Ausangate

Snowcapped Ausangate is the highest mountain in the Cusco Region, at about 6,384 m, and the most revered apu (sacred mountain) of the southern Andes. It rises in the Vilcanota mountain range, about 3 hours from Cusco by road to Tinki or Pacchanta. There are two ways to visit it: on a day hike to the 7 Lakes of Ausangate or on a 4- to 6-day trek around the mountain, with passes above 5,000 m.

Ausangate at a glance

Fact	Ausangate Mountain
Elevation	About 6,384 m
Mountain range	Vilcanota
Location	Between the districts of Ocongate (Quispicanchi) and Pitumarca (Canchis), Cusco Region
Access	Tinki and Pacchanta, about 3 hours from Cusco
Protection	Ausangate Regional Conservation Area, created in 2019
How to visit	The 7 Lakes in one day or a 4- to 6-day trek
Best season	April to October

Where is Ausangate Mountain?

Ausangate rises in the Vilcanota mountain range, southeast of Cusco, between the provinces of Quispicanchi and Canchis. From the north you reach it via Ocongate and Tinki, towns on the Interoceanic Highway that runs from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado; to the south, the massif drops toward Pitumarca and the area around Rainbow Mountain, whose viewpoint looks straight across at the snowcapped peak.

Since December 2019, a large part of the massif has been protected as the Ausangate Regional Conservation Area, created by Supreme Decree 012-2019-MINAM. It covers about 66,514 hectares in the districts of Ocongate, Pitumarca and Checacupe, with snowcapped peaks, glaciers, high-altitude wetlands known as bofedales and water sources that communities and towns across the region depend on.

Ausangate elevation

Ausangate stands about 6,384 m tall, the figure used by Peru’s Andina news agency, which describes it as the highest snowcapped peak in Cusco and one of the highest in Peru. It’s taller than Salkantay, the region’s other great glaciated mountain, and almost 3,000 m higher than the city of Cusco. Its summit is technical mountaineering terrain, only for expeditions with experience on ice. Travelers enjoy it from its lower slopes, at lakes and passes between 4,000 m and a little over 5,000 m.

Important: even the day hike goes above 4,500 m. Arrive in Cusco with several days to spare and save Ausangate for the end of your trip. Read our guide to altitude sickness in Cusco before you go.

Apu Ausangate and Qoyllur Rit’i

For the Quechua communities of the southern Andes, Ausangate is a protective apu: people make offerings to it, known as pagos a la tierra (payments to the earth), to ask for good harvests and healthy herds. On its slopes, in the Sinakara Valley, the pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Lord of Qoyllur Rit’i takes place. In 2011, UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

According to UNESCO, the festival begins 58 days after Easter Sunday, which is why it falls between May and June, and it brings together about 90,000 people from all over the region, who arrive grouped in “nations” with their own dances. It’s a religious celebration, not a tourist show: if your dates line up, go with someone who knows the festival and respect its rules. You’ll find more festivals around those dates in our Inti Raymi guide.

The 7 Lakes of Ausangate

This is the simplest way to see the mountain. The day trip leaves Cusco before dawn for Pacchanta, the last village the road reaches, and from there follows a hiking loop past several glacial lakes at the foot of Ausangate. Some of them, like Pucacocha (“red lake”), are named for the color of their water.

• Route: a high-mountain loop of several hours, with gentle ups and downs but always above 4,500 m.
• Duration: a full day from Cusco, with about 3 hours on the road each way.
• Afterward: many travelers head down to the Pacchanta hot springs, which look out on the mountain.

Tip: if you do the 7 Lakes, bring a swimsuit and a towel for the Pacchanta hot springs. After a morning above 4,500 m, the hot water is the best way to end the day.

The Ausangate trek

The circuit around the mountain takes 4 to 6 days and crosses passes above 5,000 m. It’s one of the most demanding and spectacular treks in Peru, with very few visitors compared with the Inca Trail or the Salkantay. It doesn’t end at Machu Picchu: it’s a loop that usually starts and finishes in Tinki or Pacchanta.

• Glacial lakes such as Uchuy Pucacocha and Ausangatecocha, at the foot of the tongues of ice.
• Herding valleys with alpacas and llamas, and campsites next to the communities.
• Rainbow mountains in the Vinicunca area, which some variants include.
• The Pacchanta hot springs, at the start or the end.

You need to be in good shape, have experience on multi-day hikes and be acclimatized beforehand. Nights at the campsites are below freezing, so you need high-mountain gear. If you’re torn between this trek and others, compare them in our Machu Picchu treks compared guide and in our guides to the Salkantay and Lares.

Which option to choose

	7 Lakes of Ausangate	Ausangate trek	Rainbow Mountain
Duration	One day	4 to 6 days	One day
Maximum elevation	Over 4,500 m	Passes over 5,000 m	About 5,036 m
Effort	Moderate to high	Very high	High because of the altitude
Visitors	Few	Very few	Many
Highlight	Lakes and the mountain up close	Total immersion in the mountain range	The most famous rainbow view

How to get to Ausangate from Cusco

You take the highway to Urcos and, from there, the Interoceanic Highway toward Ocongate and Tinki. It’s about 3 hours to Tinki or Pacchanta. There’s public transportation from Cusco to Ocongate and Tinki, but not always as far as Pacchanta, where the hikes begin. For the day at the lakes, the practical choice is a day trip or a private car. For the trek, the usual approach is to hire an operator with muleteers and pack horses, or at least a muleteer from the community.

Weather and best season

• April to October: dry season, with sunny days and very cold nights, below freezing at the campsites.
• November to March: rain, snow on the passes and muddy trails; the trek isn’t recommended.

Month-by-month details are in our guide to Cusco weather, and the clothes you’ll need are in our Cusco packing list.

Summary: what to do in your situation

• You have one day and you’re acclimatized: the 7 Lakes of Ausangate, with a soak in Pacchanta.
• You’re looking for a great trek away from the busiest routes: the Ausangate circuit, in the dry season.
• You want to see the mountain without as much effort: from the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint or from Palcoyo.
• You’re planning your days: fit the high mountains in at the end with our Cusco itinerary.