One of the first things that I noticed upon my arrival to Cusco was the huge amount of tour operators. There is honestly a different tour company on every corner, all appearing to sell the same thing. I felt completely overwhelmed, which wasn’t helped by the fact that every time I stopped to look, someone came over to pressure me into buying something.
One trip I desperately wanted to do was the famous Vinicuna Rainbow Mountain. Luckily for me, everyone was offering tours there. However, after speaking to several of my fellow travellers, I had been a little put-off. Since Vinicuna Rainbow Mountain became an Instagrammers paradise, visitor numbers rocketed and thus the entire experience has changed. What used to be picturesque and off the beaten track now attracts multiple busloads of people every day.
Whilst getting a new profile picture wasn’t my motivation for visiting the mountain, I still didn’t want the experience to be marred by hundreds of other tourists. Sure, I wanted to visit but I couldn’t help but ask myself if it would even be worth it if it was as oversaturated as everybody warned me.
Cue, Palccoyo, the Alternative Rainbow Mountain. Palccoyo (or Palcoyo, depending who you ask) Rainbow Mountain is relatively unheard of by travellers, with pretty much all of the tours offering the standard trip to the Vinicunca Mountain. Where Palccoyo is located there is actually an entire mountain range, littered with different rainbow mountains.
Looking for a more off the beaten track experience whilst still not wanting to miss one of Peru’s must-see attractions, Palccoyo instantly sparked my interest. Our tour to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain was organised by Rainbow Mountain Expeditions. They are located in Cusco but ran by a man local to the Rainbow Mountain range. Owner Roger was going to be our guide and expert for the day.
A Bright and Early Start
The trip to Palccoyo began early and we met our driver shortly after 4 am. After we picked up the other members of our group, we were introduced to our guides. Our group comprised six guests, the driver and two guides, Roger and an assistant. One of the best things about booking a tour with Rainbow Mountain Expeditions is the small group sizes. For each trip, there is a maximum of ten visitors which allows everyone to really get to know each other. It also helps to create a less crowded and more personal experience.
After getting some energy for the day ahead, we drove for another hour until we reached the village of Palccoyo. Here we paid our entrance fee for the Rainbow Mountain range (10 soles per person, not included) and headed along the windy roads. That was until we met a traffic jam. This was not the kind of congestion that you would expect from London however, our passing had been thwarted by a heard of llamas. Everyone in the minivan cooed at the animals and Roger invited us out to take a proper look.
The Hike Begins
After we arrived at the point from which we would begin our trek, which was right next to the first Rainbow Mountain we would see that day. Roger explained that he had an oxygen tank on hand should anyone need it. He encouraged us to walk slowly, taking regular breaks when required and also reminding us to drink water.
I crammed coca leaves into my mouth, hoping to offset the effects of the altitude. Others who had come less prepared tucked into Roger’s personal stash which he was more than willing to donate to the cause.
Despite the fact that I needed to stop for breaks every five minutes or so, Roger never made me feel like an inconvenience and was really patient with the group. This was a relief considering what I had heard about some of the other Rainbow Mountain Guides. BWe trekked through the stunning mountain range, taking in the array of colours. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the surrounding red peaks, it felt like another world! In the distance, it was even possible to see the Ausangate glacier in the distance. The scenery really was spectacular.
After around an hour, we arrived at one of the most impressive Rainbow Mountains. The first thing that shocked me was just how bright the colours were. I had worried that photoshop had given me unrealistic expectations! The second was the number of people we were sharing it with: there was no-one else there.
The six of us, plus the two tour guides and that was it. We had the whole mountain to ourselves. Naturally, we began snapping shots of each other, making the most of our own private mountain experience.
After a while, Tim and I decided to hike to a nearby viewpoint for a better look. The vistas were mind-blowing and colourful mountains stretched as far as the eye could see. We had been galavanting around for 45 minutes by this point and it was only now that the first other group turned up.
We headed back to meet Roger who announced we would be having a break and some much-needed coca tea. As we sat recovering from our walk and photo taking, Roger explained a little about the mountain communities in this area. He also went into detail about the ancient beliefs surrounding Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the importance of paying respect to the mountains. It was very interesting to learn about these traditions and legends.
As we ate our snacks, Roger policed the mountain, making sure that guests from the other groups were not trampling the rainbow. Sadly, this blatant rule breaking is all too common but it was wonderful to see Roger’s passion and commitment to preserving and respecting this beautiful place first hand. After we had all recovered, Roger asked us whether we wanted to hike up to the stone forest. We all agreed and began the hard ascent up to the top. Even though this trek was tiring, I was so glad we made the effort to get there.
