Rainbow Mountain trekking start | Wild Camping

Peru

Details

Verified:
over 1 year ago
Altitude:
0.0 masl
Website:
None
Contributor:
piscorando.com

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
Yes
Showers:
No
Water:
Natural Source
Toilets:
Pit Toilets
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes

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Description

border of the road leading to the start of the trek to rainbow moutain. The road from Pitumarca is good, narrow some times, small overlander will be okay, biggers will have more trouble to cross.
the place is full of tour vans during the day but very quiet at night.
Better to start the trek (3 hours up + 3 hours down) to the mirador early, before the tour cars arrive from cuzco (around 7am).

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Not the best place but ok for one night. There is an old building with non functioning toilets that's a bit creepy. Lots of wind.

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This is the old area to start rainbow mountain, where all the tours originally came to when it first opened. I came here a few years ago and everything is different now! The troll tolls didn’t use to exist and it was wild, no fences and big rock walls at the top blocking the view of the gorgeous mountain. Anyway, at the first little new village we hiked to some guy chased us for the peaje of 10 soles saying we pay half to him and half to the other guy just before the peak. I told him I came here before and didn’t have to do that but he lied and said it’s always been this way. Then we told the other guy at the top we had no more money and he let us go. We don’t mind paying peajes when it’s for a service or goes toward the conservation of an area. But that’s not the case, they have completely overgrazed the mountain since I saw it 3 years ago, there is alpaca poop everywhere and they have raped the mountain with roads. Disappointing because this place was awesome. They think they can shove some fake ticket in a gringos face for money and I’m pretty sure my money isn’t their right to possess.

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We camped just up the road at the next marker and the next morning set off walking at 7am. We were the only ones here at this time. It's approx 1 hr to the other car park, there were around 10 buses there at that time, not too crowded at that time. Took approx 3hrs up, stayed up around 30 minutes and then 2 hours back. I would suggest dressing for any condition, when we set off it was warm and sunny, at the top it was cold and windy and it snowed as we walked back down.

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É possível dormir em barraca de chão numa pequena construção acima do estacionamento. Lugar mais protegido. Muitos cachorros latindo a noite. Os turistas começam a trilha desde as 6h30.

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Good road leading to it, a bit narrow at times. To camp I'd recommend going further down the same road to the next spot on ioverlander too, more peaceful and flat there.

Start the hike early, I set off around 6:30am and was the first person up. Took 2:15 hours to the top and 1:45 back down. Very hard hike due to the altitude and a couple steep stretches, good to be acclimatized and in shape

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We did it in 2,5h up & were the first one there! Go early, on the way back there were like 200 others also a lot of people taking horses! Beautiful at top but really cold!

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no level space to park/camp.
a bit further on is much better.
4400 m altitude

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Agree with all the comments below, but the roadworks mentioned have all gone. It's a good road surface to get up here but very narrow in parts not many pull-over spots for passing on-coming vehicles. Best avoid coming up between 16:00 & 17:00 hrs when all the tourist vans are coming down the hill.

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Big rig note: there are 1 or 2 almost leveled spots for big rigs. But you have to wait until the minibuses leave (16.00). Very quiet at night. Tight switchbacks and villages. Max. length 10m.

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We drove the small road a little further, there is a plan grassy area where we could stay with our Landy. Was not too cold, as the wind stopped after sunset. No facilities exept rubbish bins. Drove next day to the parking spot and walked all the way up. 2.5h up and 1.5h down. Go up before 7am! because of the tourbuses. Spectacular view from the top of the mountain.
Road works are finished.

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Place is not even at all. Would be hard to find an even spot even for a tent. Couldn't find any secure parking, but we left the car here for the hike and it was fine. Around 20 buses here in the morning waiting for the tourists to return. Hike is well worth it.

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Beautiful drive from Pitumarca, dirt road in excellent condition. However they just started construction, so expect delays or closures between 7-12 and 13-17. They are digging drainage ditches and you might have to cross some pulse raising log bridges. (See pictures). Around the 31km mark you will cross Puente Carrozable and at the following switchback there is a cutoff that leads to the trailhead. If you aren't up for wild camping there is a town a couple km more. Stars are amazing here. Places to buy drinks and snacks along the hike. 10sol entrance fee/person. Great hike and views.

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border of the road leading to the start of the trek to rainbow moutain. The road from Pitumarca is good, narrow some times, small overlander will be okay, biggers will have more trouble to cross.
the place is full of tour vans during the day but very quiet at night.
Better to start the trek (3 hours up + 3 hours down) to the mirador early, before the tour cars arrive from cuzco (around 7am).

Report Check-In

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