around the mountain takes most people 4-6 days.  And while just about every trek in South America reaches high elevations, this one might be the highest.  The low point of the entire route is roughly 4,300 meters (about 14,000 feet) and the high point is well over 5,000 meters!  For comparison, the highpoint of the Inca Trail is only about 4,200 meters!

Due to the rugged beauty, difficult conditions, solitude, and extreme elevation, this is truly one of the great treks of the world.  I hiked it in June of 2023 as my first trek in Peru, and man did it set the tone for the rest of my time in South America!

Guided or Unguided?

Unguided:

This trek is doable either guided or unguided, though there are pros and cons to each approach.  

If going unguided, you will need to carry all of your gear personally.  To avid backpackers that isn’t an issue, but 5 or more days worth of stuff does weigh a significant amount, and all that weight at elevation makes a major difference.  If you skip the guide you will also need to arrange transportation to and from the trailhead.  The drive from Cusco is over 3 hours, so you can’t just simply take a taxi.  Your meals will likely be simple backpacking meals.  And if anything goes wrong, there is no support staff to help you out.

On the other hand, going unguided does offer a level of freedom and independence that you can’t get with a guide.  Want to hike for 16 hours?  Go for it.  Want to sleep in until 11 am? Sure, why not.  Hate being around people? Perfect.

You cannot hike the Inca Trail unguided, so if you want to experience the Peruvian Andes unguided at some point, this might be the trek to do it on.  However, the last thing to consider is the local landowners you will need to deal with.  My guide Joyce had to pay each local landowner whose land we passed through.  This meant that pretty much every day there was another fee to pay to people who, for the most part, only speak Quechua (the native language of Peru).  The logistics can be a challenge, but one that can be overcome.

Guided:

I elected to hire a guide for this trek and ended up using AB Expeditions.  AB is a locally owned guiding company based in Cusco, and being a small company, they were able to offer me a really personalized experience.  I struggled to find a company who would allow me to sign up for this trek as a solo hiker, but AB set it up that I could hike it solo, but they would continue searching for hiking partners to join me.  No one else ended up joining (speaks to the solitude you can find on this trek) so it was just me and the crew.  We changed our itinerary as we went, and it was a great experience.

The biggest pro of using a guide or company is that they will handle all of the logistics for you.  This was my first trek, on my first visit to Peru, on my first visit to South America, as someone who doesn’t speak much Spanish or any Quechua.  The idea of trying to coordinate everything seemed like way too much for me to do myself.

Hiring a guide also significantly raises the luxury you’ll have on the trip.  Make no mistake, I still slept on the ground every night except one, but I had 3 freshly prepared meals per day.  My tent was set up for me.  I didn’t have to carry anything other than a day pack.  I didn’t have to filter my own water.  Honestly it was pretty awesome.  The company was pretty nice too, considering I was there alone!

The cons of hiring a guide essentially boil down to cost and having less freedom.  If you’re one of several clients on a trek, expect to pay anywhere from $80-$150 per day.  So a 5 day trip would likely be between $400 and $750 depending on the trek and the company.  That’s a lot more than if you went yourself.  Some people also enjoy being alone in the mountains, or don’t want to have to stick with a group and follow a set itinerary.  These considerations are different for everyone, but for me a guide made sense!

Gear:

You’ll need all your standard hiking gear that you would take day hiking, plus a few extras.  With a guide, you don’t need much for overnight backpacking gear; however, it gets really cold and you need to be prepared for huge temperature swings.  Here’s a list of what I brought with me.

Clothes:

• 1 base layer sun hoody
• 1 wool sun hoody
• 1 pair of hiking pants
• 3 pairs of wool socks
• 3 pairs of underwear
• 1 fleece sweater
• 1 Patagonia down sweater
• 1 Patagonia down jacket
• 1 rain shell jacket
• 1 pair rain shell pants
• 1 baseball cap
• 1 wool beanie
• 1 pair thermal pant baselayer
• 1 long sleeve baselayer shirt
• 1 pair running shorts
• Hard shell gloves with removable liner
• Sandals
• Sunglasses

Hiking Gear:

• REI Traverse 32 pack
• Pair of Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles
• La Sportiva Akasha II trail runners
• Black Diamond headlamp
• Extra batteries
• Backpack rain cover 

Camping Gear:

• Mountain Hardware Bishop Pass 0 sleeping bag
• Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT sleeping pad
• Power bank
• Toiletries 
• Washcloth

Notes On Gear:

Overall I was happy with most of my gear as I had used almost all of it before.  I definitely recommend using your stuff before taking it to Peru because I did find a few things I did not like.  

My sleeping bag was rated for 0 (F) degrees, and while the crew didn’t think we ever quite got to that temperature I was very cold on a couple of different nights.  

Most guiding companies will provide you with a sleeping pad but they are usually thin and not super warm.  I started inflating my own pad and putting it on top of the pad they provided.

I hiked this in trail runners, and while I never felt like I needed boots, some waterproofing would have been nice.  Some guiding companies recommend or even “require” (but don’t enforce) that you have waterproof shoes.  The pros and cons of waterproofing are the exact same here as anywhere else, but the high altitude tundra has a tendency to be wet and spongy.  My feet only got soaked once, but there were lots of times where I got a little damp.

I only brought a baseball cap for the sun, but I found myself getting headaches from having the sun in my eyes.  I would recommend at least bringing a wide brimmed hat, and if you are good with a baseball cap, then stick with it!

I absolutely love some of my gear and highly recommend these items.

• Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles.  I’ve had 2 sets of these and can’t find any other poles I even want to try.
• REI Traverse 32 pack.  Perfect size for a trip like this where you need to carry multiple layers, snacks, etc.  Also technical enough for legit climbs.
• La Sportiva Akasha II trail runners.  Shoe preference is very personal, but these are the best shoes I’ve ever found for my feet.

Getting There:

To reach Cusco, most international travelers will first have to fly to Lima.  From Lima, Cusco is a short 1 hour flight.  From other cities in Peru such as Arequipa or Puno, a bus is probably the best option.

From Cusco, the trailhead is just under a 3 hour drive, including 2.5 hours on paved roads and a bit under 30 minutes on rough dirt roads.  The last town is Tinki, and from Tinki, you quickly leave the pavement.  The road quickly crosses a small river and climbs the far bank.  From there, it’s a quick drive across open grassland to the trailhead.

Tips:

• Bring cash, especially coins and small bills.  There is an entrance fee, paid bathrooms, food and drinks, and souvenirs for sale along the trek.
• Spend at least 3 full days at altitude before attempting this hike.  5000 meters is no joke, and you’ll never be below 4,300 meters.
• A guide will make everything easier, but it can be done without one.
• Prepare for very cold weather at night.
• If taking a guide, still bring your own snacks.  They will say all food is provided, but even with 3 meals per day plus snacks, I still felt hungry.  Bring your own snacks like chocolate, trail mix, nuts, etc.. 

Day 1:

Day 1 started early as my guide and support team picked me up from the hostel at 6 am.  I was met with a surprise: the guide who I had met the previous night was not present.  A personal family matter had come up, so I had a new guide, Joyce, who would be with me for the trip.  Everything worked out fine, but it was a bit jarring so early in the morning!

As we drove through Cusco, we made a couple of stops to pick up fresh food.  One stop had us picking up fresh bread from a roadside shop; another stop was made for fruit.  I was still half asleep, so some of the details were lost on me!

We drove for about 2 hours from Cusco heading south east towards Ausangate.  We made a final stop at the village of Tinki for some final provisions, a bathroom break, and for me some batteries.  Tinki is a tiny rural village, so English was pretty much non-existent, even Spanish was hardly being spoken!  I’m not overly embarrassed to say I needed some help from Joyce to find some fresh batteries for my headlamp!

After our stop in Tinki, we left the pavement and continued onto a dirt road heading into the wilderness.  After crossing a small river and climbing up the far bank, the giant that is Ausangate appeared on the horizon directly in front of us.  Now we were getting close!

It was about a 40 minute drive along rough dirt roads before we reached the trailhead.  I hesitate to call where we started a trailhead.  Really all it was was a small brick shack, but waiting there for us was our horseman and jack of all trades, Fernando, and 3 of his horses.

We stopped and the crew began to unpack.  I offered to help but they were in a groove and seemed to have a system I was completely oblivious of, so I stayed out of their way!  Joyce and I made small talk and got to know each other a bit, and seemingly out of nowhere a table and chairs appeared, quickly accompanied by bread and scrambled eggs.

Joyce and I enjoyed breakfast courtesy of our cook William (one of the real heroes of the trip) and by the time we were done, the horses were almost loaded and we were ready to go.  I quickly bought a cool woven item from a local lady who had set up shop, and then we headed out!

The hike for the first day took us along a mostly flat dirt road heading towards the looming summit of Ausangate.  The environment around us was sparse tundra and grassland which was surprisingly flat, but we could see the massive peaks ahead.  

Despite the hiking being exceptionally easy, I actually felt myself struggling before too long.  We were at over 14,000 feet which made everything difficult.  For some context, the highest peaks in the lower 48 are a bit over 14,000 feet.  Our starting point was essentially the roof of the USA!

About halfway through we encountered a local farmer who showed us around his land.  There was a small pond that framed the mountains behind nicely, so we stopped for a quick photo op.  Joyce tipped the man for allowing us to pass through his land (something that would prove to be a constant expectation) and before long we headed out.

Soon after leaving the farm Fernando, William, and the horses caught and passed us.  I always made it a goal to stay ahead of the horse team for as long as possible not wanting to be a slow tourist.  I regret to say I never once finished before they did!  The fitness and acclimatization of both the crew and horses was incredible!

After maybe 2 hours of hiking we arrived at camp for the night.  I was extremely pleasantly surprised to see that we would not be sleeping in tents.  In fact, there were amazing single room cabins for us to use!  Each one had a pair of small beds and some chairs.  Most importantly though were the floor to ceiling windows providing insane views of Ausangate!  Now I was really doing Peru!

After a lunch of beef and rice soup, I fell asleep for a long afternoon nap.  I had hoped to take advantage of the nearby hot springs, but I was really feeling the elevation.  I had a minor headache and I was just feeling exhausted.  I was woken up around 5 feeling fresh for teatime with snacks, and that was followed by a dinner of fried trout, mashed potatoes, and fresh veggies.  I retired for an early night after an awesome opening day!

Day 2:

Day 2 continued the trend of early starts that would be the norm throughout the entire trip!  It was still dark when we sat down for a breakfast of yogurt with fruit and granola accompanied by a quinoa pancake.  However, they had never heard of maple syrup so we used butter and jam for the pancake.  Good, but not quite the same!

The agenda for the day called for a climb up Arapa Pass and then a pretty easy descent down to camp.  We’ll get there later but that would not be what we actually did!

The climb to Arapa Pass was scheduled to take somewhere around 2 hours depending on how quickly I could climb it.  The pass lies at about 4,850 meters (a bit under 16,000 feet) so very high, but I had just climbed Rainbow Mountain a few days earlier which is actually higher, so in theory it should be easy!

We made great time up the pass and after just an hour of hiking we reached the first of many passes on the trip!  I think Joyce was pretty shocked by the pace we made, but almost immediately he started asking me if I wanted to go further than the planned itinerary!  Knowing how tricky altitude can be I didn’t commit, but the idea was planted.

The views were amazing as would become routine every day and at every pass, but after a 20 minute break and a snack, we headed down the other side and continued on towards camp.  

The hike from the pass to camp would take us about 2.5 hours, and took us through even more unbelievable scenery.  To the left were the glaciers and spires of Ausangate.  We passed multiple stunning alpine lakes.  We passed packs of alpacas.  It was truly jaw dropping scenery.

It was maybe 11 am when camp came into view.  The camp was up on a hill above one of the most scenic lakes I had seen thus far, and I was pretty pumped to spend the afternoon here!  We took our packs off, and before long lunch was ready.  Lunch included potato soup and passion fruit juice in addition to the standard assortment of teas.

At lunch, Joyce gave me a choice.  Since we had made great time and I seemed like a strong hiker, we could push on to the next campsite, or if I wanted we could stick to the original plan.  Basically, the original itinerary had a huge day planned for day 4 of the trip, but by moving on today, I could drastically cut down how much we had to do that day.  I took a 30 minute nap in the sunshine and let my mild headache abate a bit, and then made the call: let’s do it.

From the planned campsite, we first had to ascend Puca Pass at just under 4,900 meters.  This climb was significantly steeper than the earlier climb.  My legs also weren’t fresh, and I had a headache.  I felt like we were moving impossibly slow, but after only an hour, we were at the top.  Joyce again said we made good time; I didn’t really believe him this time.  It’s crazy though, altitude like this changes everything!

From the top of Puca Pass it was an easy descent down to the nights campsite.  The horses accompanied by William and Fernando jogged past us on the way down, and it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable hike to camp.  Joyce sent me ahead to hike solo which was actually really nice, alone in the Andes.  He stayed behind to chat with the local landowner and pay the day’s toll!

Pretty soon after arriving at the already set up camp, tea with popcorn was ready.  Tea was followed by a dinner of wheat soup, chicken and rice, and fries (William was a great cook, and he did it all in a tent sitting on a cooler, amazing).  Funnily enough, since we were technically off schedule and not supposed to camp here, we were locked out of the main shelter, so without four solid walls, dinner was in the thus far unseen kitchen tent!

Day 3:

Wakeup on day 3 was the earliest yet and the hike was scheduled to be one of the longest of the trip.  Joyce got me up at 3:30 am.  By 4, I was in the kitchen tent for a light breakfast of toast and tea.  William packed us a ham and cheese sandwich and hard boiled eggs for a late breakfast on the trail.

The plan was to reach the acclaimed Rainbow Mountain for sunrise, and we had a ways to go to get there.  We started with an ascent of Warmisaya Pass.  At just a touch under 5000 meters, this was the highest point on the trip thus far.  The climb up was pretty easy, but the descent down the far side was steep and slippery.  In the pitch black of the early morning, it was definitely sketchy.  What made it worse was the sound of pebbles falling a very long way right next to me.  And I couldn’t even see the ledges that must have been only feet away!

The sky started brightening at the bottom of the pass, and there we found ourselves next to yet another stunning Andean lake.  The sky was beginning to turn yellow, and warm alpenglow was appearing on the high peaks surrounding the valley.  Joyce pointed out Rainbow Mountain and I was struck by a realization: it was still a really long way away.

I stopped for a minute and basically asked if it was really possible to reach the summit of Rainbow Mountain by sunrise.  I figured we had at least an hour to go, probably more, and the sky was getting pretty bright already.  Joyce assured me that we would be there, so I pushed on.

I pushed myself hard.  I didn’t really care about summiting Rainbow Mountain again, I was just there like 4 days earlier.  But, the promise of being alone on the summit at sunrise did sound pretty cool.

I pushed myself to the limit for close to half an hour.  I was sucking in air trying desperately to make it by the time the sun came up, but it was seeming more and more hopeless.  Eventually, the sun crested the horizon, and I gave up.  I sat down on the closest rock and caught my breath.

I think I was visibly upset when I stopped, and that’s because I felt a bit misled.  We were moving fast, and we weren’t particularly close to making it to the mountain.  It seemed impossible to have made it.  After a somewhat terse conversation with Joyce, I made the call that we would turn around and head back to camp.  

If we weren’t going to be there for sunrise, I didn’t feel like doing the work to make it to the summit.  It was a long walk back, and after climbing back up Warmisaya Pass, we did eventually make it back to camp by late morning.  I took a 2 hour nap and then woke up for lunch.

At a lunch of  beef and quinoa with wheat soup, Joyce and I talked about the situation.  At the core was a difference in understanding of what was meant by sunrise.  I wanted to be up there literally when the sun crested the horizon.  Joyce meant we would be there early in the morning. 

 And as it turns out, even if we had hiked faster, we would have been legally barred from summiting.  It is illegal to summit the peak before a security guard arrives in the morning, and we saw him arrive well after the sun rose.  It was a frustrating situation, but everyone meant well.  We put it behind us and all was good.

I took another hour long nap in the sun after lunch, and then we began the easy hike to camp.  We hiked mostly downhill for about 2 hours through stunning Andean valleys to camp, and camp turned out to be a bit of a surprise.

This camp was actually something of a campground.  Some of the local farmers actually built a camping area complete with flush toilets, running water, and most importantly, cold beverages!  In a bucket filled with cold water they were selling two incredible items: Coca Cola and beer!  I have no shame in saying I bought a Coke and it was absolutely amazing!

This campsite was also located near a lake, though the lake was not visible from the campsite.  I set off before dinner to find this body of water, and after a quick 5-10 minutes of exploration, I found yet another sublime alpine lake.  This one was right beneath the glaciers of Ausangate, and together with my Coke, I sat and enjoyed the scenery!

After I returned from the lake, we sat down for tea shortly thereafter followed by dinner.  Dinner included veggie soup, chicken, and mashed potatoes.  We also had a special item on the dinner menu: a traditional Peruvian desert called Mazamorra Morada.  This dessert is made from purple corn and fruit, and is basically a thick pudding that kind of reminded me of melted chocolate.  A great meal to end a great, though long, day in the mountains!

Day 4:

Day 4 started with a now standard 6 am wake up followed by a breakfast of porridge and an omelet.  After breakfast, we started up the highest pass of the entire trip.

The main goal for the day was Palomani Pass.  Palomani Pass was to be the highpoint of the trip, and the highest point I had ever been to.  At 5150 meters, or 16,896 feet, it would be no walk in the park!

I was looking forward to the challenge, but I was also a bit nervous to see how my body would react!  Surprisingly, the climb actually went quite well.  I moved slowly, or at least what I considered slow, and after close to 2 hours, I had neared the pass, and found a sunny spot to relax before the final push.  With just the quick final push to go, I paused to warm up a bit, and enjoy being in this incredible place!

I had actually pulled away from Joyce, but he was catching up quickly by the time I set off again.  The horse team was also catching up, so I had to make sure I finished strong to keep my streak of making it to the top first (even though they were obviously way faster than me!).

Just under 2 hours after leaving camp, I crested Palomani Pass and was greeted by one of the best views of the trip.  Looking back the way we came, seemingly endless ridges of Andean peaks stretched into the distance towards Rainbow Mountain.  Ahead, on the far side of the pass, the view was even better.

The massive bulk of Ausangate was now clearly visible, and this was about as close to the mountain as we had been thus far.  The glaciers were clearly visible, and from here it truly looked stunning!

We enjoyed the view from the pass for quite a while and then began the descent down.  We followed the trail for a bit, but quickly veered off trail to remain close to the big mountain.  The horse team was to take an easier route that led directly to camp, but Joyce and I planned to take a more interesting route.

Once off trail, we descended basically straight down hill across the alpine tundra.  The views on the descent were incredible, and the huge glacial lake at the base of Ausangate appeared and was the highlight of the hike down.  Also cool were the near constant avalanches coming down the sides of the peak.  Most were small, but there was one that had us stopped in our tracks to watch for a solid minute or two!

 The footing was pretty good to begin with, but as we reached the bottom of the slope, the route became much steeper.  There were some small use trails covered in loose gravel that was extremely slippery, but by moving slowly, we made it down to the bottom of the slope in one piece!

At the bottom, we passed a lodge used by climbers going up Ausangate, and then entered a gigantic boulder field that we would have to pick our way through for the next hour plus.  There were a trio of llamas hanging out in the rocks which was fun, but we quickly moved past them deeper into the boulder field.

The trail through the boulder field, which is the remnant of a massive glacial moraine, was generally pretty good, though the going was slow.  I had to be careful with my footing as there were lots of ankle busters, but we made it through all right.

After a long trek through the undulating terrain of the moraine, we reached the base of another climb.  It wasn’t marked as a pass in the same way as the climb earlier, but it was a nasty little climb.  This one was way steeper than the big pass earlier, but after maybe 30 minutes of strenuous effort, we once again crested the top.  

Atop the pass was a small lake where we sat down for a well earned break, and then we began the final descent down towards the campsite for the night.  The trail down was pretty mellow, though there was a lot of sidehilling that got annoying and made my ankles sore, but progress was fast and soon we were in the valley approaching the campsite.

The final hike through the valley was annoyingly long and I was feeling pretty fatigued with a touch of altitude sickness by the end, but it was at least flat.  Ahead in the distance were some awesome new peaks to look at as we walked, and they would be one of the highlights of the next day!  After passing through a garden of massive boulders that must have fallen off the surrounding mountains at some point, I stumbled into camp!

Camp for the night was at the bottom of the stunning valley we had been hiking up for a couple of miles, and in the distance were the same set of stunning peaks we had been approaching for a while.  To top it off, there were even flush toilets!

After a quick post hike nap, Joyce woke me up for lunch.  Lunch was veggie noodle soup, pasta, and chicken thighs.  I was feeling it a bit after lunch, so I napped and dozed all afternoon in the tent with the flap open.  Naps under peaks like that feel pretty good!

Joyce woke me up for tea, and soon after we had a dinner of asparagus soup, andean popcorn, tofu, veggies, and rice.  This was the only meal of the trip that I wasn’t a fan of.  The tofu wasn’t great, but I can’t complain.  It was well cooked, I’m just not a tofu fan.  Plus, literally every other meal of the trip was excellent!  After dinner it was an early night to bed!

Day 5:

The fifth day began with a 6:30 wakeup.  Breakfast was the usual, but honestly I forgot to write down what we had!

The hike began by continuing up the valley we had started up yesterday and had camped in overnight.  Ahead were a trio of incredible peaks, their ridges of ice and stone framing the view ahead for the first hour or so.

After a flat and easy start to the day, we began ascending slowly but steadily as the valley turned to the left and kicked up hill.  My legs were finally beginning to give out, and while I could still keep up with the pace, I didn’t have the pop that I had earlier in the trip.  Rather than setting a strong pace, I was patiently following Joyce.

The highpoint for the day and final pass of the trip was the 5060 meter Jhanpa Pass.  The ascent was gentle pretty much all of the way, which made it one of the least intense climbs of the whole trip.  However, the cumulative work of 5 days made it feel tougher than it really was.

The view at the top was typically awesome as had become the usual on the trip.  The trio of peaks from throughout the day now framed the view behind, and near us were new glaciers, peaks, and stunning ridges.  Ahead, we could see the high altitude grasslands that we started in 5 days prior!

The descent was pretty easy, and after a somewhat steep and slippery beginning, the trail leveled out and our progress was fast.  After an hour or so of descending, we reached the first of the 7 Lakes of Ausangate.

These 7 Lakes are one of the most popular day trips travelers can take from Cusco, and the reason for their popularity quickly became apparent.  The water was stunning, and from our vantage point of the first lake, we could see Ausangate behind, and a stunning alpine lake ahead!

Once we reached the first of the lakes, the rest came in quick succession.  Some of the lakes are really more like ponds, so we passed 3 of them in a short 5 minute window.  The waters here are considered sacred by many of the locals, so you may see local shamans performing rituals on your visit.  Nearer the trailhead, we in fact did see a shaman preparing for a ritual!

The color of the water is stunning, and while some of the lakes are a stunningly clear deep blue, my favorite of the lakes was actually the final one we saw.  The lake was brightly colored with both hues of blue and yellow, and the gigantic girth of Ausangate loomed directly behind!

From the last lake, the end of the trip was only a couple of miles away, and amazingly, it was all a gentle descent along wide, well graded trails.  No more sidehilling or stumbling down loose gravel!

Despite my now tired legs, it felt really really good to walk quickly and power through this last stretch.  It felt like a good stretch to really get the legs moving on an easy trail!  The terrain was still cool, but the views ahead were more brown steppe than white glaciers.

After 5 days of hiking, we ended the trip and arrived in the village of Pajchanta.  Pajchanta is a tiny village with no paved roads, hardly any wifi or modern amenities, or much to do, but I was ready to relax!

We found Fernando and William had already set up camp in the backyard of one of the local hostels, and lunch was quickly ready.  The meal consisted of stuffed peppers and quinoa cakes.  After an unsuccessful quest to find wifi, I settled in for a long afternoon nap.

After my nap, tea and dinner were ready.  We ate pasta with red sauce and mushrooms, popcorn, and chocolate pudding.  The real highlight of the day though were the hot springs.  For a cheap ~$3 fee (though I did get scammed a bit, I got charged more than Joyce and William said I should have) we had access to some incredible outdoor hot springs!

The hot springs were divided up into about 4 different concrete pools with different temperatures.  I started in the hottest which impressed Joyce and William, but after a few minutes I joined them in the more mild pool!  We enjoyed the soak for an hour or so under the stars and rinsed off the dirt of the trail.  Pretty incredible way to end the final day of hiking!

Day 6:

Day 6 could have begun with a 5 hour or so hike, but because we were ahead of schedule, we were able to sleep in and slowly prepare for our departure.  I slept in until about 8, and then packed up my belongings in the tent.  Breakfast came soon after and consisted of bread and a quinoa pancake.

After breakfast, I organized my belongings and then relaxed around the grounds of the hostel until 11 am.  The crew was busy packing our stuff, and cleaning/organizing their own.  All three were heading back out on the trail within a day of us finishing!

Around 11 we had an early lunch which would be the final meal of the trip.  William had something special.  Earlier on the trip he had bought fresh trout from a local woman in the mountains, so for our last meal we had fresh trout ceviche, raw fish “cooked” in lime juice, with rice.  It wasn’t the most filling meal of the trip, but man was it good!

After lunch we loaded the car and we hit the road a bit after noon.  The 3 and a half hour drive back to Cusco went smoothly, and by dinner I was back in my hostel calling and texting everyone I had ignored for 6 days!  All in all an incredible trip: my first big expedition in the mountains, my personal highpoint, my longest “backpacking” trip.  It was incredible from start to finish, but I still had lots planned for my stay in Peru!

Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 10/10

While this trek may not show up on as many online lists as the Inca Trail, and it doesn’t lead to world famous ruins, the natural scenery here was as good or better than anything else I saw in Peru, and far better than anything I have come across in the United States.

 What makes this trek a 10/10 is the outstanding scenery paired with a true feeling of remoteness.  I did a lot of hiking in Peru, and one thing that disappointed me numerous times was the presence of civilization.  It often felt like no matter where you went, civilization was creeping into your space.  While there were other people on this trek, it definitely did not feel like civilization.

There were far fewer tourists here than on Peru’s other famous treks.  There were no random towns or cities that you had to hike through.  There was no place you could drive a car.  There weren’t villages midway through the hike offering wifi and stores.  It really feels out there.

Will a 6 day route have occasional low points?  Of course, but that is true for every long distance trek.  Every day had beautiful scenery.  Every day felt wild.  There was no civilization from start to finish.  The altitude was difficult but added to the adventure.  Overall a truly incredible trek.

Pros:

• Incredible views throughout
• Extremely remote
• Lots of native animals
• Lightly trafficked 

Cons:

• Extreme elevation
• Extreme cold
• Difficult logistics
• Remote

Alternative Treks:

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 

Salkantay Trek to Pachu Picchu

Santa Cruz Trek

Cordillera Huayhuash Trek 

When To Trek Ausangate:

The Peruvian dry season lasts from May to September, with the best months being June through August.  While this is technically winter in the southern hemisphere, Peru is near enough to the equator that temperatures don’t change much, so precipitation is the much bigger factor to consider.

While anytime in the dry season would be fine, I personally think the best time to visit this area, and Cusco in particular, is June.  June hosts many of the area’s largest festivals, and the city truly feels alive all month!  The legendary Inti Raymi, an Inca festival honoring the sun god Inti, is still practiced every June 24th, and many other religious holidays and festivals are also held in this month.  Cusco truly comes alive!

Links For Further Reading:

Ausangate Trek: The Complete Trekker’s Guide – Peru For Less

How To Hike The Epic Ausangate Trek Without A Guide | 6 Days | Packing Up The Pieces

Ausangate Trek 6 Days to the Rainbow Mountain – AB Expeditions

Ausangate trek and Rainbow Mountain – the complete guide – STINGY NOMADS