SUMMARY: Vinicunca, also known as the Mountain of Colors, is surrounded by unique landscapes and one of the places that you should not miss is the Red Valley that perfectly completes our walk, we will have the pleasure of admiring unique landscapes of valleys, glacial mountains, with exclusive views where many travellers do not arrive. The Red Valley is the extension of the visit to Vinicunca, the landscape is spectacular and you can feel the softness of the red surface as a carpet that receives its visitors.
| Duration | Full Day, 13 Hours |
| Interests | Adventure, Nature, Culture. |
| Climate | Cold – Frigid |
| Climate weather | Rain – Wind |
| Temperature: | 6 °C To 0 °C Humidity: 55% RELATIVE |
| Geographic: | Valleys, Mountains and Glaciers. |
| Maximum altitude: | 5039 M.S.N.M. |
| Physical Demand Level: | High. |
| Travel restrictions: | Good Physical Condition. |
| Transportation: | Bus, Trekking, Horseback Riding. |
| Area visited: | A.C.R Ausangate. |
CUSCO - CUSIPATA - CHILLIWANI – VINICUNCA – RED VALLEY
Early, we leave at 4:00 AM and head south-east of the city of Cusco, after 1 hour and 30 min. We will make a stop at the restaurant to have breakfast and then continue for 1 hour and 30 minutes until we reach the starting point of the walk that leads us to the viewpoint of the Rainbow Mountain, the walk lasts an average of 2 hours until we reach the viewpoint from the mountain of colors, you need to be 40 min. or the time that is pertinent to be able to visit the different viewpoints and take advantage of the best photographic shots, from this place you can also admire the landscape of the Ausangate mountain glacier and the various orographic formations that surround it. At the end of the visit to Vinicunca we will continue with an initial descent to take the path up to the Red Valley viewpoint, where we will admire the marvelous landscape, we will have enough time to contemplate and take the best photos and then start the hike return that takes 2 hours on average until taking the van that first takes us to the restaurant for lunch and then continue to Cusco.
Breakfast and lunch in restaurant.
NOT INCLUDED:
EXTRA FOOD
TRAVEL INSURANCE
ADDITIONAL COSTS: Any unforeseen event, such as delays, itinerary changes, weather or social instability, purchases, upgrades, anything that is beyond the company's capabilities.
TIPS FOR THE STAFF. It is at your discretion and decision, and according to how you have perceived the level of service. They will be very grateful for this detail.
GEOGRAPHY: The area of the Vinicunca Mountain and The Red Valley is located in the Andes mountain range, specifically in the eastern Andes of southern Peru within the Vilcanota mountain chain, which is made up of valleys, deep valleys and high plains. It is located within the administrative territory of the Cusco region between the districts of Cusipata in the province of Quispicanchis and the district of Pitumarca in the province of Canchis.
HISTORY: The Andean civilization has settled since ancient times, forming their own culture and identity, through time, they adapted their needs to a hostile and difficult environment such as the Andes mountain range and they knew how to develop knowledge that even today are part of our admiration, due to its historical content many times they keep secrets that little by little we will discover in each of our experiences, the history in a good percentage is related to the Incas, since they were the result of a an amalgamation of ancient civilizations that developed many years ago, with colonization and the arrival of the Catholic religion, many customs were acquired and many remain, forming a perfect cultural secrecy in all its aspects, which summarizes the current importance of all the elements that it comes to shape our history, religion and our ethnic diversity.
TRANSPORTATION: There are a good number of paved roads and unpaved roads "trails" which we will use to get to specify our excursions, for the classic visit to Vinicunca we will use the paved road that connects Cusco with Puno and the diversion by corrozable trail until we reach the beginning of the tour. Also taking into account that there are rural roads that are still used by peasant communities and a large part of them made up the ancient and famous Inca road network or "Ccapac Ñan".
SERVICES: In remote places there is some difficulty with the telephone signal. In the area of the Mountain of Seven Colors there are places where you could suddenly find a mobile phone network signal. There is no electricity, the exchange rate from dollars to soles is done with a considerable margin against the dollar, efforts are being made to bring soles in cash, the community in charge of the administration of Vinicunca is implementing hygienic services but not in the Red Valley. There are small shops where you could find snacks, handicrafts and rehydration.
HEALTH AND SECURITY. Your safety is very important to us, we have a large database which is part of our emergency care procedure and protocols, the Red Valley is the most isolated part, so it lacks security-related services, on the other hand, in the Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca, first aid posts are being implemented but the closest hospital has been Cusco, although there are health posts on the route, Cusco is considered one of the safest regions in Peru, and remote areas in many cases They are being watched by the self-defense committee and peasant rounds that maintain order in the absence of the Police.
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
| EQUIPMENT | TREKKING |
| HEAD |  |
| cold cap | |
| sun hat | |
| sunglasses | |
| bandana | |
| TRUNK AND ARMS | |
| t-shirt | |
| fleece jacket or polar | |
| windbreaker | |
| Winter gloves | |
| sun gloves | |
| LOWER EXTREMITIES | |
| heaters | |
| trekking pants | |
| cold pants | |
| Waterproof pants | |
| hiking socks | |
| trekking shoes | |
| OTHERS | |
| Small backpack “day pack” | |
| cameras | |
| binoculars | |
| trekking sticks | |
| Dry bag |
Bring personal documents and extra money with you.
The prices are subject to the services that are included in your tour: There are discounts for group trips, more people, more discount for each one of them. We also offer private tours.
The difference in prices between each program is according to the type of trip and the different requirements.
Ask about the special services and requirements we are here to design your trip. Any questions about the price agreement will be resolved by email.
The final cost for the Vinicunca and Valle Rojo tour is 70 DOLLARS
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.
For high altitude excursions such as the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley, the difficulty of the itinerary or the physical demand must be taken very seriously, you must have the capacity and skills to do it here in our environment.
How to book my tour?
Contact us. After advising you about the activities you will have with us, we will send you a proforma containing a budget and plan. Please reply if you are happy with your plan and cost. If you agree. Proceed to make advance payment or full payment of the service. Through: Pay pal, Visa, Western union, Deposit
RESERVATION POLICIES:
For the services of "day tours" or last minute purchases, you can pay by making an interbank transfer or deposit one day before the service according to availability.
CANCELLATION POLICIES:
If you decide to cancel the services, you will contact us and the conditions are as follows:
The full advance will be refunded if the reservation was more than 2 months in advance and the cancellation 1 month in advance.
For last minute reservations, cancellations do not apply.
Refunds do not apply to services involving restaurants, which will have to be discounted according to the penalty applied in the cancellation policy of each one of them.
Failing that, we practice fair trade and we try to make you feel safe and comfortable with our services and any arrangement that is made is solved to your advantage. Any matter we will be continuously communicated to make your experience a pleasant one.
The climate is very varied according to the altitude and the geographical area:
The rainy months are the end of October, December, January, February, March and part of April. The dry months end of April, May, June, July, August and September.
In the case of the Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley, there is generally more chance of rain in the afternoon, which is why almost all the departures are scheduled to start very early.
You may be exercising physically in your place of residence, going for a walk uphill is a good option, to "catch air" or exercise our aerobic energy, when you arrive in Cusco try to hydrate regularly, a little more than you usually do. We recommend choosing your programs from low to high “gradual ascent”.
The diet must be light (no red meat in large dimensions) since digestion is very slow at altitude, help yourself by drinking infusions of muña, tea, and coca leaves.
Some medication can be prescribed from your country, if you are going to take any other medication you must be sure that you usually take it, if the problem occurs during the excursion our guides will be prepared for a prior evaluation and if necessary, execute the evacuation protocol.
The minimum number of participants is 1 and we handle 8 on average, all this will depend on the traveler's requirements, since we are specialists in tailor-made trips.
The recommended minimum age of the participant to be able to do it without any special consideration is 14 years, less ages will have to be detailed for logistics and special requirements.
The American dollar, the Euro, Pounds, Brazilian reals, Chilean pesos can be exchanged for local currency “SOL”.
Only in the cities of Cusco, Pisac, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes are there places to change them.
Yes, you can purchase services at the last minute after consulting with the travel advisor.
We handle security protocols, in terms of injuries you will be evaluated in which mediated the state of "usability" to be able to activate the evacuation protocol to the Health center, in case of emergencies, you must have some type of insurance contracted on your trip .
If you do not have problems with altitude and digestion, try to eat normally, but for our excursions we suggest eating more carbohydrates and obviously also experiencing the Peruvian cuisine that is in fashion.
What are the cancellation policies? (LINK)
Trying to carry out the planned activities in your country, exercising doing ascents is a good option, cycling in your place of residence is another good option if you are going to ride a bike with us.
What equipment do I need to travel? (LINK)
If it is suggested, bring the documents or perhaps a copy or photo of your passport or identification.
1 can be left in the Storage of the hotel where you will arrive after the trip.
2 rent our Storage to deliver it to you at the time of your return.
There are some shops, of the brands North Face, Patagonia and others in the historic centre of Cusco, you will have to do this before going on an excursion with us. Stock in Cusco is limited.
I'm new to this, not sure if I can do it.
Consult with all confidence with our travel advisors. To any number that we have on our website, we will be happy to help you.
Yes, some programs are carried out in places that are moderately not exposed to vacuum, with our tailor-made travel programming we will help you and give you some options for your comfort.
Yes, let us know and we will prepare the logistics and the requirements that are needed.
Our aspiration is your enjoyment, we have tailor-made programs for different profiles which are very well designed considering your safety and delight.
