Ausangate is longer, tougher & more remote than the much more famous Inca Trail. You have more contact with the indigenous Quechua people, still brightly dressed in traditional costume. Many do not yet speak Spanish!
Ausangate is a sacred mountain to the these herders who believe this is where llamas & alpacas originated.
Most hikers hire mules to carry food & gear but it is certainly possible to carry your own pack. You have the freedom then to camp wherever you choose.
We loved this hike: glacial lakes, huge alpaca herds, pastel desert sections, photogenic peaks. The vistas are expansive — there are no trees.
Some claim this the highest trek in Peru but Alpamayo & Huayhuash are similarly high & dangerous. Ausangate is in the Cordillera Vilcanota, the second most glaciated in Peru after the Cordillera Blanco near Huaraz.
Certainly Ausangate is as cold as any hike in the country with 13-hour nights in the tent. Bring enough warm clothes & an excellent sleeping bag!
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