The Ausangate Circuit was the backpacking trip I was most looking forward to in Peru, and it didn’t disappoint. After talking to the nice folks at South American Explorers in Cusco, and armed with a map and local information, we took a bus to the small town of Tinki last Thursday. The town was very basic, and we stayed in a small hospedaje in order to get an early start on Friday. The weather around Ausangate is predictably bad after 1 pm, so we wanted to get most of the hiking in early. The plan was a five day counter-clockwise hike around Ausangate, with an unbelievable four passes over 16,000 ft, lots of views of glaciers, and mostly llamas and alpaca for company.
Cool High Altitude Cactus Grows Around Ausangate
Hiking Toward Upis Day One
Near the First Campsite at Upis
Ausangate is a very rugged area, with very high altitudes. Most people that do the trek do so with the help of guides and horses, and it is also very popular to horseback ride much of the trail. Garret and I wanted to do it independently though; and it is very possible for experienced backpackers; though route-finding was a constant challenge due to the number of llama paths that appear as the main path, and a basic amount of Spanish is certainly needed for those wanting to do the trip without guides. We felt a little bit guilty about not hiring local horseman (arrieros), but did our best to help the local economy by buying lots of genuine alpaca wool products whenever we were offered (which was frequently) by the woman who lived in the areas. Hat count is now five—Garret has three, and I have two (along with two scarves, and a few bracelets). Everywhere the women walk, they are always spinning alpaca wool, and it takes between 25 and 50 hours (depending on the intricacy of the pattern) to make a scarf that sells for about $6 dollars (this doesn’t include the time it takes to spin the wool into thread, just the time to weave the thread).
Horses Carry Most Supplies at Ausangage
The Shopping Begins; Garret Buys a Completely Authentic Alpaca Wool Scarf
The first day took us from Tinki to Upis, home of the first of two natural hot springs the trail passes by. We were hoping for them to be a little bit warmer; so we ended up only soaking our feet. Along the way we walked through valleys and crossed many rivers, our only company that of the alpacas and llamas. It started to rain about 1:00 pm, so we hunkered in our tent for the afternoon. It let up about four hours later, and we were able to have a nice dinner of ramen and spaghetti before climbing back in the tent for a long cold night. I had read that one should be prepared for long (13 hour) nights huddled in a tent; but my recommendation is that one be ready to spend the better part of 16 hours a day in the tent due to the afternoon weather. At least we had picked up a great travel book about the Kiribati Islands (The Sex Lives of Cannibals) to keep us entertained.
Deeanne Wakes up to a Frosty Morning
Soaking our Feet at the Hot Springs in Upis
The next day we went over Arapa Pass, and stayed just before Apacheta pass at a beautiful glacial lake. We had a bit of hail this night, and though we arrived in plenty of time to enjoy the lake all afternoon; the altitude was getting to us so we just laid around camp soaking in the views. We started dreaming of life at sea level, and what it would feel like to just be drowning in oxygen! Nothing other than a slight head-ache bothered us though, other than when you stand up or walk too fast you felt immediately tired; very tired!
Alpaca near Arapa Pass
Camp Night Two; Un-named Lake Near Laguna Ausangate Cocha
Our third day took us over Apacheta Pass and Paloomani Pass, where we were staring right at the summit of Ausangate. Beautiful views changed to clouds and snow as we camped above Jampa, and endured the coldest night. At least we had ramen to keep our tummies warm!
Face to Face with Ausangate
Looking Back at Ausangate
Did I Mention How Many Llamas and Alpaca There Were?
Camp Above Jampa; Very Cold!
The fourth day we covered a lot of ground, walking from Jampa over Campa Pass; where there were many cairns and alters. Quechua tradition is to build alters at high places with three coca leaves under the alter to represent the snake, lion and condor which they consider to be sacred animals representative of the past, present and future lives. After going over the pass, we began to see many more villagers and bought some more wool products on our way to Pacchanta, our last camp and the site of some lovely hot springs. I can’t tell you how nice (and needed) the hot springs were after five days of hiking. Those of you who know me know that when Garret and I hiked the John Muir Trail several years ago I prided myself on “showering” daily in a river or lake, and washing my clothes to stave off “trail smell”. I can tell you that there is no washing of bodies or clothes along the Ausangate Trail due to the extreme cold, and the fact that nothing would dry for days! So the hot springs were a very needed and lovely experience. I can also tell you that managing to only bring one pair of socks for six days is a very smelly experience, one that I don’t recommend! Unfortunately my spare pair of socks were forgotten on the bus along with all of our fresh fruit which was a cause for great weeping and gnashing of teeth (but at least we didn’t forget something really irreplaceable like ummm passports).
New Hats
Lovely Hot Springs in Pacchanta
Our final day was an easy hike on a dirt road from Pacchanta to Tinki, where we caught a series of four taxis/cars back to Cusco, as the busses weren’t following a regular schedule due to a local holiday. We spent the afternoon doing laundry, catching up on email, and eating delicious Italian food. We’re now heading to the Lake Titicaca area (world’s highest navigable lake) and intending to explore floating islands and make our way to La Paz, Bolivia (the world’s highest capital city) by early next week.
Final Scenery at Ausangate
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