We chose to book the 2 Days Tour to Rainbow Mountain with Domingo and Kallpa Adventures because we liked the approach of the agency to also give back to the local community of the area. I’ve read a LOT about tours to Rainbow Mountain and found it quite sad, that people rushed to the area and the top of the mountain, just to take ‘that one photo for Instagram’. Also I really wanted to see the Red Valley and this tour seemed to be a perfect combination of both!
Our group agreed that it would make a much better impact to spend more time and truly get into the beauty of the landscapes around.
Guided Hike to Rainbow Mountain
The description of the tour also made clear that it’s led by someone responsible, who also takes care of the safety of the guests most of whom are not accustomed to the Peruvian climate and heights (oxygen tanks + safety horse, even a nurse would be on the tour for bigger groups).
We would be picked up from our hotel in Cusco, hike for about 2-3 hours on the first day, camp out in the mountains, have meals prepared by a cook and wake up early the next day to hike another 2 hours to Rainbow Mountain and approximately 45 minutes back to the van. (I have never gone hiking with that level of luxury; it sounded absolutely perfect!)
Meeting Domingo – our guide to the Peruvian mountains
Two days before the start of the trip to Vinicunca, the actual name of Rainbow Mountain, Domingo showed up at our hotel in Cusco to give us some instructions on what to bring and how to prepare for the trip. He really took his time and answered all of our questions. The weather forecast was not very good and he assured us, that if there’s heavy rainfall, we could opt out of the tour (some agencies that offer 1 day tours to Rainbow Mountain take the tour regardless of weather conditions, which can be dangerous at these heights).
I also told him about my allergy and asked him how close the safety horse would be; Domingo was very reassuring.
During the whole trip the guy leading the safety horse watched out to keep an extra distance and although there were 9 horses in total, I never came close to any of them and at the campsite they were kept at a distance to the tents as well. At the end of the trip I just had to take a photo with one of the horses, we already look, like we’re in love ;
Let’s start – Trip to the colored mountains in Peru // Day 1
We were a party of 8 and quite surprised to find that it was a private tour – we would have expected that a few more people would be with us on the trip, but it felt even better this way. We picked up Nadia, our nurse, outside the city. There was a crew of 8 people and 8 horses that carried our luggage; there even was a chef who prepared dinner and the whole team was just amazing.
It was a three hour drive to the cabin in the middle of the Peruvian mountains, the crew unloaded the van as we went ahead with our tour guide Domingo.
Dark clouds were forming behind us as we started the trip. We were at a height of approximately 4000 meters and I felt my heart beating fast and was already out of breath.
Mixed weather but good hiking mood
Soon after, it started to rain a little bit and we pulled out our raincoats, just to take them off again 20 minutes later. We walked through a valley with scenic yellowish mountains and also spotted some cute alpacas along the way. At the end of the valley, we saw a big mountain covered in snow and fog. Domingo told us, that we would camp at the foot of this mountain and would cross it tomorrow to get to Rainbow Mountain.
I was already breathing heavily and didn’t really know if I could hike that steep mountain but I thought, after a night of sleep, it should be fine.
Easy hiking conditions made hard by height
I will say that the route we hiked wasn’t difficult in terms of terrain and steepness and doesn’t take any hiking expertise. It was just the height that took a toll and made us take lots of breaks. Another might have been my urge to take loads of pictures, because the landscape was simply astonishing! Suddenly the mountains around the valley turned from a yellowish green into copper and bright red. PLUS: The sun came out and a clear blue sky was above our heads. It was absolute magic.
Flying a drone at the Red Valley
I had asked Domingo in advance if it was okay to bring my drone, because I couldn’t find any information on regulations, but I still wanted to be respectful. He told me to bring it and I could even take a quick flight that day! During the entire hike we didn’t see a single other tourist.
Basecamp at Red Valley at 4700m
During the hike the rest of the crew rushed past us at double our speed and headed forward to set up the camp. There were four red tents to sleep in, a tent for the cook and a separate big tent for dining with a table and chairs. There even was a tent with a camping toilet which really makes sense to keep the nature undisturbed as most as possible.
We all were pretty exhausted and took a fine nap in the tents just to get into the dining tent to find some cake and freshly made popcorn as well as coca tea. A little while later we had an excellent dinner with a variation of different meals. There were also really good choices for the vegetarians in our group.
Good sleeping bag is a must
For me the -15 degree sleeping bag was a must-have on this trip and if you don’t own one, you should consider renting one from Kallpa Adventures for this 2-days trip! Everyone of us got a hot water bottle from the crew and we had a fleece blanket in the sleeping bag for extra warmth. The night was pretty chilly though. My boyfriend was fine with just the sleeping bag and handed me his hot water bottle, so I had two and was very okay with that.
Astro Photography and the Milky Way
Domingo and I both share a deep passion for photography and we had the best time chatting about taking pictures and photographing the landscapes. Later that evening, he taught me how to do astrophotography and we had an amazingly clear night with no moonlight. The Milky Way was in plain sight.
It was a magical night and I just couldn’t really believe that I was so lucky to be there at that exact moment. When we did a stargazing tour in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile 2 weeks later, we had a very light night with a bright moon and we didn’t see nearly as many stars, as on that night in Peru. We had so much fun capturing the stars that my lips were already shaking and my hand with which I pulled the trigger was ice cold, but I was just super happy.
Altitude sickness hits hard
Not everyone had a fun night though. Two people of our group were hit by altitude sickness and complained about pretty bad headaches and nausea. Nadia, the nurse, took care of them and they were given oxygen from the tanks. One of them was totally fine the next day, but another one fell flat during the night: She felt really bad and decided to quit the tour with her boyfriend. In the morning they immediately left accompanied by one of the crew members, so they didn’t have to wait, till the rest had packed up the stuff at the campsite. Lowering height is important when dealing with altitude sickness. I’m very glad, that the issue was taken seriously by Domingo and his team.
Day 2 Hiking Rainbow Mountain // Vinicunca Peru & The Red Valley
It was still dark when we left our tents and got handed a warm towel to freshen up and got some breakfast. The tents were icy on the outside and it was still pretty chilly when we started our hike for Vinicunca mountain. It was the second day of our two days guided tour and I was excited to see the famous Rainbow Mountain for real.
As we moved our way up the steeper part of the mountain, the sun rose and melted the ice crystals on the floor. Every bit of stone that was touched by the sunlight was bright red around us. We were in the middle of the Red Valley.
Riding the safety horse at Red Valley
One of our friends struggled with the steepness and was offered to ride the horse up the hill. She said it was one of the most memorable things of our whole Peru roadtrip. Once up the hill, we saw over the tip of the mountain and everything to the horizon was different shades of red – a stunning sight to see. And still we hadn’t seen a single other tourist along the way.
From here on, the path took us along the mountain ridge and, after 10 more minutes, led us down the other side of the mountain, where we happened upon lots of other tourists, heading up the newer trek to Rainbow Mountain.
Last steps to Rainbow Mountain
The last 100 meters up the hill were steep and there were ropes to hold on. Again, it wouldn’t be a tragedy at all, but at about 5000 meters height, every step is a pain in the a** 😉 There were already plenty of tourists on the platforms across Vinicunca Mountain and we took the steps to the highest platform to take some pictures and take a break.
I gotta say: Yes, Rainbow Mountain is beautiful. There’s no doubt about it. But I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Red Valley and the fact that there were so many people at Rainbow Mountain 100% confirmed the fear that I would be disappointed, if I’d only went to see Rainbow Mountain in one day. But the whole experience with Domingo and the fact that we did take more time to get there was so special that I feel that we absolutely did the right thing.
You can be the first one at Rainbow Mountain
We really took our time hiking and took lots of breaks to take photographs and just take in the magic of these mountains. That’s why we hadn’t reached Rainbow Mountain before the other tourists who came from Cusco that day. But if it’s important to you, you can start the hike earlier with Domingo that day, to be one of the first people up there. He asked us the night before, what we’d like to do and we decided to sleep that one hour longer, and I have to say, I really think we would’ve missed out, if we had only seen Red Valley in the dark.
2 Days track to Rainbow Mountain // Conclusion
I’m so happy we did this trip with Domingo and Kallpa Adventures. It was the most perfect trip for us and probably one of the most outstanding things I’ve done so far! I’ve never hiked in such altitude, never slept in the mountains and never had such a comfort whilst camping. And the most important thing: Domingo and his team were so warm, welcoming and thoughtful.
Giving back to Locals
Domingo’s face lit up every time he told us stories about the people of Peru, the traditions and how he’s giving back to the local community. He told us, that a part of the money we spent for this trip went into having a dentist coming from Cusco to the local people providing dental care for their children. Also he’s working with more and more people to provide homestays – which I think is a brilliant idea. I wish we also had time for one of those! Well… I guess there’s a lot to do if we come back to Peru.