Hike to Rainbow Mountain
The Rainbow Mountain, or Vinicunca, tour starts very early with pickup at your hotel in Cusco. After a couple of hours' drive, we stop for breakfast in the Cusipata area to recharge before the effort ahead. From there we continue to the start of the hike, at about 4,600 m. Vinicunca, the famous rainbow peak, owes its red, turquoise, golden and violet stripes to the minerals exposed as the glaciers retreated.
From the trailhead you hike for 1.5 to 2 hours up to the main viewpoint, at 5,036 m above sea level. It's a demanding stretch because of the extreme altitude, so you go slowly and at your own pace. The effort is rewarded with a 360-degree view over the painted slopes of the mountain and, ahead, the snowy peaks of the Ausangate range, one of the most sacred massifs in the Andes. It's the most iconic and photographed landscape in the region.
After photos and a well-earned rest at the top you begin the descent along the same trail. On the way back you enjoy a hearty buffet lunch and, in the afternoon, you are driven back to your hotel in Cusco. The fare includes breakfast, lunch, trekking poles and an oxygen tank for support. Because it's a high-altitude hike, it's best to be acclimatized in Cusco before the trip; and if the climb gets hard, horses are available for much of the way up.
