Ausangate circuit
Photo: Ollyfant at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Ausangate circuit is an extremely high-altitude 70-km hiking trail face-to-face with the gigantic, snowcapped peak of Ausangate.
UnderstandUnlike the Inca Trail and others nearer to Cuzco, it stays very high in alpine puna habitat and does not pass through forest.
PrepareGuided tours are offered by an array of online agencies as well as in Cuzco, and even out of Ocongate, the nearest bigger town, or Tinqui if your Spanish is decent and you are willing to network very quickly.
Get inBuses (S/15) leave for Tinqui in the morning from a small yard south of the Coliseo Cerrado in Cuzco (see map); it’s best to reserve a day in advance just to mark the location, as it can be hard to find.
WalkThis description divides the trail into sections based on established campsites, but the independent trekker could camp virtually anywhere along the route.
Stay safeUsual hiking precautions apply, but more intensely. Purify at least lower-elevation water sources; herds of alpacas and hikers are common below 5000 m. Take waterproof and quick-drying clothing; cotton kills.
Go nextA few travel agencies and maps suggest variations on the trail that go even higher, such as going east over the Chumpi pass or toward the Singrenacocha lake.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Ausangate circuit" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Ollyfant at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons