Trek & Climb for Beginners: Nevado Qampa & Nevado Del Inka

Leaving at 8 am heading southeast of the City of Cusco, destination Pacchanta, an Andean Alpaca community located at 4,400 masl that has hot springs, more than 10 routes for rock climbers from beginner to advanced level and also has mountains to practice Andinism or high mountain climbing.

Arriving by 11 am, after lunch you’ll begin the trek, taking about 4 hours to reach the base camp, with impressive views of the main snow-capped Cusco region such as: Ausangate (6384 masl), Cayangate (6110 masl) and others, always accompanied by llamas and alpacas of the region.

Already at the base camp, your personal high mountain equipment (harnesses, crampons, ice axes, helmets, leggings, gloves) will have been delivered. Your mountain guide will teach you the correct way of using the equipment, how to act on a glacier and have them ready for promotion when required.

Leaving at 3am, you’ll have a light breakfast, it is essential to attack a mountain at dawn. You’ll leave the base camp and in approximately 2 hours of ascent by moraine arriving at the glacier, where you’ll prepare yourselves with the mountain equipment to enter the glacier. After another 3 hours on the glacier you’ll reach the summit of the Qampa mountain which is 5,500 meters above sea level.

Taking half an hour on the summit to rest and enjoy the high Andean landscapes, surrounded by the snowy mountains of the Cordillera Vilcanota. The descent to the base camp will take a further 3 hours, where lunch awaits.

After lunch you’ll descend gradually for 2 hours to Suyrupata, then continuing the descent for 1 hour and then ascending 1 hour to Hatun Finaya where you’ll sleep at 4600m, near the nevados of Ausangate and Mariposa which are both epic mountains of interest to climbers from around the world.

It will be between 2-3 hours to reach El Paso Palomani (5,100 masl), and then descending for an hour to the Ausangate lagoon where you’ll have lunch at 4600 masl.

Then ascending to El Paso Ausangate at 4900 masl and finally descending to Pukacocha 4600 masl, where you’ll have dinner and sleep in front of the face. The West face is the most immense of Ausangate and surrounded by beautiful turquoise lagoons.

Today it will take around 2 hours to reach the Pukamoqo pass at 4,900 masl, then descending for 2 hours to Anantapata at 4,600 masl.

Taking lunch here and continuing onwards for about 2 hours to the next pass of Warmisaya 4900 masl; before the final descent for an hour to the Suyrucocha lagoon where you’ll sleep at 4,600 masl near the Rainbow Mountain.

Leaving early; it’s a 2-hour walk to Winikunka or Mountain of Colors located at 5080 masl, to see the sunrise and be the first to see this natural beauty, enjoying some time taking photos and learning about the area.

Descending for 2 hours to the base camp of Nevado del Inka where you’ll take lunch, dinner and rest.

Today will be a walk around the Red Valley of gradual ascent of 2 hours plus 1 hour to reach the Rainbow Mountain where you’ll arrive at 7am; being the first to enjoy the summit.

Continuing with the itinerary to descend to the Base Camp if Nevado del Inka where lunch will be taken and rest. Ready for the final attack on the Nevado del Inka the next day.

Leaving early in the morning towards the glacier; which’ll take us 3 hours and from there it will be 3-4 hours to the summit of the Nevado del Inka (5,320m) from where we’ll have views of the Rainbow Mountain and other glaciers around.

Today you’ll have a 60m wall climb; 55° degrees of inclination where you’ll use stakes and screws for such an ascent. At the end of the climb, you’ll leave the mountain rappelling, it will take around 2 hours to get out off the glacier and then 2 hours to reach the base camp where lunch waits!

Afterwards, returning to Cusco in approximately 3 hours. An epic journey, it’s never goodbye, only until the next time!!