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iterraperuaventuras-blog · 8 years ago

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Rainbow mountain

The mountain of colors, Cerro Colorado, Rainbow Mountain or Vinicunca is in danger. The reason: the celebrity achieved in such a short time is generating a disorganized tourism, lacking security for the visitors and disputes between the communities bordering this attraction in Cusco.

About 7 years ago, a photographer friend, told me about the long walk and showed me images of today's famous and explored Mountain of Colors in Cusco. I was fascinated by what I saw, I could not believe that these wonderful landscapes are in Peru and that I have never seen or heard them before.

Years passed and since April of this year I began to find, in social networks, many people who post about their future adventure to the Ausangate. To my surprise, a day later, they had their Facebook profile as the photos of the trip.

I began to ask; How they do that? Was not that to get to this paradise had to walk several days? I saw many photos of the mountain of colors but, because I do not see among their photos the snowy Ausangate if they say that they go to the Ausangate?

A year ago, I left, together with a group of friends and tour guides colleagues for explore and made the Ausangate. Our intention was to make the return of 6 days to the sacred mountain, considered as the fifth highest of Peru. Part of the journey consisted of arriving at the now famous Mountain of Colors. At the time of leaving I did not know well what the geography of the place was, I thought that the Mountain of Colors was next to or on a slope of Ausangate snow.

After leaving the town of Pacchanta and walk two days at last I was cleared my doubts. We arrived at a point where we found a road with dozens of tourist buses, several food modules and portable toilets. It was the place where the single-day trek to the famous rainbow mountain, also known as Cerro Colorado, Arco Iris or Vinicunca (name in Quechua).

At that moment I understood why many travelers, almost at lightning speed, would go and return, in a single day to the "Ausangate", but, what is the great truth? The truth is that they never reached the Ausangate.

Cerro Vinicunca is not found in the Ausangate, there are two gullies beyond. While you can see from this point, the reality is that to get to the foot of the "Sacred Apu" we have to walk about 20 km and pass two open or mountain crosses on the 5000 mts high. In conclusion we had to divert a day and a half, on foot, to reach the colorful mountain.

A Natural Paradise

The Mountain of Colors is a spectacular place, as if it were taken from another planet. It is found in the mountain range of Vilcanota and its striking natural coloration is due to the presence of sedimentary stones and minerals thanks to the erosion of wind and water.

Ocres, reds, whites, yellows, greens and purples form a chromatic range that make the Mountain of Colors a unique place in the world.

But, because it took so long to be discovered by tourism? According to what some comuneros of the area told me, this part of the mountain range was covered by glaciers for millennia. It seems that global warming and the disappearance of perpetual snow, made this colorful show see the light and nowadays, those who come to their feet; we can enjoy its beauty.

Responsible Tourism: Save Vinicunca

In recent months the influx of public to the Mountain of Colors has increased considerably. Almost all the agencies of the city of Cusco offer day tours. They leave at 3 am from the imperial city, start the trek from Ocefina (Chillca) at 6 am, climb 8 hard kilometers to 5000 msnm and then go down the same road to reach Cuzco around 9 or 10 pm. Visitors do not go with a guide, they are only told to follow the path. They do not even give them an hour back, in conclusion the message is: "Go up as you can and come down whenever you want"

When you ask the agencies about the route, many of them tell you that it is not very hard, which is not true. Logically do not tell the truth to buy the tour to them and not to the competition. They also sell the place with photos over saturated, which make it look fake and far away from the real color of the mountain.

If the steep slope adds up to the few sleeping hours and the altitude in which it is, the ascent can become a true "ordeal". There is no health control and tourism companies, for the most part, are not qualified for any medical emergency. Walking at that altitude, without proper physical and mental preparation, can seriously affect health.

On the other hand, the "boom" of the Mountain of Colors has generated, without any control (only the payment of a ticket to the community) more than 500 people a day, a figure that is increasing month by month.

Also the region of Vinincunca apparently there is a dispute between two communities by charging tourists for access to the Montaña de Colores. Pitumarca is the one who controls it and Cusipata who claims a "portion of the cake". That is why the second community was given the "license" to write its name, "Marcando Territorio", in the middle of the mountains.

The day I was in the Mountain of Colors I found plastic bottles and wrappers on the way, besides, to the foot of the left side there were a mesh of protection. When I asked why these meshes, which alter the landscape considerably, the people of the community told me that it was to avoid informal mining, that they had already found some excavations. It seems that these scourges of society, which do nothing more than depredate and contaminate our natural resources, already put the eye to this Cuzco wonder.

It is the responsibility of the community of Pitumarca, the AATC (Association of Tourism Agencies of Cusco), the Regional Government of Cusco, MINCETUR and all relevant entities to take action on the matter. . Rules must be imposed, the number of visitors must be controlled and some "irresponsible" tourism companies must not do as they please.

They should demand that their customers not throw garbage and care of the place, besides informing them that they must be in good physical condition, be rested and have eaten light before facing the hard route to the Mountain of Colors.

We demand respect and professionalism when we take a tour to the mountain.

Let this Cusco paradise endure in time for our children and children's children, our children's children to enjoy !!!

The only way to save the Mountain of Colors is to declare itself as a National Protected Natural Area, it is in us and the government identities put to work !!!

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