Ausangate Circuit: Unbiased Hiker’s Information

The Ausangate Circuit is a traditional Andean trek that options glaciers, scorching springs, turquoise lakes, and traverses 4 excessive altitude passes. Although it boasts among the most interesting mountain surroundings in Peru, it receives solely a fraction of the foot site visitors seen on the area’s extra well-known hikes, the Inca Path and Salkantay Trek. I hiked the Ausangate Circuit with Ryan “Dirtmonger” Sylva in early August 2017. 

Ryan “Dirtmonger/DM” Sylva approaching Campo Cross (5068m).

At a Look

Distance:  70 km (43.5 miles) – Not together with aspect journeys.

Avg. Time:  5 days.

• That’s the usual period of time taken by guided teams. In case you are match, acclimatized and carrying a lightweight pack, there aren’t any huge points with doing the hike in three or 4 days.

Begin & End:  Tinqui

• As of 2017, just about all organized teams begin at Upis, which is now accessible by grime street and cuts off round 12 km from the general distance. We determined to start our hike on the conventional trailhead of Tinqui, and hiked from there to Upis through a mixture of path, grime roads and cross-country.

Overview map of the circuit.

Highest Level: Palomani Cross 5165 m (16,946 ft)

Lowest Level: Tinqui 3800 m (12, 467 ft)

Season:  Doable all 12 months, although the dry season between Could and October is right. Throughout this era nights will be chilly (-5°C is frequent), however days are typically clear.

Problem:  Reasonable to Difficult. For probably the most half, the climbs are pretty gradual, and the path is straightforward to comply with. That mentioned, just about all of this trek is above 4500 m (14,764 ft). That is one hike for which it would be best to be nicely and really acclimatized beforehand (see under).

Yama Mountain Gear Cirriform & MLD SoloMid | Campsite Day 1 | Not too removed from Laguna Jatan Pucacocha.

Getting There & Away:

• Cusco to Tinqui – There are each day buses with Transportes Siwar (Av. Tito Condemayta 1613 – Located behind the Coliseo Cerrado)  from Cusco to Tinqui. They go away early morning, take round three hours, and the associated fee is simply 9 Peruvian Soles (round US$3) as of August 2017. The bus will drop you off on the Tinqui plaza, from the place you can begin your hike. To return to Cusco, your finest likelihood of getting a direct bus is by arriving in Tinqui by 730 / 8 am.

Llamas, hikers and ominous-looking clouds.

Guidebook / Maps / Basic Info:

• Guidebooks: The latest choice is Alexander Stewart’s, The Inca Path (2013), which incorporates trekking notes and a fundamental map for the Ausangate Circuit (in addition to different hikes within the area). I’ve not seen this ebook in individual, however for what it’s price, the critiques on Amazon appear constructive. Older titles that embrace the Ausangate embrace: Lonely Planet, Trekking in Peru (2008) and Lonely Planet, Trekking within the Central Andes (2003).

• Topo Maps: In case you are in search of one thing a bit extra detailed, you’ll be able to choose up the IGN 1:100,000 Ocongate (sheet 28-t) on-line at Omnimap.com (very dear). Alternatively, you would possibly have the ability to discover a copy on the South American Explorer’s Membership in Cusco.

• GPS: See AllTrails or  Wikiloc.com for GPS data for the whole circuit.

• Helpful Web sites: Besthike.com incorporates an summary of the circuit, hyperlinks to a number of journey reviews, and many useful suggestions in case you desire to go along with a trekking company.

A great wanting llama by any standards | Laguna Caycocha.

• Permits & Charges: No permits are wanted to hike the Ausangate Circuit, although hikers do have to pay a ten sole (US$3) price at a hole-in-the-wall kiosk on the sting of Tinqui. Be certain that they offer you a receipt/ticket.

• Meals:  There are a few fundamental shops in Tinqui, however you’re higher off bringing all provides from Cusco. As soon as you allow Tinqui, there’s nowhere to buy provides alongside the route.

• Water: There’s loads of water obtainable all through the route, nonetheless, as a result of prevalence of grazing animals (Ausangate is within the working for being the Llama capital of Peru) it’s endorsed that each one water ought to be handled.

DM consuming within the views on high of Arapa Cross (4757m)

• Guided Vs Unbiased: Greater than 95% of hikers that sort out the Ausangate Circuit accomplish that as a part of a guided group. Nonetheless, if in case you have the required gear – as a result of larger elevations it’s colder than the Inca and Salkantay hikes – an inexpensive quantity of backpacking expertise, and are nicely acclimatized (see under) there aren’t any points with doing the hike independently. For those who would like to do a guided journey, as of 2017, you may be taking a look at round US$600 to $800. See Besthike.com for a listing of really useful trekking companies.

• Acclimatization: Whichever path you select to do the circuit, likelihood is you may be tenting at over 4500m on the primary night time of the journey. You’ll subsequently stay over this altitude for all however the ultimate kilometres again to Tinqui. So as to keep away from doable points with AMS (Accute Mountain Illness), you have to be nicely acclimatized earlier than beginning the trek. Tip: Along with a number of days spent wandering across the regional hub of Cusco (3400m), attempt to do at the least one of many space’s barely decrease altitude treks such because the Inca Path, Salkantay Trek or Lares Trek. All of those hikes embrace passes over 4000m. For extra data, see Ideas for Excessive Altitude Climbing.

Yours really with the MLD Prophet at Campo Cross (5068m).

Trekking Notes:

• Terrain: With 4 excessive passes ranging between 4757m and 5165m, the Ausangate circuit is a topographical curler coaster. That mentioned, except for a number of quick stretches (the preliminary a part of the climb to Campo Cross involves thoughts), the gradient isn’t steep.

• Tenting: In between the passes will be discovered loads of nice tenting areas on the large valley flooring.

• Fauna:  Along with the llamas talked about above, hikers also can spot alpacas, vicunas, black-winged Andean geese, and in case you are fortunate, the unimaginable Andean condor. When taking a break on or close to rocky slopes, it’s a good suggestion to thoughts your meals, as there are many opportunistic viscachas (chinchillas) mendacity in look ahead to unsuspecting trekkers.

• Scorching Springs: There are two scorching springs alongside the route, located close to the beginning and end of the stroll. Stepping into a counter-clockwise path, the primary is twenty minutes previous the tiny village of Upis. The second will be discovered at Calachaca, from the place it’s a straightforward three-hour descent again to Tinqui.

• Aspect Journey to Rainbow Mountain: It’s doable to increase the hike by a few days with a aspect journey to one of many area’s hottest vacationer locations, the multi-coloured Rainbow Mountain. For particulars, see Trave2Walk – Ausangate & the Rainbow Mountains.

Oversleeping on the circuit with Nevado Ausangate (6372 m) looming within the background.

Ultimate Ideas:

The Ausangate Circuit encapsulates a number of what I really like about mountaineering within the Andes. Jagged snow-capped peaks, sweeping valleys, beautiful lakes, and the chance to look at the shepherding tradition up shut and private. Throw in some soothing scorching springs and the truth that the path stays comparatively uncrowded, and I’d should say that that is one in every of my favorite treks in South America.