Wednesday, 6 November 2024

Adventures in South America: Vinicunca, Peru

Today I joined another group tour, this time to Vinicunca, also known as "Rainbow mountain."

We had to leave Cusco at 5:00 for this tour, which was too bad, because I do not enjoy waking up so early. I dislike waking up this early at the best of times, but last night was the US election and the results (President Trump won) meant I had a very troubled sleep; but anyway we loaded up into the little bus and set out. After two hours of driving we reached the town of Cusipata, where we stopped for breakfast.


Then we began driving upwards. Cusipata is at 3,300 metres, so already a relatively high spot, but we drove another 1,300 metres higher, through a gorgeous valley, with several Indigenous villages.


The trailhead parking lot is at 4,600 metres (I think; thereabouts, anyway), which is really a very high parking lot! The views are spectacular, even from the parking lot.


Our guide gave us a bit of a prep talk at the parking lot, then let us head off on our own up the trail. The hike is only about four kilometres with a gain of approximately 400 metres, so not a challenging hike EXCEPT for the elevation. In Tajikistan earlier this year I climbed to 4,800 metres, and felt the effects of high altitude hiking then. Today, hiking to 5,000 metres, despite the experience from May, I think I struggled even more! I tried to take it slow, and I took breaks, but still I felt lightheaded and woozy. Still, it was a great challenge and totally worth it. 


Some folks opt to hire horses, who, along with their Indigenous owners, do not seem at all impacted by the altitude. In fact, some of the horse owners were running up the mountain. Meanwhile, I took it real slow.


This is a very popular hike, but the trail can handle it and for good stretches I was able to walk peacefully alone and soak in the experience. 


At the top, however, sadly the crowds really detract from the enjoyment (the cold, the hail, and the altitude do, too!), but certainly the rainbow effect on the mountain is cool, and I felt very accomplished reaching 5,000 metres for the first time in my life!


At the summit there is a sign showing 5038 metres. There must have been 20 people waiting to take photos with it and I was not willing to wait up here, totally exposed to the wind and hail and cold, so I went down two or three metres and paid a man a few soles to take a picture of me with his version of the sign and his alpacas. He is a skilled photographer, because somehow he managed to get a picture in which the crowd below me cannot be seen!


Our tour group reassembled a bit further down, where ladies sell hot drinks and snacks. I avoid instant coffee whenever possible, but it almost hit the spot as I sipped it up here!


Before returning back to the parking lot, we headed up the ridge on the left to a spot known as the Red Valley.


On the other side of the ridge, the colour is quite different, certainly more red, but more vegetation adds a lot more green, as well. 





From the Red Valley, we returned over the ridge in the direction we had come, and down the slope to rejoin the main trail. I was really feeling the effects of altitude now, so was pretty determined in my descent. 


I did stop long enough to zoom my camera in on some alpacas who had found water to drink a little ways below me.

Once we were all back at the van, we drove further down the valley to get lunch at the same restaurant in Cusipata where we had had breakfast. Unfortunately, I was feeling so awful when we got here that although I got a bowl of soup and a plate of some food, I realized I could not eat anything. I drank a cup of coca tea which felt really nice, but after that I just went back outside for some fresh air. I slept most of the two hours drive back to Cusco.

No comments:

Post a Comment