Today we are going to talk about a mountain that has great particular beauty and that has become one of the best and new attractions in Peru. It's about the mountain Vinicunca. It is also known by the name of the mountain of the 7 colors and is located in Peru. Located more than 100 kilometers from the city of Cusco, it has a summit altitude of 5.200 meters above sea level.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, geology and formation of the Vinicunca mountain.
Key features
The name Vinicunca comes from rainbow. It is a mountainous formation that is tinged with various shades as a result of the complex combination of different minerals that form it. The slopes and the summit are stained in various whole tones that we find purple, yellow, green, red, pink, and other variations of these colors. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in this entire area. Some years ago it was completely surrounded by ice so you could not enjoy this mountain. Since 2016, this place has been visited by hundreds of tourists and is one of the most visited places in Cusco and Peru.
Due to the amount of colors it mixes, it is known by the name of the mountain of the 7 colors in homage to the rainbow. According to various investigations, multi-colored hues are due to the large amount of minerals it is made of. All these minerals cover the area and are totally natural substances that began to form approximately 65 million years ago. These minerals were formed when water and rain covered almost all its slopes and peaks. As time has passed, the extreme climate of this area has melted the snow and it is there that we have been able to expect all the colors that this mountain is made of.
It is found in the Andes of Peru and the summit has a height of 5.200 meters above sea level. This entire area belongs to the town of Pitumarca, who call it Cerro Colorado. In order to get to this mountain, you have to pass about 100 kilometers from the city of Cusco. Then you have to make a trip of approximately 2 hours along the longitudinal road of the Peruvian southern highlands, which is the one that reaches Pitumarca. The journey continues along the trail to the community of Pampa Chiri. This journey 5 kilometers and can be done both on foot and on horseback.
Climate of Vinicunca
The climate of this area is typical of the highest areas. Therefore, the climate is mainly cold. Rain, wind and altitude sickness can be the biggest obstacles for travelers who want to visit this tremendous place. Temperatures can easily drop below 0 ° C. For this reason, the best time to do this adventure is the dry season. This time usually extends from the months of April to October. At this time it is less likely that there will be rainfall and lower temperatures.
If you plan to make this visit during the rainiest season, it is advisable to wear a poncho that serves to protect you from the rain. This climate means that the flora and fauna will be the scene of typical animals from high areas but totally incredible. Among the animals that stand out are llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. The inhabitants of the entire area are in charge of raising horses that they offer as transport to visitors. One of the main aspects of the flora is that they are home to a large amount of natural grass known by the name of ichu.
Travel to Vinicunca
If you want to travel to Vinicunca to enjoy these totally natural colors but with a magical aspect, you must make a hard journey. This picturesque summit used to be the attractive snowy road known as Ausangate. Over the years this mountain has been gaining popularity as the glaciers have melted. You can visit this summit through a tour as a tourist.
There are different services depending on the modality and the time that you are going to be. The services are usually one or two days. Most of these services usually have a transport, food, tickets and professional guide who is in charge of explaining to you how the Vinicunca originated and what its characteristics are. In the city of Cusco there are also different tourism agencies that offer these services.
You can get to travel on your own, but it is much more complicated. To be able to travel on your own, you must take a bus to Sicuani from the city of Cusco. This bus usually takes about two hours and 40 minutes. Once you are there, you take a bus to the town of Quesiuno. Once you have finished this journey, you have to start a long walk up to the Vinicunca mountain. The price of the ticket to enter is 10 soles.
If you are going to walk, you must know the difficulty of the mountain. And the walk is approximately 4 hours and, although it is not dangerous, it demands a high physical effort. If you are not in good physical condition and you are used to long walks, you will have problems to do the walk. There are some sections of considerable slopes both uphill and downhill. However, extreme weather must be considered as one of the greatest difficulties that generates a greater problem for hiking. The weather is very cold and the wind is completely icy. The altitude of the area can cause altitude sickness also known as soroche in different people. For this reason, a prior acclimatization of several days in the city of Cusco is recommended.
Recommendations
Once you have spent several days of acclimatization in the city of Cusco, you must wear clothes that are warm enough to do the walk. If you are a person who it is not considered in good physical condition it is better to rent a horse. Nor can you go without a hat, blanket, sunscreen, thermal pants, shoes ideal for trekking and a rain poncho. We remember that not only the trip is quite hard physically, but we are going to have the handicap of the weather.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about Mount Vinicunca and its characteristics.