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One of the best hikes in the world is the
Ausangate Circuit
Ausangate (or Auzangate) is recommended only for confident, self-sufficient hikers experienced at high altitude. If you tolerate cold & altitude symptoms, the trails themselves are little trouble. Some route finding is necessary. Trekking guidebook essential.
One of our top 10 hikes in the world.
WHY WE LIKE THIS HIKE
 PERU, all things considered, offers the best alpine hiking in the world
- circle the sacred Ausangate massif (6372m, 20,905ft)
- fantastic glacier views
- remote, few trekkers, few people!
- 4 high passes between 4757m - 5165m!
- normally gorgeous sunny weather
- thousands of alpacas
- hotsprings at the start & finish of the trek
- it is very inexpensive
- travel Peru for as little as US$20 / day
- unique Qoyllur Rit'i festival held nearby in May-June
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CONSIDERATIONS
- Ausangate is dangerous!
- altitude sickness is a big risk
- evacuation is difficult
- no rescue service is available. You are on your own.
- No Park officers. No campsites. No toilets.
- acclimatization in Cuzco 3326m (10,912ft) is essential
- 13-hour long nights in the tent
- temperatures can fall well below freezing at night
- be prepared for snow
- storm could pin you in your tent
- some reports of local people stealing items left outside tents at night
- long, bumpy bus ride to & from trailhead
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LOGISTICS
- Ausangate Circuit is 70km (43.5mi) plus sidetrips
- most hikers tent 4-5 nights
- there are many options to extend this trip
- trailhead at Tinqui is 5-8 hours by bus S.E. of Cuzco
- most hikers bus or hire private transport from Cuzco
- it is easy to rent gear, if you need anything, in Cuzco for a few dollars a day for each item.
- this hike is completely unregulated except for a fee payable at the trailhead in Tinque - US$3 / person (10 soles)
- best months are the May-September dry season
- plan your trip in conjunction with the Qoyllur Rit'i festival, if you can
- electrical adaptors sometimes needed in Peru
- speaking some Spanish is essential though seasonal herders in the mountains may speak only their own languare
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INDEPENDENT OR GUIDED?
The easiest and safest way to do Ausangate is with an adventure travel company:
new We had a strong personal recommendation for Sunrise Peru  on a 2006 hike. Only $60 / person / day — a great price!
Be sure you can speak conversational Spanish if you want to do the trek on your own.
- most trekkers hire some kind of pack animals, at least for the first day, to take them up to altitude
- many hire guide or arriero (mule herder) in Tinqui, or organize that in Cuzco
- hiring horses means you can ride out in case of emergency — a very good idea on this hike!
- very experienced hikers with a good guidebook can make the circuit without guide or animals. This is the cheapest way — carrying your own pack cost us less than US$50 for a week, to and from Cuzco, hiking Ausangate in 2005.
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If you hire in Tinqui, expect to pay at least US$8 / day for an arriero & US$8 / day / pack animal. Add at least a 25% tip if you are happy with the service. A Peruvian Spanish speaking guide will cost up to $50 a day. If you sign up with a trekking company in Cuzco prices will be higher, of course.
LOCAL INFORMATION
- South American Explorers Cuzco is your first and best source of information
- local trekking tour companies in Cuzco are of mixed quality
- United Mice in Cuzco have a good reputation
- SAS are another good trekking firm in Cuzco
- Hostal Ausangate in Tinqui (Cayetano Crispin) supplies pack animals and is a good source of information
- look for hiking partners through the SAE website or by posting a note at the Cuzco clubhouse
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BEST TREKKING GUIDEBOOKS
BEST MAPS
- IGN 1:100,000 Ocongate (sheet 28-t) does not have the trail marked on it. You need Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes guidebook map, as well. Buy the Ocongate map (when you get to Cuzco) from the South American Explorers Club.
- even better, perhaps, is South American Explorers Cordillera Vilcanota Tinqui - Auzangate (1985) 1:50,000. Simple, out-of-date, but more readable than a full topo. It shows one possible trail though you will likely make up your own route. US$5 for SAE members, $7 non-members.
- a new, modern hikers map was being researched in 2005. We will list it here when published.
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BEST WEBSITES
After this site, the best links are:
BEST PHOTOS & TRIP REPORTS
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