Best time to hike the Ausangate Circuit
Best: May–September. Also good: April and October.
The Ausangate Circuit is 66 km long, in 5 stages. Below is the average weather for every month at about 4,539 m, the middle height of the trail (3,773–5,099 m), from 10 years of daily data (2015–2024).
Weather month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain mm | Rain days | Daylight h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11° | 0° | 110 | 23 | 12.9 |
| February | 11° | 0° | 188 | 23 | 12.6 |
| March | 11° | 0° | 101 | 20 | 12.2 |
| April | 11° | 0° | 65 | 12 | 11.8 |
| May | 10° | −1° | 16 | 4 | 11.5 |
| June | 10° | −2° | 11 | 3 | 11.3 |
| July | 11° | −2° | 16 | 2 | 11.4 |
| August | 11° | −2° | 9 | 2 | 11.7 |
| September | 11° | −1° | 17 | 6 | 12.0 |
| October | 12° | 0° | 64 | 12 | 12.4 |
| November | 12° | 0° | 92 | 15 | 12.8 |
| December | 11° | 0° | 150 | 22 | 12.9 |
Higher up it is colder: about 6 °C less for every 1,000 m of height. The highest point of the trail is 5,099 m.
Season notes from our guide
The dry season, May to September, is the main season, with clear mornings and stable weather. Nights are very cold: -10 °C or lower at camp in June and July, and water bottles freeze. April and October are quieter, with more cloud and the odd snow shower. From November to March it is the rainy season: daily rain and snow on the passes, slippery paths and fog. Snow can cover the passes in any month. Around late May or early June the Qoyllur Rit'i pilgrimage near Ocongate fills the buses from Cusco.
Stages, map, elevation profile, places to stay and emergency help, free.
Read the full Ausangate Circuit guideHike it with Outest
Offline maps, stages and places to stay on your phone.
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Weather: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), daily values 2015–2024 near -13.82, -71.20, adjusted to 4,539 m. Rain days: days with at least 1 mm. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.