When should I hike Misti?
The best time to hike is the May through October dry season though it might be done any month of the year.
There should be the least snow in October at the end of the dry season. But we climbed in April. Beautiful weather. Very little snow at the top.
Some groups bring ice axes & crampons on this adventure. They were certainly not needed when we were there, but during times of maximum snow cover on the mountain — it would be better to have mountaineering gear. You can rent it.
Should I hike off-season?
Misti is a good choice if you happen to travel Peru during the wet months in the Andes, December - April.
Check with adventure agencies when you get to Arequipa. During times of deeper snow cover a guide may be essential.
What is the weather like?
The weather is milder here than the rest of the central Andes — Arequipa has 300 sunny days a year!
Being fairly close to the equator, cold is not a major concern except on top.
We were told temperatures of -28C have been recorded there!
Certainly it will be below zero. We had a strong wind chill too at the summit.
