Vinicunca

Vinicunca, or Winikunka, also called Montaña de Siete Colores, Montaña de Colores or Rainbow Mountain, is a mountain in the Andes of Peru with an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level.[1][2]

Vinicunca
Vinicunca
Highest point
Elevation5,200 m (17,100 ft)
Listing
Coordinates13.870227°S 71.302951°W / -13.870227; -71.302951 
Geography
LocationPeru
Parent rangeAndes

Tourist access requires a two-hour drive from Cusco, and a walk of about 5-kilometer (3.1 mi) or three-and-a-half-hour drive through Pitumarca and one-half-kilometre (0.31 mi) a steep walk (1-1.5 hours) to the hill. As of 2019, no robust methods of transportation to Vinicunca have been developed to accommodate travelers, as it requires passage through a valley.[3]

It is located on the road to the Ausangate mountain, in the Andes of Peru, in the Cusco Region, between the districts of Cusipata, province of Quispicanchi, Pitumarca, and the province of Canchis.[4]

In the middle of the 2010s, mass tourism became attracted by the mountains' series of stripes of various colors.[5] This due to its mineralogical composition present on the slopes and summits.[6] The mountain was covered by glacier caps that have melted recently due to global warming.[7]

Location
The Red Valley, a path that connects Pitumarca with Vinicunca

Vinicunca is located to the southeast of the city of Cusco and can be reached from Cusco via two routes: Cusipata or Pitumarca. One route is through the Peruvian Sierra del Sur (PE-3s) in the direction of the town of Checacupe, and further to the town of Pitumarca, which is around two hours from the city of Cusco. From Pitumarca, travellers may go by foot, by car or motorbike along a trail passing through several rural communities such as Ocefina, Japura, Hanchipacha, and reach the community of Pampa Chiri, where a 1.5-kilometer walk along the Vinincunca pass leads to the natural formation with stripes of colors like a rainbow, the Rainbow Mountain. An alternate route is to go to Cusipata. From Cusipata, travellers may walk for 3km along Chillihuani route where along a bridle path to reach the Rainbow Mountain.[8][9]

The altitude of the Rainbow Mountain is around 5200 meters or over 17,000 feet, and acclimatization to the high altitude may be necessary for the trek up to the mountain.[10]

Weather

Travelers to Peru and locals generally agree that the best time of the year to visit the colorful site is in the month of August, since it is dry season and provides a beautiful view, maximizing the vivid colors of the mountains. Nevertheless, the famous colors always look aesthetically beautiful.

Travelers are advised to try to avoid days following significant rainfall (namely in the months of December, January and February) and much more in times when snow has fallen.[11] In terms of fauna, travelers are able to view a wide variety of alpacas and other camelids in certain short-term seasons.

Mineralogical composition

According to the investigation of the Cultural Landscape Office of the Decentralization of the City of Cusco, the colorations of the mountain of the 7 colors are due to the mineralogical composition that it has: the pink color is for the red clay, fangolitas (mud) and arilitas (sand). The whitish colouring is because of the quartzose, sandstone and marls, rich in calcium carbonate. The red one made up of the claystones (iron) and clays belonging to the upper tertiary. The green is due to the compound of phyllites and clays rich in ferro magnesian. The earthy brown is a product of fanglomerate composed of rock with magnesium belonging to the Quaternary era. And the mustard yellow color for the calcareous sandstones rich in sulphurous minerals.[12]

Colored stripes of steeply tilted strata at Vinincunca

Mountain concession for mining

The mining approval process began on March 30, 2015 in Lima, when the mining exploration company Minquest Perú SAC, owned by the Canadian Camino Minerals Corporation, submitted a red beds mining petition to the Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute (Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico, INGEMMET). The petition included the territory of the districts of Cusipata and Pitumarca with an area of 400 hectares, covering the whole of the mountain, and also overlapping with the peasant communities of Chillihuani and Pampachiri. INGEMMET issued a warning that parts of this territory, including Vinicunca, should have been protected within the "Ausangate Regional Conservation Area." In 2009, the Regional Government of Cusco had proposed the creation of this protected area to Peru's National Service of Protected Natural Areas (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, SERNANP). However, SERNANP responded that the Ausangate Regional Conservation Area had never been officially created, since the proposal had not met the necessary requirements. Therefore, on March 16, 2018 with Presidential Resolution No. 042-2018-INGEMMET / PCD / PM INGEMMET, the title of metallic mining concession was granted.[13]

On May 21, 2018, following public protests, the company informed the Regional Government of Cusco of its renunciation of the concession; however, the Regional Government indicated that it was the Ministry of Energy and Mines that must assume the administrative actions to recover possession of these lands. The National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) expressed its deep concern over the management of Vinicunca, one of the most important components of Peru's new appeal to tourism.[14] [15] [16] [17]

In November 2018, Peru's President Martín Vizcarra issued a decree enforcing a 12-month ban on all mining activity in the area. The Regional Government stated its expectation that within that time frame, the Ministry of Energy and Mines would permanently register the region as a protected conservation area. [18] [19] [20]

  • Colored stripes
  • The red valley
  • Alpacas in the mountains
  • Panoramic view of the mountain
  • Ausangate as seen from Vinicunca

See also

References
  1. "Montaña de siete colores | Montaña Arco Iris | Rainbow Mountain en Vinicunca, Quispicanchis, Cusco – Arqueología del Perú | Historia, Turismo, Arte , Inca, Prehispánico, Pre-Inca" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  2. "Fotos: Montaña de Colores de Vinicunca es víctima de su popularidad". RPP (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  3. "Cusco: denuncian que han dañado la Montaña de Siete Colores". América Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  4. "Conoce la belleza de Winikunka, la montaña de 7 colores de Cusco". publimetro.pe. 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  5. "Salvemos La Montaña de Colores: Está Corriendo Grave Peligro". ACCESOPERU.COM (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  6. PERÚ, Empresa Peruana de Servicios Editoriales S. A. EDITORA. "En el Día Internacional de las Montañas conoce las 7 cumbres más altas del Perú". andina.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  7. "The Discovery of Peru's Rainbow Mountain Has an Unfortunate Truth". theculturetrip.com. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  8. "Tour Full day montaña de colores cusco 2018 | Intupa Cusco". Machu Picchu Tours | Viajes a Machu Picchu | Tours Cusco | Intupa Cusco (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  9. Andrés Vögler (2016-10-11). "Montaña Arcoíris, Cusco". BITÁCORAS DE VIAJE (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  10. "Secrets of Rainbow Mountain, Peru: How to Do it Right". Be My Travel Muse. 5 August 2018.
  11. "La Montaña de Siete Colores | Vinicunca Cusco - Perú | Guía de Viajes" (in Spanish). 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  12. "Vinicunca Perú | La montaña de colores en Perú | Cusco". Vinicunca ES (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  13. Cooperacción. "Incoherencia del sistema de planificación territorial". CooperAcción. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  14. "Empresa decidió renunciar a la concesión minera de la Montaña de Siete Colores en Cus". larepublica.pe. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  15. "Rainbow Mountain Hike Peru". Rainbow Mountain Peru Info. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  16. "Salvemos la Montaña de Colores: está corriendo grave peligro". La República. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  17. "Formación Geológica de la Montaña de los 7 Colores". Vinicunca Peru.
  18. "Peru Stops Miners From Exploring Rainbow Mountain Tourist Area". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  19. "Suspenden admisión de petitorios mineros en el área de la Montaña de Siete Colores, ubicada en el departamento de Cusco". El Peruano. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  20. "Suspenden petitorios mineros que comprendan la Montaña de siete Colores". Andina. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
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