Rainbow Mountain, Peru: How to Get There Without Losing Your Breath

Rainbow Mountain, Peru — how to get there without losing your breath

As I've mentioned before, I love natural wonders — especially the kind you don't have to view through a crowd of tourists. And yes, I really hate getting out of a car above 3,500 meters. But for places like Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca), you sometimes have to push through it. Here's how to do it with minimal stress and effort.

When to go to avoid the crowds

All the tour buses dump their precious cargo up there in the morning. By afternoon the mountain starts emptying out, and by 3 p.m. you can actually enjoy some peace and quiet. I turned off the main road at noon, and that timing turned out to be perfect. If you want to skip the shuffle of minibuses jostling for space on narrow switchbacks, get there early in the day.

On foot or on horseback — how to climb to 5,000 meters

An altitude of 5,000 meters is no joke. A couple of steps uphill and your lungs are already screaming for help while your brain daydreams about an oxygen mask. The trail to the viewpoint takes a couple of hours, but luckily there are horses. Problem solved, right? Hop on, ride up, snap some photos for Instagram. Except this is Latin America, folks.

You ride up to some little booth partway up the mountain, your goal already in sight, and the señores say: "Get off. That's it. Too dangerous from here." Down at the bottom they'd promised to take you all the way to the top, not just to the restroom below it. After a ten-minute negotiation, it turned out there's a sheriff stationed at the viewpoint handing out fines to any horse that dares climb higher. No horses were harmed on our trip.

Why you can't get by in Latin America without Spanish

When I sent up my drone for a flight, the sheriffs didn't waste any time — they came running straight over to let me know exactly what the fine was for half an hour of flying.

If you're planning to travel around Latin America, learn Spanish — it opens doors!

What matters most — the views, and a bit of adventure

Latin America is always a bit of an adventure, where the rules can change mid-game. What matters is enjoying the views. They're worth it.