The usual thoughts about great mountains are generally related to unreachable summits and extreme weathers. Although, even when all that is not wrong (actually, we think it is great), we want to expand that vision onto other concepts like unveiling legends and lost worlds’ exploration.
We want to show you fantastic landscapes, wildlife splendor and cultures like no other. This is the reason why our list of great mountains of Peru is going to scape the conventions and it will certainly put some extra lines on your bucket list.
How about heading to the cradle of gold of the Incas, or to the largest mausoleum known to belong to the Chachapoyas, or maybe to sneak at certain pyramids that for some might represent the El Dorado itself or Paititi?
We started giving you a glimpse of what is amid woods to offer you the chance to start thinking about doing a trip of a lifetime. Since now we plant the seed of curiosity but that will be it for the moment, meanwhile, we want to present you our alternatives to the classic mountain expeditions as generally conceived.
Very well known is the popularity of the rainbow mountain, Vinicunca, and it is well deserved! But instead of doing the express tour, where you have to rush at very early hours to try to leave the crowds behind and enjoy an instant of its colors free of people, we propose you to start the tour visiting Chari, a unique country community where weaving ladies will serve you breakfast at the time they show you their beautiful handicrafts made of natural wool and dyes.
Later, when the crowds start their return to Cuzco will be your time to start the hike from the town of Chillca, home of the guardians of the Ausangate, the fifth highest summit of Peru, that you will be able to see without trouble while having Vinicunca (5.100 m) on the back.
Now, does Rajucolta sound to you?…No? Well, that’s the best part! Because it will be between 4 and 5 days on which you will think you are alone in the world while crossing the Peruvian Central Andes summits.
Surrounded by beautiful lagoons, pristine landscapes of immaculate white, and almost infinite tones of blue you will hike and camp until getting to the gorgeous lagoon, and in the background: the Huantsan peak, no more and no less than the sixth highest summit of Peru (6.369 m).
We finish up this section with the ideal route for those who want to combine all that makes RESPONS truly a RESPONSible agency. This experience will let you witness the undeniable relationship between the country people and their environment, from the obtention of staples to their artistic manifestations, and even also the vestiges of ancient cultures that inhabited this territory.
Eight days separate you from Ishinca since your arrival to Lima, but each day will be sublime as we made sure the route holds everything that is expected from the wonderful White Cordillera, away from the most popular and conventional tours of the region.
Hardly you will forget the bread of Vicos, our favorite rural community, as well as the climb of the moraine, to the wonderful view you will reach once on the top at 5.530 m and from where the venerated mounts Vallunaraju, Ocshapalca, Ranrapalca, Palcaraju, Pucaraju, Huapi, Tocllaraju and many more, will be pleased to see you conquering Ishinca.
The second part of this article: Mountains of Peru lost in the woods, will be continued in its own post that you shouldn’t miss. Follow our blog and social networks for being always updated on the trips that our travel specialists continuously design to fit the needs of our clients.
If you are a high mountain lover, do not hesitate to discuss the options with one of our travel designers and leave the rest of the work to our operations team. You will see that everything will turn out great.
This article was originally posted on February 2019 and re-edited on December 2021.
Some of the mentioned excursions will soon be added to our excursion platform. Until then, they can be booked as part of a custom itinerary of at least six days in length. Start your trip designing experience by filling out this brief questionnaire!
