At Andean Lodges we offer you the unforgettable experience of hiking in the most incredible natural landscapes in the Andes, as you enjoy our four beautiful eco-lodges, some of the highest in the world.
The Route to Ausangate offers you the perfect surroundings for high mountain adventure sports, discovering the unique local wildlife and flora, and connecting with the ancestral traditions of the local people.
Contact us to start living a life-changing experience. Welcome!
Ausangate the sacred mountain
Mount Ausangate, at 6,384 meters (20,945 ft.) above sea level, is Peru’s fifth highest peak and one of the most beautiful in all the southern Andes. Located in the heart of the remote Vilcanota Range, it is venerated as Cusco’s sacred guardian Apu, the deity that protects waters and life, and watches over the women, men and children of the Andes. It is home to native highland communities that preserve their rich ancestral cultures and maintain their traditional way of life.
REGIONAL CONSERVATION AREA
We’ve combined efforts with Cusco’s Regional Government, the Association for Conservation of the Amazon Basin and local village communities around Apu Ausangate to gain recognition of the zone as a Regional Conservation Area, with the goal of conserving local vegetation, preventing the degradation of land and loss of wildlife, and promoting job creation and sustainable development that benefits local communities.
AUSANGATE’S ECOSYSTEM, FLORA AND FAUNA
This environment is home to over 110 species of bird, such as Andean Geese, Condors and the Giant Hummingbird, as well as several species of ducks and other migratory birds that seasonally inhabit the high lakes and wetlands. Thirteen species of mammals can be found, including vicuñas, vizcachas, fox, and the Andean cat, a species at risk of extinction with only about 1,500 estimated individuals dispersed across the region.
INTEGRATED TRAINING
Our work team is composed of women and men from our mountains, the inhabitants of the Chillca and Osefina communities, who receive constant training to work as guides, cooks, housekeepers, security guards and maintenance personnel, with the goal of preparing them to eventually take over all hiking operations, and thus ensuring their integration into a fair and responsible labor environment.
