The Ausangate is the fourth higher mountain of Peru and seventeenth of the $andes; at the same time, it is located closely together of the great tourist center of Cuzco, which makes a destiny very accessible. It conforms a great bulk to diverse summits that surround their main top located to 6,372 m.s.n.m.
The turkish lagoons, extensive stop plains and the stone forests, turn totally to the zone into an isolated paradise of modernity.
To walk by the environs of the Ausangate is an indescribable adventure, in which it is impossible not to be astonished before the beauty at the dusks and eternal snows. He is frequent to also be with rock needles that rise to more than five thousand meters of height and with ice languages that fall of vertiginous way and form glacial lagoons.
Its ascent requires of experience and equipment. Trekking encircles that it, nevertheless, is a wonderful long walk that borders enormous glaciers and tens of cordilleranas lagoons. By the way enormous flocks of alpacas and small letters can be found villages that they have not changed during centuries. Also thermal water sources can be.
During the past few years, they have increased to the attempts of ascent to the Ausangate, many of them by the normal route that it passes by the South face and that is quite complex since it demands inclined ice scalings. However, to the mountain routes by all faces have been abierto to him, all of them highly technical.
Its name means “copper” in quechua and still today sacred mount by local people is considered. In fact, still he is one of the centers of more important peregrination for the descendants of the Incas. In order to scale this mountain a special permission is not necessary.
How to arrive The Vilcanota Mountain range is led by the majestic Apu Ausangate that, with its 6,372 M.s of altitude, is often visible from the strength of Sacsayhuamán in the high part of the city of Cuzco. In order to arrive at the Mountain range it is necessary to take a group or truck from Cuzco to the town from Ocongate (A1). Thence, following the difficult highway that arrives at Port Maldonado, it is arrived at the town of Tinqui (A1).
Here we recommended to look for Cirilo Rock, illustrates inhabitant of the locality, that as guide serves its and carrier for the circuit of the Ausangate.
The route To cross the eighty kilometers that the return to the Ausangate includes/understands takes six days and horse can be done walking or. The attractive circuit owns a series of turns that it into one of the tourist zones of potential major for trekking and the scaling in Peru.
The gorgeous snow-covered mountains, the turkish glacial lagoons, the thermal ice caverns and waters are added to the possibility of alternating with likeable and amiable farmers of small small villages.
The route overcomes two passages of height, one of 5,100 m.s.n.m. (B2), reason why it is precise to count on a previous and suitable acclimatization in the city of Cuzco. An average of four to five hours daily is walked and as much in Upis (A2), camping of the first day, like in Pacchanta (A2), when finalizing, is possible to enjoy comforting thermal waters. Submerged more than 40 degrees of temperature it is possible to be enjoyed a comforting heat in very cold an outer atmosphere that reaches the five degrees Celsius at dusk.
Ancestral customs The isolation of the region to a great extent contributes to maintain an atmosphere of greater authenticity on the Andean customs. In no place another place of Cuzco so beautiful and colorful suits can be found typical. The traditional ponchos and chullos, as well as the sophisticated blankets, have great an attractiveness.
Its people Great part of the population is quechua talking and the Castilian only understands limitadamente.
Agriculture and cattle ranch Agriculture is intensive and it is concentrated in the production of a great variety of tubercles, between which they emphasize oca and the Pope. Numerous auquénidos (American camelidaes: flames, vicunas, alpacas…) they can see throughout all the route, imprimiendo a singular touch in the village landscape.
The Coyllur Riti The population in the Vilcanota Mountain range maintains the devotion by the Coyllur Riti proud (in quechua quyllur rit' i, “star snow”), one of the more multitudinal religious celebrations of the country. The cult to the Gentleman of Snows is always realized every year during the first days of June and with Full Moon. The festival is carried out in the valley of Sinacara (A3), against the Apu Ausangate. The colorful originating dancers of Paucartambo and the pilgrims that go into in the glacier to say, make of this celebration a unique and spectacular ritual.