Pacchanta Community potato farmers and alpaca breeders, the people of the APU
About the community…
The Pacchanta comunity is located in the base of the Sacred Mountain “Ausagante” at an altitude of 13500 feet. It takes 3 hours to get there from Cusco, through the new Interoceanic road to Brasil.
The local peoples’ main activities are potato farming and alpaca breeding, and all of them are expert weavers! With alpaca fiber they make their dressing/clothing and tools, such as ropes and sacks; and use the meat to provide protein. Native potatoes, fresh or converted into chuño and moraya, bring the carbohydrates that they need to resist cold and physical work.
Men and women of Pacchanta, care a lot about their cultural identity and traditional way of life, what makes them into representatives of the high Andean culture.
During your staying, we’ll discober the magic of the glaciars and the heat of their people, that will proudly share with you their life and traditions.
With the guardians of the Apu Ausangate
Day 1
Departure…
We will leave Cusco at 7 am and head up to the Vilcanota Mountain range. Along the way, we will make a stop in Cuyuni balcony, a place that the community with the same name created to appreciate the wonderful beauty of the Cordillera.
The adventure starts in Tinki…
After three hours by bus, we will arrive at Tinki and start hiking or horseback riding to Pacchanta native community. Through the way, the silence and sound of the wind will let us discover the landscape, and the local fauna and flora, and we’ll see herds of alpacas beyond the glaciers.
Meeting the farmers…
The community will have lunch waiting for us and will let us get comfortable in Maria and Ignacio or Mateo and Valentina’s home.
The afternoon with the farmers…
In the afternoon, the experts will share with us the sheering of the alpaca’s wool, in which they’ll take the fiber out, spin it and then weave their traditional clothing. The women will show us the weaving art in waist loom technique that they use all the time at home or while they feed their herds. We will have the opportunity to make our own little weaving or just get one that they made for us. They will also share their agricultural traditional work with us, spontaneously, according to the work that needs to be done on the day of our visit.
In the evening…
We will take a bath in the hot springs with the incredible view of the Ausagante Mountain. We will share dinner with our host family.
Day 2
Approach to the glaciar…
After an early breakfast, our local guides will take us together with their lamas and alpacas, on a two-hour hike to a small but spectacular hamlet, in the middle of the Ausagante river basin. This beautiful area is surrounded by watercolor views, fresh air and herds of alpacas, feeding themselves and taking softly with the glaciers.
We will approach Azulcocha , or blue lake, where we will be able to hear some stories and legends of the sacred mountains, show them respect and give them an offering, also asking for protection, as the natives do.
With an energizing snack, we will relax while taking in the spectacular and unforgettable views of this magical spot.
Huatia and Sunday’s market …
In the early afternoon, we will come back to Pacchanta, for lunch and farewell our hosting family. We’ll enjoy the traditional “Huatia”, Andean traditionally technique to cook the organic and recently harvested potatoes in a mud oven.
After lunch we will come back to Tinki by bus, and discover the Sunday local market where all the people from the nearby communities come to sell their products and buy what they need for the week. A very colorful experience.
Return to Cusco…
Return to Cusco at 7 pm.
