Rainbow Mountain is the highest trip you will do in Cusco, and your backpack should be packed with that in mind. In a single day you go from below-freezing temperatures before sunrise to sun that burns at midday, with wind on the ridge and, in the rainy season, some snow or hail. This list is based on what our guides carry and what travellers most often wish they had brought. It works for Vinicunca, Palcoyo, the Red Valley and Pallay Punchu.
What is already included on our tours
So you do not overpack: on the private Vinicunca and Red Valley tours, transport, the guide, breakfast and lunch, trekking poles, emergency oxygen and a first-aid kit are included. The same goes for Palcoyo and Pallay Punchu. The vehicle stays at the trailhead, so anything you do not need during the hike can stay on board.
Clothing: layers, not one thick coat
At five or six in the morning, at 4,600 metres, the temperature is usually below zero. Two hours later, climbing in the sun, you are too warm. The system that works is three layers you put on and take off:
- Base layer: a thermal or technical-fabric top. Avoid cotton, which stays damp with sweat and chills you.
- Warm layer: a fleece or light down jacket.
- Outer layer: a waterproof windbreaker. There is almost always wind on the ridge.
- Trekking trousers or thermal leggings under comfortable trousers. Jeans are not a good idea.
- Hat, gloves and a buff or neck gaiter. They are the first thing you put on when you leave the vehicle and the last thing you take off.
- Thick socks, and a spare pair in the vehicle.
Footwear
Trekking shoes or boots with grippy soles. The Vinicunca trail is wide, but it has stretches of loose earth and, on the way down, slippery gravel. In the rainy season there can be mud or snow. Do not wear new boots that day: bring ones you have already broken in.
Sun protection
At 5,000 metres solar radiation is much stronger than at sea level, even when it is cloudy and cold. Bring:
- Sunscreen of factor 50 or higher, and reapply it at the top.
- UV-filter sunglasses. With snow they are essential.
- A cap or hat for the way down.
- Lip balm with sun protection: the air is very dry and lips crack.
Water and food
- One to two litres of water. Dehydration makes altitude symptoms worse. Sip even when you are not thirsty.
- Something sweet: chocolate, nuts, bars. On the way up, little and often is best.
- Coca or muña sweets, sold in Cusco, which help with a dry mouth.
Breakfast and lunch are included on our tours, so there is no need to carry food for the whole day.
Cash
Bring soles in small notes and coins. You will need them for:
- The community entrance fee, paid at the gate and not included. The Red Valley has a second fee.
- A horse, if you decide to ride up at Vinicunca.
- The toilets along the road and at the trailhead, which charge a small amount.
- Hot drinks and souvenirs at the community stalls.
There are no cash machines and cards are not accepted along the way.
For the altitude and the road
- Your medication, if your doctor has prescribed something for altitude. The guide carries oxygen, not prescription drugs.
- Travel-sickness tablets if you get carsick: the last stretch of road has many bends.
- Tissues and hand sanitiser.
The most important thing does not go in the backpack: two days of acclimatisation in Cusco beforehand, a good night’s sleep and no alcohol the night before. We explain it in the acclimatisation guide. For the rest of the trip, see what to pack for Cusco and Machu Picchu.
For photos
Cold drains batteries very quickly. Keep your phone in an inside pocket, close to your body, and bring a power bank. The colours look best with the sun high and no clouds, which in the dry season is usually mid-morning.
If you go in the rainy season
From December to March, add a proper poncho or rain jacket, a waterproof backpack cover and water-resistant gloves. The mountain can wake up under snow: the tour runs as normal and the colours appear as soon as the sun clears it.
This list works just as well for the other rainbow mountains. For Pallay Punchu, with its viewpoint at about 4,700 metres and a 3 am start, warm layers for the morning and sun protection matter even more.
The same list works for the hike to Humantay Lake, which is also above 4,000 metres.
Quick list
| Essential | Recommended | Leave at the hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Warm layers, windbreaker, hat and gloves | Power bank | Suitcase or large backpack |
| Broken-in trekking shoes | Spare socks | Jeans and cotton clothing |
| SPF 50+ sunscreen, sunglasses and lip balm | Coca or muña sweets | Valuables you do not need |
| One to two litres of water and something sweet | Travel-sickness tablets | An umbrella: useless in the wind |
| Cash in soles, small notes | Rain poncho, December to March |
Frequently asked questions
Is it very cold at Rainbow Mountain?
At dawn, yes: it is usually below zero, and the ridge is windy. By mid-morning, in the sun, you climb in a T-shirt and fleece. That is why you dress in layers.
Do I need mountain boots?
Technical boots are not necessary. Trekking shoes with good soles are enough. What matters is grip and that they are already broken in.
How much water should I bring?
One to two litres per person. If you also do the Red Valley, two litres.
Can I pay by card there?
No. Entrance fees, horses, toilets and stalls are paid in cash, in soles.
Should I bring my own oxygen?
There is no need. Our guides carry emergency oxygen on every mountain tour.
Before you book
- Vinicunca or Palcoyo: which to choose, the full comparison.
- Private Vinicunca and private Palcoyo.
- All Rainbow Mountain tours.
