• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Distance: Approx. 96 km (60 miles)
• Duration: Four to five days
• Max elevation: 5,200 metres
• Accommodation: Camping or lodges
• Start/end point: Tinki - Pacchanta

The classic Ausangate route is a beast of a trek, although - as with Salkantay - there is a lodge version that brings some very welcome creature comforts to the overall experience.

The landscape here is rugged, wild, and pristine. You’ll be surrounded by awe-inspiring glacier mountains, turquoise lagoons of various sizes, and wildlife such as an abundance of waterfowl, raptors, and vizcachas, a cousin of the chinchilla. There are also some high mountain communities in this area who shepherd their alpacas in the region and offer some of the most beautiful weavings you’ll see in Peru. You’ll also get to soothe your aching feet in hot springs along the way.