When it comes to traveling in Peru, people often immediately think of famous locations like Machu Picchu. However, there is another natural wonder in this country that adventure enthusiasts always dream of visiting at least once, which is Vinicunca Mountain, also known by its more poetic name, “Rainbow Mountain.”
Vinicunca stands at 4,876 meters above sea level, part of the Andes mountain range, located approximately 100 km southeast of Cusco, Peru. Unlike other rocky mountains or those covered by forests, this mountain offers a completely different sensation as it dons a “coat” of vibrant colors despite the absence of any trees in the vicinity.
Vinicunca Mountain with its colorful stripes creating a marvelous scene
Why Does Vinicunca Have Such Vibrant Colors?
Like other mountains, Vinicunca is essentially a natural rock formation. However, the climatic conditions and the differences in mineral composition in the soil have caused this mountain to develop its distinct colorful stripes.
The mountain is divided into 5 main color bands
According to geological experts, this mountain was covered by ice for a long time. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the melting of glaciers revealed the mountain’s multi-colored phenomenon.
The predominant colors that can be clearly seen on Vinicunca are pink, white, red, green, and yellow. Pink is a combination of red clay mixed with sand and mudstone, green comes from phyllite and magnesium clay, yellow is derived from sulfur-rich limestone, and finally, white comes from sandstone combined with carbonate-containing rocks.
The melting of ice has made the mountain unique as it is today
The Journey to Explore the Most Surreal “Rainbow” in the World
It is known that the Incas discovered this magnificent mountain quite some time ago. However, they had no intention of commercializing this wonder by promoting tourism. It wasn’t until about 5 years ago that Vinicunca began to gain more attention when mountaineering enthusiasts shared stunning and majestic images of this unique mountain on social media.
Tours to explore the mountain require visitors to be in good health to walk and climb over high hills
Despite its newfound fame, visiting the Rainbow Mountain is not an easy task, as it demands tourists to be in excellent health along with certain knowledge of climbing and survival, even with camel services now available.
To reach the mountain with its 7 color bands, visitors must undergo a rather challenging journey. Throughout the trip, while moving towards the mountain, tourists will have the opportunity to traverse hills, visit small towns, and explore the culture of the local communities.
Visitors can also explore the culture and characteristics of the locals when visiting Vinicunca
