3 Days
Easy, no previous experience required
10 Guest
5467m
Huasacocha Mountain is located in the Vilcanota Mountain Range in the Peruvian Andes. Reaching 5,500m in altitude, it is a spectacular viewpoint from which to admire the region’s titans, including Ausangate, the Cayangantes and Mariposa. The ascent is relatively easy, making it ideal for beginners or mountaineers who are looking to acclimatise before more difficult climbs. The approach is through beautiful Andean landscapes where you may also see typical fauna. From the summit, we will also be able to see the famous Rainbow Mountain.
We’ll leave Cusco at around 7am and head toward the town of Pitumarca, around 3 hours south of the city. We’ll stop here to stretch our legs and buy any last-minute supplies before continuing about 1.5 hours on a dirt road towards the community of Quesoyuni. Once you we arrive at the trailhead, we’ll meet our group of pack-animals and animal handlers who will take care of all the equipment for us. Today’s hike takes us to the famous Rainbow Mountain, where you will spend time at the viewpoint, admiring the colours, as well as Ausangate Mountain towering above us. This hike will help us acclimatise and get ready for the altitude at the mountain summit. Camp will be set up when we arrive, and we’ll enjoy dinner while we prepare for tomorrow’s adventure.
When we awake this morning, our camp team will prepare a hearty breakfast to help get us ready for today. We will leave camp to embark on a hike of about 5 hours. On arrival at base camp, we will refuel with lunch and have the rest of the afternoon to relax. During the afternoon, our guide will give us an instructional talk about the technical equipment and how we will work together in a roped team. Dinner will be served early, so we can rest up for our summit attempt tomorrow.
This morning involves an alpine start: we’ll wake at 3:30am for a light breakfast before we set out. We’ll start the approach by headlamp, and it will take around 2 hours to get to the glacier, where we will gear up with our technical equipment (harnesses, crampons, helmets etc.). The climb to the summit will take us about 3 hours and we’ll have time to absorb the spectacular views of the Vilcanota mountain range. When we are ready, we will descend to basecamp, where the team will have lunch waiting for us. Having refuelled and rested, we will hike back down to the to the trailhead to meet our vehicle for the drive back to Cusco.
Recommended ice axe lengths based on your height:
Up to 1.7m / 5’7” – 60cm shaft
1.7m / 5’7” to 1.9m / 6’3” – 65cm shaft
Over 1.9m / 6’3” – 70cm shaft