Our tour is an incredible ascent to an active volcano; El Misti with 5822 meters . and located in the city of Arequipa. To climb this volcano no technical preparation is needed since it is a stratovolcano made up of ash and lava.
Our trekking is more of a strong “altitude” hike where the greatest difficulty on the route is the ashes and sand that, together with the altitude, make our ascent much more difficult and forced. El Misti is considered one of the 10 potentially active volcanoes in this part of the Andes mountain range and its summit reaches a height of 5,822 meters above sea level.
Remember that to make the ascent you need progressive acclimatization to the altitude and very good physical condition.
Highlights
In the morning, we will pick you up at your hotel in Arequipa at the scheduled time and we will drive in a 4×4 vehicle until we reach our starting point at the base of the Misti volcano (3,300 m).
During the ascension, we will cross various altitude zones, observing how the flora changes as we gain altitude.
We will set up our camp at an altitude of 4,700 m. From this point, you will enjoy an impressive and unforgettable view of the White City of Arequipa. While we have dinner, we will listen to local legends and learn about the history of the Misti and Chachani volcanoes. (In 1998, an expedition discovered six Inca mummies in the volcano.)
We will start the day early with a hearty breakfast before embarking on the climb to the top of the volcano. It will be approximately 6 hours of walking through viewpoints that offer increasingly spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. Upon reaching the summit, we will be rewarded with unparalleled views of the impressive panorama that includes the Chachani and Picchu Picchu volcanoes , the Aguada Blanca dam, Lake Salinas and the White City of Arequipa, all under the perfectly conical shadow of the Misti. On a clear summer day, we’ll even be able to glimpse the Pacific Ocean in the distance. The feature that will really amaze you will be the volcano’s perfectly shaped crater.
After this hike, you’ll be happy to know that the descent of the volcano is quite easy, thanks to the sand and ash that make it easy to stop when necessary. Once we arrive back at the base camp, we will pack up and continue descending to the pickup point, from where we will return to Arequipa in a 4×4 vehicle, with expected arrival around 4 pm.