By admin I had mixed feelings about visiting Rainbow Mountain (also known as Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores in Peru). The site was only “discovered” in 2015 after climate change caused the ice that it was hidden under to melt. Since then, tourism in the area has exploded, thanks in no small part to Instagram. The peaks are indeed noteworthy for their striped, multi-colored, mineral-heavy grounds, but the magnificent scenes depicted in pictures are often heavily edited. The site is already at risk for over-tourism, and horror stores abound about people who show up unprepared and underdressed for a hike to a height of 17,000 feet. Finally, the weather can be quite unpredictable, and the last thing that anybody wants is to wake up ridiculously early to take a 4-5 hour roundtrip drive and trek through a bunch of mud to see some clouds while gasping for breath at a high altitude.
Our Approach to Tackling Rainbow Mountain
While I had my doubts, Lauren and Karen both really wanted to hike Rainbow Mountain, so I agreed to consider the excursion. All of our research taught us that booking any kind of tour or guide in advance would be a terrible idea for a couple reasons: 1) We would severely over-pay, and 2) There is no reason to go to Rainbow Mountain if the weather conditions are poor, as you won’t be able to see shit (pardon my French). Thus, we decided to wait until we were in Peru to figure out the logistics for our Rainbow Mountain day. As much as I love to plan travel in advance, this was a case where it made sense to wait until we were local to make arrangements.
Also, did you see my comment above about the altitude of 17,000 feet? That is some serious elevation (altitude sickness can set in at elevations of 8,000 feet or lower). We decided to save Rainbow Mountain for the last day that we’d be in Peru together so we’d have over a week to adjust to the altitude, gradually adjusting to higher and higher heights, but that was still no guarantee that we wouldn’t have any issues. Karen had already been experiencing some symptoms of altitude sickness in the Sacred Valley and Cusco, but was determined to do Rainbow Mountain, albeit very, very carefully,
One final note – when we were in Peru (early October 2019), there were numerous tour companies that we could have booked a Rainbow Mountain visit through, but the experience would have been very impersonal. We would have piled into a bus, gotten off at the trail with a bunch of strangers and a couple “guides” who were basically just there in case anyone needed help, being left to our own devices for a few hours, and then dumped back at Cusco. Another benefit of saving Rainbow Mountain for our last day was that we were able to use our new Peru connections to book a private tour guide – at a cost nominally more than if we had gone with a big group.
While staying at Explora Valle Sagrado, we asked our guides if they knew anyone that they’d recommend to be our guide for Rainbow Mountain. Lo and behold, they sure did. We ultimately settled on Hebert, a Cusco local who had previously been an Explora guide, but had recently moved back to his hometown (he also took us on a great private Cusco city tour, so we were able to acquaint ourselves with each other before the big hiking day).
Hebert handled all the logistics for us: he arranged a local driver, he brought coca leaves to help us power through the altitude, and he planned a post-hike lunch stop on our return to Cusco.
The Big Day
Another benefit of booking a private guide: we could “sleep in” a little. Many of the large group Rainbow Mountain tours leave EARLY (like 3:30am). Hebert and our driver met us outside our hotel at 5:30am – still early, but much more palatable.
We sleepily piled into the van and headed to Vinicunca, not without some anxiety. Altitude sickness was a concern, especially since Karen had already been struggling with symptoms after all our high-elevation hikes. We had also been carefully monitoring the weather; while it wasn’t going to be a bluebird day, we hoped that the conditions remained decent enough for us to catch a view of the colorful landscape without having to deal with muddy trails. Keeping all of that in mind, we were prepared: sturdy hiking boots, several liters of water apiece, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and layers, layers, layers.
Once Rainbow Mountain was “discovered” and developed into a tourist destination, an additional road has been built to offer travelers from Cusco easier access. Visitors used to need to hike much longer to reach the summit of Vinicunca, but the trail has since been shortened to eight kilometers roundtrip (it used to be nearly twice that). While the trail is not that long or steep (until the very end), the elevation is no joke. Horses are available for people who prefer riding to hiking, but we were all determined to make the trek on our own two feet.
After a couple hours of driving, we arrived at the parking lot (the group tours typically include a stop for breakfast along the way, but we preferred to maximize our time sleeping, and Antigua Casona offered us breakfast boxes to take with us in the morning).
We climbed out of the van, double-checked that we had all the necessities in our daypacks, and headed on our way. Most of the trail wasn’t steep, but that also doesn’t mean it was easy. The high elevation meant that we got winded quickly, and we knew that we needed to drink lots of water in an effort to avoid altitude sickness. We were thankful to have our own toilet paper and hand sanitizer since the only bathrooms were porta-potties.
Hebert had also brought along coca leaves for us to munch on while we slowly trudged along the trail. Coca has long been used in the Andes as an energy booster, appetite suppressant, and altitude sickness treatment. I simply bunched the leaves into a ball and chewed on them slowly (no swallowing). I didn’t love the flavor or the texture, but it also wasn’t gag-inducing. I’ve had much worse things in my mouth before (sorry, that was crass, but I couldn’t resist; and to be clear, I was referring to the sulphuric taste of Lithia Water and the tough texture of Minke whale). The effects of coca leaves also seemed to be rather mild; I’ve experienced more dramatic energy boosts from a cup of coffee.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated for our hike up the mountain. We did see a number of people who looked ill-prepared for a 4k trek to an elevation over 5,000 meters, where they could be snowed upon. We were able to make it up the trail without equine aid, and in less time than the average two hour walk. While the skies were overcast all day, we were still able to appreciate the incredible natural beauty all around us.
There are actually a couple viewpoints once you reach the Montaña de Siete Colores: one closer to the base, and another an additional climb up. The above picture was taken at the lower viewpoint; Hebert observed a storm rolling in and advised me to scramble up to the top as quickly as possible so I could enjoy the view before it was overtaken by mist and clouds.
Once we snapped shots from all angles and in all the weather conditions of the day, we started the trek back down the hill (much easier than the way up). We were still feeling pretty good for the most part, although that is the tricky thing about altitude sickness. It typically doesn’t hit you until hours after you’ve exerted yourself at a high elevation, and it impacts people in very different, unexpected ways.
The plan was to stop for lunch on our way back to Cusco, but Karen, Lauren and I were ready to just get back to our hotel after the early morning and long day of driving/hiking. Hebert pushed us to make a quick stop, and I realized that we were probably helping him and the driver get a hearty meal supplemented by our visit to the restaurant (not to mention, we were supporting a local business that was likely only in existence due to tourists like us).
So, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant offering an expansive buffet for all of the tour buses returning from Vinicunca. When adjusting to high altitudes, it is recommended to eat lightly, as the elevation can impact digestion. Karen had already been feeling these symptoms over the past few days. Lauren was gradually experiencing the onset of a headache, and I was a vegetarian, so we became the high maintenance crew that wanted to order a la carte. After a bit of back and forth, the restaurant agreed to accommodate us, although our food took very long to come out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the cooks spit in it.
After lunch, we had a long drive back to Cusco, and Lauren’s headache just got worse. She drank a lot more water and took some ibuprofen, then tried to take a nap in the van. I hoped she’d be able to sleep it off, but was still struggling when we got back to the hotel. Time to bring in the oxygen again.
Karen was still feeling uneasy as well. Somehow, I was the only one not affected by the altitude, and I was the only one not taking Diamox. I felt tired after Rainbow Mountain, but not any differently than I’d expect after a 4:30am wake-up call, four hour roundtrip drive, and four hour hike (including breaks). The elevation clearly affected each of us very differently, and unpredictably. While I had handled it without a problem on this trip, I wouldn’t expect that everything would go as smoothly in the future. If I learned anything in Peru, it was that altitude is not to be underestimated!
A few parting notes if you want to hike Rainbow Mountain: 1) Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to acclimate to the altitude, 2) Be aware of the weather forecast and be okay with canceling if things aren’t looking good, 3) Drink plenty of water, eat lightly, take Diamox if you want, but still know that altitude could have a serious impact on you.
