A fantastic day tour of trekking through lands of wild desert to the 7 Color/Rainbow mountain (5100m).
Rainbow mountain is located close to the peak, Ausangate (6,385m/20,945 ft), which is the highest mountain in the Cusco region and considered a holy mountain or mountain spirit by local people.
This route will take you through stunning landscapes with glaciers, snowcapped mountains, and crystal-clear rivers and lakes. You’ll pass by local Quechua and campesino villages and explore the breathtaking nature all around, filled with llamas and alpacas.
Level: challenging.
This may just be a day trip to Rainbow Mountain, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. In fact, we rate this trek as moderate. (See how we rate all of our treks in the Cusco region!)
There are two factors that affect the difficulty of this day hike: the altitude and the steep uphill climb.
Your Rainbow Mountain 1 day trek starts at an altitude of 4650m (15,255 ft). That’s already very high up and you must be well acclimatized before beginning the hike (more on altitude below).
From there, you will hike for 1.5h to 2h up to Vinicunca Pass, the classic viewpoint for Rainbow Mountain. While Rainbow Mountain itself has an altitude of 5200m (17,060 ft), Vinicunca Pass is located at 5040m (16, 535 ft), the highest point you will actually reach on this hike. That’s enough to take your breath away – literally!
While the hike is only a couple of hours, it is a very steep, uphill climb, with an elevation gain of nearly 400m (1312 ft). This can be very strenuous for most people. Of course, others will find the return trip down even harder! Steep inclines can be very hard on the knees.
Make sure you are prepared for the strain on your lungs and your knees for this trek, and that you know your body can handle it. We recommend walking sticks!
