A circuit on foot around the mountain, not a summit bid. The line leaves Tinki and returns there.
The Ausangate circuit
The circuit around Ausangate
A circuit on foot around the mountain, not a summit bid. The line leaves Tinki and returns there — Upis, the passes, Pucacocha, and Pacchanta — at a private pace.
Published particulars of the Ausangate circuit.
| Variable | Record1 |
|---|---|
| Where | The circuit from Tinki, Cusco region |
| Duration | 5 days / 4 nights |
| Start / end | Cusco — Tinki — Tinki — Cusco |
| Season | May – October |
| Altitude | High passes, and cold nights. Ausangate itself stays above the walk. |
| Group | Small groups, twelve at most |
| Difficulty | A high circuit. Consecutive days, a pack, and real cold. Not a summit climb. |
1 Note: Particulars are those we publish for the journeys we operate.
Why we do not climb the summit
Ausangate is the mountain. The journey we publish is the circuit around it: five days and four nights, May to October. The triangle on the map marks the summit so you can see what you are walking around. It is not a point on the trail.
The line we draw runs Tinki, Upis, Arapa pass, Pucacocha, Palomani pass, Pacchanta, and back to Tinki. We will not invent a kilometre count we do not run as a fixed script. The desk writes the days with you.
The months that hold
May to October is the window we publish: drier ground, and passes that stay walkable. Outside it, we say so. We do not force a high circuit into a month of mud and closed ground.
Cusco comes first. The circuit does not start the morning you land. Sleep at altitude before Tinki.
How the circuit sits with the other walks
It can follow or lead a Salkantay week, a day to Vinicunca, or a night at Humantay. Colca is the southern walk, from Arequipa, when the journey has room.
- Cusco, then Tinki
A night for the air in the city. Then the road to Tinki. The circuit does not start on a landing day.
- The circuit
Upis, the passes, Pucacocha, Pacchanta. High, cold, and walked. The summit stays above you.
- Back to Tinki
The line closes where it opened. Then Cusco. We will not turn the last day into a second expedition.
What to bring, and what to ask
Broken-in boots, a warm sleeping layer, rain protection, sunblock, and a pack you can carry for consecutive days. Personal insurance is yours. Camps, transport, and the shape of the circuit are held by the desk once we confirm — nothing is charged before that.
Frequently asked questions
Do we climb Ausangate?
No. The summit is marked so the circuit makes sense. The walk goes around it. We do not sell a climb.
When should I book?
May to October is the season we publish. Write the desk with your month; we will say what the passes will actually allow.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough for consecutive high days with a pack, in the cold. This is the serious circuit we run. It is not a day walk.
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