Ausangate Trek

Approximately 800 tourists visit the Rainbow Mountains or Vinicunca per day. This is very apparent once you've witness the scores of people trekking up or riding up by horse by the one day tour.

I chose a different route.

Dia 1

We started off easy. A 7km walk to our camp site. The group consisted of three people; myself, another solo female hiker, and our tour guide. We entered a small village with more alpacas and sheep than there were homes and people. The walk up was slow and steady with even more fascinating conversation. Our main topic was the mindset of Peruvians in relation to the Quechua people. The tribe people work together with the land and animals to preserve what belongs to them. The government cannot access these lands because it is protected by the indigenous ones. 

As the hike went on, talking became less frequent due to our inability to breath normally. Now we were forced to slow down and take in our surroundings. 

Dia 2

I awoke to the sound of water rushing down a river stream blended with the voices of Peruvian men, "Buenos días señoritas!" In our tent, we sipped on aluminum cups with tea, enjoyed our breakfast and began out trek for the day. Today, we have many beautiful views of the Ausangate glacier; 11km of upward hiking then flat, and finally downward. 

Dia 3

Last night, after dinner, the three of us stood out in the cold. Standing near the base of the Ausangate glacier, we looked up into the star lit sky, traveled towards the smiling moon, and listened as an avalanche made it's was rumbling down. I jumped in excitement since this was a first for me! For most of the night, we could hear several more avalanches occurring. 

When dawn came, we were ready for our big challenge; to hike upwards, 2km into the altitude. With filled bellies, we began out trek.  This day was our guide's favourite day because of the views we were about to meet. He was right. But this day was also unexpected.

Divine Timing
Sitting at the top of our mountain, I could not help but look over at the mountains in front of us and see a face. The three of us were so occupied with the shapes and possibilities of this mountain, that it was hard to miss the tiny woman hurrying her way up the hill. We thought she was tending to her alpacas but we were wrong.
She wore a yellow hat on her head and tears in her eyes. A Quechua woman fell off her horse and was making her way up and into the mountains to get to the main village; the place we left two days ago. The tour guide helped her as much as he could and she left us there - worried that she would not make it to the village before dusk.
We spent our trek down thinking about this woman. She was not certain of her own strength until she was desperate enough to save herself.

Dia 4

Drifting in and out of sleep, we awoke at 3am. We slept in huts with out tents but it was still cold from the snow. Tired, the three of us ate our breakfast and left for our final destination. I was worried about my body's reaction towards the snow and the altitude. 

Five minutes into walking. I asked for a break. This was not good.

It was difficult to breathe. I could hear my lungs beg me for air. Standing only a few meters away from our base, we looked back. The mountains behind us were nesting mist, like a mother rocking her baby to sleep; so delicate, yet so deadly. Step by step we made our way up mountain to see the sunrise - it was worth it. 

At 16, 350feet, I was at the highest I had ever been in my life! But the trek was not over. We celebrated. We rested. We ate chocolate. We moved on. Trekking downhill gave us views of lakes mirroring mountains and playful chinchillas. 

Now it was time to trek up and make our last steps towards Rainbow Mountain. I gasped. I inhaled through my nose and out of my mouth. Nothing worked. I was determined to finish. Almost to the top, I had a deja vu moment where I saw myself hiking those mountains, searching for air, but making it to the end. I received energy to finally collapse at the top.
My tour guide checked my pulse and my breathing levels to see if I was in a worst state than we thought - I was not.

After five minutes resting, we moved on to the point where we were so close to being finished, 
we just did. The last 80meters of the hike, I became wary that I would need oxygen. Here, I asked my guide to walk and finish with me. The other hiker, walked slowly and waited until the three of us were able to climb to the top - together. 

 Let the salsa dancing and fashion show begin!

Have you wondered where you'll end up when you get out of your head and simply walk?

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