Misti volcano trek: El Misti is the symbol of the “Arequipeños” and the trekking to misti volcano is one of the most popular climbing program in south Peru, the people in Arequipa say that they are mistians because the Misti volcano is their symbol.
The misti volcano climb takes 2 days but the record is about 4 hours and 20 minutes, any way a previous preparation is important because you will summit at (5,828 m, 18,000 ft), it needs previous acclimatization to the altitude. The trek is amazing, because of its interesting geological formations as for its magnificent views.
The last eruption had been registered on 1985, and the view of the crater is spectacular that can be safely viewed from the summit.
Our two days climbing program to thi volcano, has also the most interesting view to the city, and the possibility to find snow, but this doesn’t happen much along year. From time to time the volcano is covered. So, people in Arequipa says “El Misti se ha vestido” (it had dressed up), the climb follows a path and it does not require expertise.
You must know that, is it a challenging program; by the way, we advise you previous training in order success the summit and enjoy it. (this option 01, is available in group service and private service).
You may also be interested in: colca canyon tour, cusco day tours, choquequirao trek, titicaca lake tour, then write us for more info
07:00 hrs
Day 01: From Arequipa to halfway of the mount. Our vehicle picks you up from your hotel in Arequipa city, then we go towards the volcano, as we leave the city, we can feel and see how the microclimate changes, after two hours driving we arrive to the trek start point (the base of the mountain is at 3300 m) from here we start trekking to the top of the volcano “the Misti”.
The landscape changes dramatically with increasing altitude, due to the different ecosystems.
After about couple hours of walk, we stop for lunch, then we continue for some more hours and finally reach 4700 meters, where we set up out tents and camp. In the evening while we dinner we will be awarded by the view of the stars and the Arequipa city; At dinner time there is also a good time to talk about the other mounts such as chachani and picchu picchu that are considered sacred by the locals.
(Trek difficulty: Challenge. Total distance: 10 km “6.21 miles”. Estimated walking time: 6 – 7 hours).
Day 02: Conquering the Volcano. At very early morning, we have breakfast including the famous coca tea, (to avoid the effects of altitude), after breakfast we start the remaining 6 hours to the summit. The top offers an incredible lookout point, you can see the Chachani Mountain and the Pichu Pichu volcanoes, the water dam of Aguada Blanca, Salinas Lake, and Arequipa city.
In a clear summer day, you even can see the pacific ocean far deep, we see the perfect conic shade of the El Misti volcano, the most fascinating at this point is the enormous crater of the volcano.
The climb is challenging, but worthy, it is very easy to slide down, to the crater, which is comprised mostly of sand and the ash which cushions your steps and allows you to stop easily when you need to; after some time at this point, is time to pack up our tents, and start descending, after a nice downhill walk we arrive to the start point and take our transport back to Arequipa, arriving at around 16:00 hours.
(Trek Difficulty: Moderate. Estimated walking time: 8 – 9 hours. Maximum altitude point: 5,822 m “summit of the volcano”).
Day 01: Arequipa – Aguada Blanca National Reserve – Monte Blanco. Our personnel meet you at 09:00 hours in your hotel, then we left the city, our route is by a completely different section, we drive by Cabrerias which is by the slopes of the impressive mount Chachani (6,080m) then we cross the Aguada Blanca Bridge and finally our van drops you off at 4,100m altitude.
From here we start our trekking to misti, the climb is quiet and scenic, we pass beautiful ash dunes, at a distance we see snow covered mounts and of course animal running at a distance, we arrive to an elevation of 4,750m at monte blanco and we’ll set up our tents.
From the start point to the camp it is about 3 to 4 hours of climbing, the camp is located at the east face of Misti volcano looking over the Aguada Blanca dam. We have dinner which is cooked by our guide and we go to bed early.
(Trek Difficulty: Challenge. Maximum altitude point: 4750m).
Day 2: Monte Blanco – Misti Summit – Arequipa. After an early breakfast before sunrise, as we are on the East side, we will observe the most beautiful sunrise of the region (impossible in misti volcano trek option 1) then we walk from the East face to the North face, we climb up enjoying the landscape and the mountains surrounding, after 5 hours, we will reach the summit at 09:00 hours.
Here we can appreciate the spectacular view of the crater and the “big metal cross” (5m in height) at the top, and we will be here for approx. 30 minutes to appreciate the amazing view from the top of El Misti. From here, we are able to appreciate the complete volcanic mountains.
From South to North in the following order, Ubinas volcano (smoking in the last 3 years), Pichu Pichu, Chachani, Ampato, and Coropuna (we do not see Sabancaya and Walka Walka, because these volcanoes are hidden in back of Chachani) After this great experience we start descending, we may have the sensation of sliding down because of the loose sand and ash, making it a very enjoyable experience.
After arriving to our base camp, we pick up our tents and return in our private transport, arriving approximately at 2 pm at Arequipa. We will bring you at your hotel where our fantastic tour ends.
(Trek Difficulty: Gentle. Estimated walking time: 6 hours. Maximum altitude point: (5,822m) “Misti Volcano”).
If you need more info regarding this program, contact us!
