Ausangate, Mountain King of Cusco
The Apus of Cusco Part 1
Apu Ausangate is the highest mountain in the region of Cusco, and one of the highest of Peru. To the Cusqueñians, He is the most powerful "Apu" (the deity that is the spirit of the mountain) and chief of all the Apus in Cusco. Apu Ausangate is one of leaders who guide men and women to live in harmony with the world of nature and with the world of the deities. From this harmony emerges life on Earth.
As lord of the three worlds, its magnificence towers high above the world of humans in the city of Cusco below, and above the world of nature as seen in the green hills in the middle. No wonder this powerful Apu has won the reverence of his native people for countless centuries!
This photo of Apu Ausangate offers a hint of the feeling you experience when you see its presence dominating the world of the sky, with its mighty peaks covered with pristine snow glowing golden in the sunset.
Our Hiking Circuit Trek Around Apu Ausangate
Walking in this beautiful place is an unforgettable spiritual experience. About a month before making this journey of 4 days and 3 nights around this sacred mountain, I dreamed about the "Apu," (the deity that is the spirit of the mountain). I felt his energy close to me many times. This is why I have a lot of faith and respect for Ausangate. But this time I just had to pay my respects in an act of pilgrimage and a ceremony of gratitude to the mountain.
That's why my fiance Flamissia and I decided to undertake this 4 day experience. To begin this journey, we requested permission with a "K'intu" of coca leaves to the tutelary spirit of the mountain.
This trek was an unforgettable experience! We entered into beautiful natural landscapes, surrounded by breathtaking sacred mountains like Ausangate and his consort Ñusta Qayangate, as well as Qolqe Cruz and Mariposa ("the Butterfly"). Beautiful shining lakes, whose spirit is called "Mama Qocha," ringed the great Apu like a jewel necklace of many colors - turquoise, sky blue and red. All harmonized with the ecosystem, and we, too, are part of She who is called "Pachamama."
