Latin America is recognized worldwide for the natural beauties that hide in countries like Peru. This lagoon formed by the thaw of Mount Humantay presents a unique landscape of the district of Mollepata (Anta).
In Peru, an adventure destination is Cusco, which saves the route to the Apu Salkantay, an attraction that moves with the beauty of the landscape and saves years of history in archeological areas.
As part of the route to Salkantay Mountain, you can access hiking or mountain biking, as well as other camping activities, With a mystical air, the lagoon is visited by shamans and tourists from around the world to leave offerings to Pachamama, deity that represents mother earth in the Inca culture. Through the laying of stones, an offering is offered to the Pachamama thanking him for having successfully reached the lagoon, as well as asking him to accompany us on our trip.
Why is it called Mountain of the 7 Colors? - According to various investigations done on site, the multicolored shades are due to the different minerals that the area covers in capable. These natural substances began to form 65 million years ago when water and rain covered their slopes and peaks. With the passing of time, the extreme weather was thawing the snow that formed there revealing to the world what is today one of the most important tourist attractions of Cusco. Rainbow mountain information.
Location and height - This amazing place is located in the Andes of Peru, in the department of Cusco and Canchis province, at 5,200 m.a.s.l., an area of considerable elevation. It belongs to the people of Pitumarca who call it the ‘Cerro Colorado’. Because it is located on the way to the imposing snowy Ausangate, this site was known long before by the adventurers who dared to do the trek. The photos they posted on Facebook and Instagram, made him gain popularity. Since 2016 it is a popular tourist attraction.
How to get? - Due to its location, just over 100 kilometers from the city of Cuzco, this place is reached by car in the first instance. After a trip of approximately 2 hours along the Longitudinal Highway of the Peruvian Southern Sierra, you will arrive in Pitumarca. The journey continues along a trail to the community of Pampa Chiri. From there you follow a route through mountain slopes. This journey is 5 kilometers and can be done on foot or on horseback to finally arrive at Vinicunca. There are tours that offer this service.
Climate - The climate, typical of the highest areas of Cusco, is cold. Rain, wind and altitude sickness (or soroche) can be the biggest obstacles for travelers. Temperatures can lower zero degrees Celsius. The best time to do this adventure is during the dry season (from April to October) when river rainfall is less likely. If you plan to visit during the rainy season (from November to March), carry a rain poncho with you.
Flora and fauna - The incredible geography of the place is the scene of typical animals from high Andean areas such as llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. The inhabitants of the area raise horses to offer them as transportation to visitors. Due to the height of this region, the ichu or natural boil of the Andes abounds.
For a little over a year, the public was enabled a new path in the Cusco region in Peru, which has gained a lot of popularity quickly.
More precisely, in the vicinity of Ausangate Mountain, the fifth highest mountain in Peru, and one of the most important Apus (god) for the Incas. But for now, we will leave Ausangate aside, and focus on this new path, the path to Vinicuna Mountain ... better known as the Rainbow Mountain. Yes, that famous mountain whose photos are circulating on all social networks causing a great fascination. And how could it be otherwise, and to be able to tell you as it should, up to there I went Before, let me clarify that the Rainbow Mountain is not the same as the Hill of the 7 Colors, which is located in Argentina. Due to its similarity, many travelers have renamed it from Rainbow Mountain to Hill or Mountain of the 7 colors. That in itself, its original name has been lost, and almost no one names her as Vinicunca. Some locals even call it "Cerro Colorado."
What is it?
Rainbow Mountain, is a beautiful mountain of the Peruvian Andes whose characteristic is the amount of colors on its surface due to minerals and different types of rock.
Its beauty is on the surface, therefore, it is not allowed to walk on it, for a conservation issue.
To appreciate it in all its splendor, you climb the mountain that faces the Rainbow Mountain.
From where, in addition to seeing the Vinicunca, you can also see breathtaking views of the Ausangate snow, and the entire valley to its surroundings.
INFORMATION OF RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TREK
About 100 kilometers southeast of Cusco, Peru, there is a rainbow mountain.
It is the mountain of the Seven Colors, also known as Vinicunca or Rainbow.
The pilgrimage in the Peruvian Andes in search of the Snow Star The mountain is located in the Vilcanota Range at 5,200 meters above sea level, in the Pitumarca district.
Its slopes and summits are dyed by stripes of intense shades of fuchsia, turquoise, lavender and gold.
The visual show offered by Vinicunca has attracted visitors since the beginning of 2016, according to Haydee Pacheco, a tourism official at the Municipality of Pitumarca.
In just over two years, travelers who take pictures with the summit went from a few tens to about 1,000 a day, say Peruvian media, despite the cold and altitude of the place. Thanks to its popularity, also driven by social networks, the hill became a common destination in the rankings of tourist attractions in the world.
For example, in August 2017, it appeared on the list of 100 places to visit before dying recommended by travel experts on the Business Insider website.
The tourist boom is quite recent, but the history of the mountain and its colors began millions of years ago.
Minerals The rainbow aspect of Vinicunca is due to "a complex geological history of marine, lake and river sediments," according to a report by the Office of Cultural Landscape of the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco.
10 rock formations of unsurpassed beauty These sediments, transported by the water that previously covered the area, date between the tertiary and quaternary periods, that is, from about 65 to two million years ago. Over time, the sediments were forming layers (with different grain sizes) that today look like the stripes that attract tourists so much.
The movement of tectonic plates in the area raised these sediments until they became mountains.
5 tourist destinations threatened by excess visitors (and two are in Latin America) Then they acquired their striking colors because of the oxidation of their minerals, exerted by the humidity of the area, and their erosion, explains César Muñoz, a member of the Geological Society of Peru (SGP),
Muñoz and the study of the Office of Cultural Landscape detail the composition of each strip according to its color.
Pink or fuchsia: mixture of red clay, fangolites (mud) and sand. Off-white: sandstone (quartz sand) and limestone. Purple or lavender: marl (mixture of clay and calcium carbonate) and silicates. Red: argillites and clays. Green: clays rich in magnesium ferro (mixture of iron and magnesium) and copper oxide. Yellowish, mustard or golden brown: limonites, calcareous sandstones rich in sulphide minerals (combined with sulfur).
The Mountain of the 7 Colors, is one of the most beautiful attractions that exists in the Inca Trail near the Apu Ausangate, it is said to be a place that offers a new opportunity for everyone who visits it, this belief has its beginning in the saying "If you want to see the Rainbow you have to face the storm" which teaches us that there is always a prize after the effort. The legends that are told 'round of the colors that form this Mountain are really amazing, these stories will continue with us from generation to generation since they are part of our culture and identity. This fantastic place is part of the tourist attractions of the City of Cusco, a trip through the Mountain of Colors or Vinicunca which has an exceptional beauty that seems to have taken all the colors of nature. An extraordinary landscape, a pleasure for the eyes. This beautiful also houses an impressive flora and fauna. So apart from seeing the Rainbow you will appreciate this fantastic nature.
You will appreciate the wonderful views of Ausangate, one of the highest mountains in Peru and the colorful South Valley of Cusco with its extensive lagoons, Andean villages, rivers and streams.
Each person looks for a Rainbow after a somewhat complicated journey, and more if you find it in the Land of the Incas a place full of secrets not yet discovered.
A visit to the 7 Colors Mountain is a wonderful experience that you can live with friends or family.
Machu Picchu,This stunning site situated on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley is the best-preserved relic of Inca civilisation and South America’s most popular attraction with an estimated 3,000 people visiting on a typical day.
