Ausangate Circuit

Day 1
The overnight group flight to Cuzco via Madrid and Lima departs this evening, arriving the following morning.

Day 2
Those on group flights will be met at Cuzco airport this morning and transferred to the group hotel. In the afternoon we have a walking tour of Cuzco. Filled with delicate colonial buildings resting on hefty Inca foundations, the city centre is beautiful and unique, and we see the main sights of the Plaza de Armas and the surrounding streets, as well as visiting the Inca Sun Temple (Qoricancha).

Day 3
Today has been left free for acclimatisation or for a variety of optional activities. You may wish to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas to discover its picturesque towns and impressive Inca fortresses, go rafting on the Urubamba River, or spend more time exploring the fascinating backstreets of Cuzco.

Day 4
After a leisurely morning for sorting out our equipment for the trek we drive for around 4 hours over paved roads towards the Cordillera Vilcanota. A steep zigzag road brings us to a pass which offers a stunning view of the north-western side of the range. We stop here for a picnic lunch while enjoying the stunning scenery. The winding road descends and leads us to the village of Tinqui, situated at about 3800m. We camp close to the village tonight.

Day 5
Our first day's hike offers several trails to bring us to what seems like the foot of Mt. Ausangate at the head of the Upis valley. The hike is relatively gentle and involves a steady but slow rise over rolling open countryside. The vegetation is dominated by ichu, a tall Andean grass, and we should expect to encounter herds of alpaca and llama as move away from the lower level potato fields into the higher altitude grazing lands. We pass several isolated settlements along the way, and may well meet some of the villagers who sell handicrafts to supplement their faming income. The hike leads us to our camp for the night near the small village of Upis, located at around 4440m.

Day 6
This morning we set off further up the valley and veer west over a grassy hillside where a short ascent brings us to the Arapa Pass (4760m). Traversing the northwest flank of Mt Ausangate we maintain altitude before descending to cross a stream at the mouth of the small Pucacocha Lake. A short rise takes us above the small lake where we can enjoy great views over to the hanging southwest glacial fields of Ausangate. It is not uncommon to see ice calving off the glaciers, and we always hear the thunderous roar during the night as we camp close to the shore of the larger Pucucocha Lake at around 4585m.

Day 7
The first goal of today's 11km hike is the Ausangate, or Alcatani, Pass at 4875m. We should have some great views of Lake Ausangatecocha below us, Mt. Ausangate's ice fields and glaciers to our left, and rolling hills and grassy valleys to our right. From the pass, we descend to the lake and then begin the hike up to and over Palomani Pass at 5130m. The scree and soil along the way are incredibly varied and their red, brown and tan colours provide a great backdrop to the ascent. From the pass we look across to the beautiful and dramatic snowy peak of Mt Mariposa as we descend to our grassy camp in the fields close to the base of the mountains at around 4650m.

Day 8
Today we traverse the flanks of the range as we follow a side valley into the broad Campa Valley. We follow the river upstream past herds of grazing llamas as we climb towards our camp at Acero (4860m).

Day 9
Today we ascend Campa, a 5500m trekking peak. We start early as we head up the Campa Pass then branch off up scree slopes and alongside the remnants of the Campa Glacier to the summit. Though the trail is steep and involves some scrambling, it is relatively straightforward and non-technical unless there has been heavy snowfall, in which case we will don crampons (provided locally) to cross any icefields. From the summit, we will be rewarded with spectacular views of Mt Ausangate and Sibinacocha, the largest lake in the area which lies shimmiering blue in the distance. We retrace our steps to the pass then set up camp near the Ticlacocha Lakes.

Day 10
After heading up and over the scree slopes of the Campa Pass (5050m), we begin a gradual descent to the hot springs at Pachanta (4360m). The trek follows a moraine and takes us past glacial tarns and isolated herders' cottages. On this stretch it is not uncommon to catch sight of herds of vicuña, a relative of the llama, as they pick their way through the scree and ice. We camp near the springs, where there will be time to soak our tired muscles in the warm pools.

Day 11
From Pachanta, it is a steady climb eastwards across the highlands to Laguna Armaccocha (4665m). This beautiful high-altitude lake is nestled at the foot of the snow-capped sub-range surrounding Collque Cruz, and the incredible scenery makes it a memorable place to camp.

Day 12
As we continue our journey northeast, we cross a pass at 4940m where we enjoy panoramic views of the Cordillera Vilcanota and the valleys which lead away from it, as well as Singrenacocha, whose milky blue waters lie to the north. Taking a diversion to the high altitude lakes of Mullucocha, we then descend to the shore os Singrenacocha (4390m) and set up camp for the night.

Day 13
The last day of the trek is a gentle one, as we follow the lake shore and the river which leads from its northwestern end to the village of Mahuallani. After lunch here we say goodbye to our trekking team and board our bus for the drive back to Cuzco, following the same scenic road we took to the start point at Tinqui.

Day 14
Today has been left free for relaxation after the challenging trek. Those who still have some energy left can take an optional day trip to the incredible Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. We take an early train from just outside Cuzco for a scenic 3-hour journey to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we board a bus up to the ruins themselves, attractively situated on a spur between the peaks of Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu. We will have a guided tour of the site, followed by some free time to explore independently, before returning to Cuzco by train.

Day 15
The trip ends after breakfast in Cuzco today. Those on group flights will be transferred to the airport for the overnight flight to London via Lima and Madrid.

Day 16
The group flights arrive in London this afternoon.