The community of "Pacchanta" is located in the foothills of the snow-capped "Ausangate", at an altitude of 4200 meters above sea level. It is reached by the new South interoceanic highway and turning off on a motorized trail, in about 3 hours, leaving Cusco.
Its inhabitants are dedicated to the breeding of alpacas and the cultivation of native tubers, and all are expert weavers. With the fiber of the alpaca, they prepare their clothing and tools, and use the meat as a source of protein. Native potatoes, fresh or traditionally turned into chuno and moraya, provide the carbohydrates they need to fight off the cold and physical strain.
The men and women of Pacchanta preserve their cultural identity and traditional way of life, which makes them representatives of the Andean culture.During your stay in the community, we will discover the magic of the snow-capped mountains and the warmth of its inhabitants, who proudly and happily share their lives and traditions with you.
Your participation as a visitor will directly benefit the people who interact with you in their daily work; and indirectly, you will be motivating the conservation of the environment, its native biodiversity in wild flora and fauna and the recovery of traditional arts and techniques, which reinforces the identity of the people and provides different alternatives for sustainable development.
We leave Cusco early in the morning by our transportation to Tinki. On the way we will cross several small villages and stop at the viewpoint of Cuyuni, where we will have a spectacular view over the mountain range and its snow-capped mountains. After three hours of travel, we will arrive in Tinki where we will meet the Sunday market, a meeting point for all the communities in the area, who come to sell the products of their farms and buy the inputs for the week.
In Tinki, we start our hike or horseback ride to the native community of "Pacchanta". Along the way, silence and the sound of the wind will help us to discover the landscape, the flora and fauna of the place, and we will see numerous alpacas that will appear with the bottom of the glaciers.
We will arrive in Pacchanta for lunch and stay in a family home. We will enjoy a typical and healthy lunch, prepared with great affection by our hosts.
In the afternoon, we will share with the alpaca teachers the work of shearing alpacas, in which the fiber is extracted and then spun and weave their traditional garments. The women of the community will teach us the arts of spinning and weaving in the loom of the waist, a traditional Andean technique. We'll make our own fabric, or we can buy the ones they make in the community.
We will also be able to share the traditional agricultural work, sowing, harvesting or any other activity that is being carried out spontaneously on the day of our visit.
In the afternoon, we will bathe in the hot springs, overlooking the majestic snow-capped Ausangate. We will have dinner with our host family and sleep in a double or triple room, specially arranged for us.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we will walk along with the llamas and alpacas that will take us to graze our local guides, we will arrive to a farmhouse among the snow-capped mountains of the Vilcanota Mountain Range, surrounded by landscapes like watercolors, fresh air, and calm alpacas that feed and converse silently with the Apu.
We will approach Azulcocha, a lagoon of the color that its name warns, at the foot of the Ausangate. We will listen to some legends and stories about the Sacred Snow-capped Mountain and offering much respect, we will make a small offering, as the natives usually do, in exchange for their protection. With a nutritious snack, we will relax and admire the beautiful and powerful landscape.
We will return to the community for lunch, overnight in family house.
We will have the morning for some activities with the villagers, after the farewell we will take a small road that will take us back to Tinki where our transportation will wait for us to return to Cusco.
"This adventure will take us to the heart of the Andean culture. The incredible scenery, with the huts, the snow-capped mountains and the alpacas, will be the perfect setting to understand the local culture, its customs, myths and legends".
Prices in American Dollars per person
