BY THE “APU AUSANGATE” ROUTE”7 LAGOONS”
Full Day
The Ausangate, whose original name in the native language (Quechua) is Awsanqati, also known as the “Apu Creator of Waters”, is the 5th highest mountain in Peru with an average of 6,385m.a.s.l. (20,948 feet) considered a Major Apu, Sacred Andean God and protector of the inhabitants of the Cusco Valley.
The mountain is located in the heart of the Andes mountain range (the longest continental mountain range on the planet with 8,500 km. Or 5,281 miles that starts in the extreme south, from Tierra del Fuego and crosses the countries of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and part of Venezuela). The 7 lakes are located to the north of the Ausangate snow-capped peak, on the western edge of the Vilcanota mountain range and 3 and a half hours driving southeast from the city of Cusco.
ANDINA AMAZONICA, takes you to walk through the most remote and beautiful places towards the mountain of Ausangate, where the sky touches the earth, walking through tropical areas until disappearing and blending into the grasslands of the heights, where we leave behind the fertile and temperate valleys to enter the fields of Ichu or Andean high altitude pastures, delighting our senses with the presence of wetlands, lagoons and streams that are fed by the melting waters of the Apu Ausangate. With ANDINA AMAZONICA, you can take your memories photographed among the most picturesque landscapes that nature offers us, also enjoying the wonderful thermal mineral-medicinal waters, where you can take a bath to relax the muscles and revitalize the body.
Approximately 12 km (7.45 miles) of walking, the waters of some lagoons appear, the waters have different colors, from brown tones, turquoise, bright green and deep blue; each lagoon is always accompanied by the presence of the Apu Ausangate that rises to the top of the sky. The names of the lagoons were baptized by the same settlers of yesteryear, perhaps by our own ancestors and these are:
Puca Cocha Lagoon, Pata Cocha Lagoon, Alca Cocha Lagoon, Qomer Cocha Lagoon, Otorongo Macho, Otorongo Hembra, Azul Cocha.
The Pata Cocha and Qomer Cocha Lagoons are the most outstanding due to their intense color and according to travelers they can be compared to the famous Laguna 69 in the Cordillera Blanca.
With ANDINA AMAZONICA, the hike to this beautiful place is aimed at all people of age, nature lovers, with the need to leave the routine of the city, the stress and be alone in contact with Mother Nature, breathe the pure oxygen brought by the winds that come from the snowy peaks, revitalize the body and spirit with the energy that one finds in almost pristine places like this.
Details
We start the trek from the community of Pacchanta at 4,300m.a.s.l. (14,108 feet). (14,108 feet), picturesque settlement, where one can appreciate the real life of the Andean people in its most natural and original form, with its people, most of them only Quechua speakers, with their typical clothes that characterize its inhabitants and their homes, most of them made of stone (pirca) and thatched roofs, with their animals that are the basis of their self-subsistence, their small plots, most of them with high altitude Andean potato crops and that nowadays and thanks to the visit of tourists, women can get an extra income by selling their handicrafts and weavings made by themselves.
After taking a look at the community, we start with the hike through a trail, where at first the level of difficulty is gentle and then moderate. Along the way the first lagoons appear, as we go up, the snowy peaks of the entire mountain range are imposing and finally reaching the highest point of our excursion, you can observe the magnificent natural scenery; from up there the snowy peaks, so close as if one could almost touch them, and down the lagoons with their natural colors, you can also appreciate the valleys and mountains disappearing into the horizon; definitely an unforgettable experience.
- Private and/or shared transportation (according to your requirement).
- Professional, bilingual, accredited, certified guide with first aid training.
- Oxygen bottle and first aid kit.
- Breakfast and lunch en route.
- Food not described in the program.
- Personal extra expenses of the traveler.
- Walking sticks for the hike.
- Snacks for the excursion.
- Everything that is not described in the inclusions.
- Bring bathing suit for the thermal baths.
- Bring money in local currency in case you want to buy any article.
- Carry walking sticks for the hike.
- Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, hat.
- Bring a poncho in case it rains.
- Bring a camera.
- Bring some snacks for the day.
- Light clothing with long sleeves and thermal clothing for the cold.
- A small backpack to carry your personal belongings.
- Hiking time: 6 hours approx. round trip.
- Starting altitude of the hike: 4,300 m.a.s.l. (14,108 feet).
- Maximum altitude of the excursion: 4,630 m.a.s.l. (15,190 feet)
- Elevation gain: 330 m.a.s.l. (1,083 feet)
- Distance: 10 km (6.21 miles)
- Difficulty level: Moderate – Demanding
- Entrance fee: S/.10.00
- Horse rental: S/.80.00 approx.
- Right to use the hot springs: S/.5.00
