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Details of the Trip
Day 1: Cusco – Pitumarca – Q’esuyuno – Kayrawiry
Your Andean mountain adventure begins at 4:00am when the guide will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco! Drive for 2 hours until we reach the Pitumarca Village, where we will stop to collect supplies and then continue for 1 more hour to Q’esuyuno community. Along the way, we view amazing canyons, Inca farming terraces, rugged mountains and some isolated communities. Upon arrival, we meet our horsemen and horses. We begin our hike gradually heading up to the Kayrawiry community where we have lunch. After enjoying lunch and taking a little siesta, we continue our hike towards Rainbow Mountain! Once there, we will enjoy the amazing colored mountain, which is the highlight of the day. You may see the rare vicuñas or condors at the amazing glacial lakes that you visit. Finally, we hike downhill to Kayrawiry, where our camping tents will be ready. It is time to enjoy an afternoon tea and dinner.
- Elevation: 4800m/15,748ft
- Hiking time: 5 to 6 hours
- Meals: lunch & dinner
- Accommodations: camping at Kayrawiry Lake
Day 2: Kayrawiri – Q’esuyuno – Ausangate Lake
We will wake you up early in the morning with a hot cup of coca tea to start one of the most beautiful days of the trek. Enjoy the majestic views of some of the highest peaks in the Andes and the depths of the beautiful valleys. After breakfast, we will hike back to Q’esuyuno, then start a 2-hour steep climb to Condor Pass at (5100m/ 16732ft) in elevation. Enjoy gorgeous views of the blue lakes and the majestic views of Ausangate Glacier Peak towering over you. Sometimes you can see avalanches happening from the glacial hills with ice crashing into the lakes below. Once you reach the summit of this mountain, you will be right in front of Ausangate. There you can really enjoy the valleys of alpaca grazing amongst the hills. It is so impressive! After time to enjoy the amazing views from the pass, we head downhill and reach our lunch spot. After a little siesta, continue with our hike for 3 more hours to Ausangate Lake where you will enjoy our famous daily happy hour of hot drinks and settle into our campsite for the night.
- Elevation: 5100m/16,732ft
- Hiking time: 12 to 13 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Accommodations: camping at Ausangate Lake
Day 3: Ausangate Lake – Qampa
After an early and nutritious breakfast with your trekking team, you will prepare for the third day of the hike. Today you will be hiking very close to the wonderful views of the Ausangate Glacier Peaks, experiencing spectacular views of lakes and waterfalls. You may even see some llamas, alpacas and wild vicuñas (the undomesticated ancestor of the alpaca) as well as condors soaring above. We will have a 3-hour ascension to reach the Abra Campo Pass, which is at (5000m/16404ft), where you will discover magnificent views of the surrounding areas. It is possible that in some months of the year, we will have snow hikes, but mostly in the dry season, you just get great views. This is an excellent place to look for vicuñas, which are the most important of the animals still living wild in Peru, they belong to the family of Andean Camellias. Their fleece is the most expensive wool in the world today. After taking a few amazing pictures we continue to our lunch spot, with a gradual descent for another 1.5hours to a beautiful area where you will enjoy your second day’s lunch. It will be another 2.5-hour hike to arrive at our campsite in Qampa.
- Elevation: 5000m/16,404ft
- Hiking time: 7 to 8 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Accommodations: camping at Jampa
Day 4: Qampa – Pacchanta – Cusco
After 3 days of hiking and acclimatization, on Day 4 we are ready for another adventure! We have breakfast early and begin our hike of approximately 1 hour to reach the glacier base and then to the top of the mountain! After enjoying the spectacular views of the Vilcanota Range, we descend back down to enjoy a delicious lunch. In the afternoon, we descend towards the Qomer Lake just before arriving at Pacchanta after a 5-hour walk. Pacchanta is a little community with attractive hot springs where we can enjoy a relaxing dip. Then we take our transportation back to Cusco.
- Elevation: 4500m/14,763ft
- Hiking time: 5 to 6 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Included
- Private transportation to start of the trek
- Professional guide, fluent in English
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- 7kgs personal luggage allowance to put on the horses
- Personal duffel bags for your extra luggage to put on the horses
- Spacious tents ; sleeping mats ; dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet tent
- Horses to carry the group’s equipment (food, tents, tables, etc.)
- Emergency horse to ride if you are tired or ill
- Emergency oxygen bottle and first aid kit
Not Included
- Breakfast on the 1st day
- Dinner on the 6th day
- Sleeping Bag –$20 USD per person per trek (It will be clean and warm)
- Air Mattress –$20 USD per person per trek (Therm-a-rest mattresses)
- Walking Poles –$15 USD per pair per trek (Professional Poles that can be extended)
- Personal tent -$30 USD – (Tent for solo trekkers)
- Tips for the crew, guide, cook and porters of SAM TRAVEL PERU
PRICE
- $577 USD per person
This trek is available to depart any day of the week as long as we have a minimum of two participants
***This price includes the extra pack horse which will carry your belongings up to 7kgs, we provide you a duffel bag, in which to put your things.
***We provide large Eureka 4 person tents for each 2 trekkers.
DISCOUNTS
- Group of 5 or more: $30 USD. – All you need is to book the trek together at the same time.
EXTRAS
- Sleeping Bag: $20 USD per person per trek (It will be clean and warm)
- Air Mattress: $20 USD per person per trek (Therm-a-rest mattresses)
- Walking Poles: $15 USD per pair per trek (Professional poles that can be extended)
- Personal tent:$30 USD – (Tent for solo trekkers only)
ADDED VALUES for FREE
- Comfortable foam mattresses
- Camping pillow
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel (Cusco only)
- Boiled water for drinking and washing purposes
- Personal pack horse included
- Duffel bags and plastic liner bags
- Thick warm blanket to put over the sleeping bag
- Hot water bottles to put into your sleeping bag
WHY CHOOSE SAM TRAVEL?
SAM Travel Peru is a family owned travel agency and a local tour operator based in Cusco with personal experience over many years of trekking. SAM Travel Peru is a 100% Cusqueñian Company without any shareholders.
Our dream as a locally based company is to create small personalized tours & treks strictly and only operated by local professional staff catering in PERSONALIZED and HIGH QUALITY SERVICE.
We take pride in our reputation as a RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE tour operator. Our staff are our extended family. We ensure they are supported financially by offering them a fair salary. We are so proud of our team! Without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer the best service and lifetime experiences to our clients.
SAM Travel Peru knows how important it is to trust in a reliable honest operator to create your adventure of a lifetime while in Peru. Check out our reviews and certificates of excellence on, TRIPADVISOR for yourself! Also we are highly recommended on Conde Nast Travelers, Lonely Planet and by many blogs like: Trek de Lares 4 hours, “It’s the journey, not the destination…”, Lares Pass – Day 3, Trekking in the Sacred Valley.
SMALL GROUPS
To ensure a more personalized service for our guests, at SAM Travel Peru we have a policy that our groups will not exceed 8 people. This fact alone sets us apart from other companies that operate departures with bigger groups.
OUR TOP TOUR GUIDES
We are so proud of our guides! They are highly professional and speak fluent English. They are very knowledgeable and passionate for Inca heritage and history. Our guides are dedicated to continuous personal and professional development. They do research to ensure that you receive accurate and recognized theories in Inca and Andean culture. Our crew is fun loving, great sports and well-educated. They all hold degrees in one of the following: Archaeology, Tourism, Botany, History or Anthropology.
OUR SUPER COOL HORSEMEN
Hiking the Ausangate Trek with SAM Travel Peru is a life changing experience with a fully portered trek where your comfort and enjoyment are our first priority. We make sure that you get the best experience for your holiday in Peru while you interact with the locals, explore fantastic sites and re-discover remote ancient Inca towns and buildings. Having the opportunity to learn some words in Quechua and about the fascinating Inka history. Immerse yourself in the stunning landscape and simply feel the magic of Mother Nature (Pachamama) and the Andes. We carry your gear, prepare your meals, set up your tents avoid crowded campsites and take care of you while you sit back and relax.
We provide the following items to our horsemen and cooks for free: Jacket, sun hat, warm hat, t-shirt, pants, hiking boots, comfortable duffle bags, canteen, a girdle for protecting their spine, sleeping bags, mattresses and insurance.
OUR COOKS ON THE AUSUNGATE TREK
You will love our fabulous cooks! The food on the trek has been highlighted by all our clients they say “that it was better than in the restaurants.” Delicious and abundant gourmet style meals, Peruvian and international cuisine are prepared by our professional and dedicated cooks from a mixture of local and exotic produce. If you are vegetarian or have food allergies of any kind, we can cater our meal to adjust to your needs.
SAM Travel Peru honors any food restrictions and special diets such as gluten free, vegetarian or vegan!
OUR EQUIPMENT
Our team (Guides, cooks, horsemen) and our equipment are what really makes SAM Travel Peru stand out from all the competitors…. For all our adventures we hike we include the following items:
- OUR TENTS: Enjoy a good night’s sleep in our 4 season EUREKA Timberline tents. All our tents are 4 person tents, but ONLY sleep 2, leaving lots of room to spread out comfortably and store your duffel bags. They also include a little vestibule in front, giving you some extra outdoor space to leave your boots and walking sticks so you don’t have to bring in dirt.
- OUR MATS: They are used to separate and insulate you from the ground. They all are comfortable.
- AIR MATTRESSES: They can be rented for US$20
- OUR KITCHEN & DINING TENTS: The dining tent is used as our meeting room at meal time. It’s a place to enjoy our meals and the company of fellow trekkers.
- OUR TABLES & CHAIRS: The interior of the dining room includes tables and chairs with two doors on each side, which are adaptable to weather conditions.
- DUFFEL BAGS: Will be provided at briefing time the night before the trek.
- MORE: Pillows, backpack rain covers, survivor t-shirts, hot shower and the biochemical camping toilet are provided on trek.
OUR SERVICE PROJECTS
SAM Travel Peru has always believed that we should give back to the communities we pass through when on our treks. Therefore, as part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we always do many service projects and hire locally.
SAM Travel Peru is so proud to be able to support these beautiful people, not only employing them work but also to keep things at grassroots, to share in their homes and with their families. This makes us happy to have this holistic approach with our highland employees and their families!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read carefully the following information; it will help with your questions about our services and the Ausangate Trek.
WELCOME TO CUSCO
You will be greeted at Cusco airport and taken to your hotel, please ensure that you inform us of your full flight details at least 14 days prior to arrival. Look for our representative holding an orange SAM Travel Peru board at the exit from the arrival terminal.
THE BRIEFING
The briefing will take place the night before the trek at 6pm in our office, which is located at Calle Garcilaso 210, office 207 (second floor) in the La CASA DEL ABUELO shopping center.
CAN I STORE MY LUGGAGE AT YOUR OFFICE?
Of course! During the Ausangate Trek your main luggage can be stored at our office or at your hotel, whichever is more convenient for you.
HOW TO BOOK THE AUSANGATE TREK
FIRST, to book your Ausangate Trek, we need you to fill out our booking form by clicking on BOOK NOW on our homepage or click here the link BOOK NOW.
Please be ready with the following information (FROM EACH PARTICIPANT in your group). We cannot purchase an Ausangate Trek entrance tickets without the following information:
- Personal information (your full name, exactly as on your passport):
- Gender
- Passport number
- D.OB. (dd / mm / yyyy)
- Nationality
SECOND, we require a deposit of US$211.00 per person in order to purchase a permit for the Ausangate Trek. You can make you deposit by clicking on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on the top of our home page, or you can click on the VISA or PAYPAL symbols on our booking page or click here on the payment of your choice, either VISA or PAYPAL.
WHAT ABOUT THE BALANCE?
If you would like to avoid the high credit card fees in Peru, you may pay in cash at our office (US dollars or Peruvian soles) here in Cusco. There are many ATMS within the historical center to withdraw money. You can also pay by VISA or PAYPAL online but you will have to pay a 5.5% service fee, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. To pay your balance through PAYPAL, you need to log into your PAYPAL account and use our email address samtravelperu@gmail.com.
MAY I CHANGE THE DEPARTURE DATE AFTER THE TICKETS HAVE BEEN BOUGHT?
Yes, but with some restrictions. Please contact the office as soon as possible if you need to change your date.
*** If you cancel your Ausangate Trekking, the deposit is not refundable at all!
WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE ON THE AUSANGATE TREK?
The weather is very unpredictable and it’s difficult to foresee. BUT you will have many different seasons as you pass through the numerous microclimates and will depend on the altitude. With the Ausangate Trek, we highly recommend you bring some very warm clothes and good rain gear in your day backpack. It can be very cold at the high altitudes of this trek.
WHAT ABOUT ALTITUDE SICKNESS ON AUSANGATE TREK?
In general if you exercise regularly and spend 3 days in Cusco, or in the Sacred Valley for acclimatization to the altitude, you may be just fine.
The recommended medicine for altitude sickness is WATER, COCA TEA and OXYGEN IF NEEDED; our guides are trained to treat you for Altitude Sickness. For more detailed information on Altitude Sickness click this link: Altitude Sickness.
We offer the Cusco City Tour and Sacred Valley tours that you can book while you are acclimatizing. Check out our day tours on our Main Page.
HIKING THE AUSANGATE TREK
The evening before you start your Ausangate Trek, you will be given a SMALL DUFFEL BAG to pack your clothes for the next four days. Your weight allowance is up to 7kg/14p. Your team of pack horses will carry your duffel bag for you, together with the food and camping gear. It’s important to be aware that you will not have access to your items in the duffel bag until the end of each day, as the horses will always be ahead of the group. During the Ausangate Trek, you need a day backpack big enough to carry your personal belongings such as a warm jacket, a rain jacket, your camera, sunscreen, snacks, water, etc. Usually a 30 to 40 litre backpack is sufficient.
IS THE TREK DIFFICULT, DO I NEED TO BE FIT?
Yes, it is a challenging trek with most of the trail over 4ooo meters or 13123 feet. You need to be in good physical condition and used to hiking.
In preparation: try walking 15kms in a day or go to the fitness club in the months leading up to the trek. It is also important to be well acclimatised to the altitude. Try to spend at least 3 days in Cusco (3350m/11,047ft) prior to starting the Ausangate trekking .
WHAT ABOUT TOILETS ON THE AUSANGATE TREK?
This has been highly appreciated by most of our clients, especially by our trekkers, who want a private, clean and sanitary toilet! SAM Travel Peru toilet facilities have an individual tent and a camping toilet with a seat. Check out the picture, which illustrates how we set up our camping toilet on the trek by using this link: picture of toilet tent. Our toilet is always set up a comfortable distance from our campsite. At night if you need to use the toilet it is readily accessible and clean, unlike the dirty facilities supplied by the government.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM UNABLE TO FINISH THE AUSANGATE TREK?
In the unlikely scenario that you are unable to finish the Ausangate trekking due to a health issue, Sam Travel Peru will assist you to the nearest town for help with transportation. We always carry oxygen on the trek for any respiratory problems. In extreme cases, a helicopter pick up can be arranged at your own expense. (Travel insurance required). There are no refunds in the unlikely situation that you are unable to finish the Ausangate trekking .
TIPPING
If you’re happy with the services provided, a tip – though not compulsory – is appreciated. While it may not be customary in your country, it’s of great significance for the people who will take care of you during the trek. It inspires them to give excellent service and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many SAM Travel Peru destinations. Of course you are free to tip as much as you feel appropriate, depending on your perception of the quality and the length of your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
ARE WE SUSTAINABLE?
Yes, we are a local, sustainable & responsible tourism operator for that we incorporate the universal principles of tourism: protect the environment and benefit the local communities by respecting their culture and religion. With this in mind, we have trained all our local staff to know and understand, respect the places and the local people.
PACKING LIST
WHAT SHOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU ?
- Original Passport (it has to be the same you have used for booking your trek)
- Comfortable daypack (the smaller, the better)
- Water storage: 2-3 litre reusalbe bottles (please do not bring disposable bottles)
- Comfortable hiking boots with ankle support
- Sleeping bag (can be rented from SAM Travel)
- Headlamp: essential
- Toilet paper
WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR DUFFEL BAG
As a Professional Direct Local Tour operator we provide you with a duffel bag at your briefing and INCLUDE an extra pack horse who will carry up to 7 kgs or 15 pounds including your 2.5kg sleeping bag, mattress and extra clothing. By Peruvian law, a duffel bag must not weigh more than 7 kilograms (15lbs). This limit is set to protect the health of the porters or horses. All bags will be weighed before being accepted. If you require more than 7 kilograms, it will then be your responsibility to carry the extra weight with your day pack. In this 7 kilos, please count 2 kilos for your sleeping bag and 1 kilo for your sleeping pad. This leaves you about 4 kilos for your personal gear.
- 2 t-shirts
- 2 hiking pants at least
- 4 sets of undergarments
- 3 sets of hiking socks
- Bathing suit for the thermal waters
- Fleece/ Thermals
- Warm clothes, down jacket — 2nd campsite temp around 3º Celsius.
- Waterproof gloves (even if they are ski gloves, take them)
- Comfortable shoes for camp
- Quickdry towel. We provide small ones, you might prefer something larger.
- Small bottle of soap: we provide warm water each day to wash.
- Battery Charger: No electricity along the trek
- Large plastic bags will be provided at the office to line your duffel
- Sleeping bag: It has to be at least -15ºC – This can be rented from us.
TOILETRIES
- Face moisturizer
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes
- Toothbrush and paste
- Personal medications
- First aid kit: band aids, moleskin, etc.
WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR BACKPACK
We highly recommend a small backpack 30 to 40Litres for hiking in the day. A big backpack will not be allowed into Machu Picchu. The remainder of your belongings will be in your duffel bag at camp.
- Water: Please supply your own water until the first lunch spot, then we will provide you with cold boiled water at every meal time. Please bring your canteens.
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- Headlamp: essential
- Wool hat
- Rain gear
- Fleece
- Snacks like chocolate bars, cereal bars or any dry fruits
- Rain plastic poncho
- Gloves
- Camera
- Hand sanitiser
- Toilet paper and small plastic bag for waste
- Extra money for souvenirs, drinks & tips
- Valuable items
