The Mountain of 7 colors (also called Vinicunca which in the Quechua language means mountain of 7 colors or more simply rainbow mountains.) For a couple of years it has been one of the most visited destinations in Peru.
Located more than 100 km from Cusco at 5200 meters above sea level, it belongs to the pueblo de Pitumarca. It is a rock formation with various shades of color, ranging from red to green, yellow, rosé and other variations. From 2016, the year in which the melting of the ice that completely covered these mountains brought to light this wonder of nature, this place has become one of the most visited destinations along with Machu Picchu. According to several researches carried out on site, the multicolored shades are due to distinct minerals that form on these mountains. These natural substances began to form 65 million years ago when water and snow covered the surface, and with the passage of time and the climate extreme the thaw has revealed one of the most important tourist attractions of Peru.
It starts early in the morning by car or minibus with destination Pitumarca, where you arrive after a journey of about 2 hours, the journey continues for a dirt track to the community of Pampa Chiri from there you follow walking for 5 km until you finally arrive at Vinicunca..
The climate during the trek is not particularly cold, but as soon as you reach the top you will feel the rain, the wind and the high altitude sickness can be the biggest obstacles for travelers.
The best time to carry out this adventure is during the dry age (from April to October) when the rainfall is less likely. This is why the advice is to dress in layers carrying a backpack to use to make life easier. Even if you visit Rainbow Mountain in the summer remember that we are still at 5000 meters!
If you believe you are not fit enough to tackle this trek, you can opt to do some horse riding that you can take at the entrance to the mountain or during the journey itself. The cost is around $ 25.
So get ready to experience one of the most exciting moments that nature can give, the show you will enjoy once you reach the top will repay you from all the hard work.
