Ausangate

Summit of Ausangate

The Ausangate (also Ausangate, Quechua: Awsanqati ) is at an altitude of 6,384 m, the fourth highest mountain in Peru. It is located southeast of Cusco, on the western edge of the Cordillera Vilcanota. His first climbed in 1953 by the Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, after Matthias Rebitsch was a year ago failed.

In addition to the ascent of the mountain there is also the possibility of a ( about 5 days ) circumnavigation. This results in about 4 passes ( about 5,000 m) and offers a beautiful view of glaciers and mountain lakes.

Religious significance

Every year, the multi-day festival Quyllur Rit'i ( "Snow Star Festival " ) is celebrated on the north side of Ausangate shortly before the Corpus Christi festival. Thousands of people, the majority of indigenous people, a pilgrimage with their families in the snowy heights of the Church of Sinakara and bring the image of the " Lord of Quyllur Rit'i ", a famous for its miraculous powers crucifix, and the Apu Ausangate and other mountain deities sacrifices, to secure the potato crop and livestock income range for the coming year. The pilgrims celebrate fairs, sacrifice candles, pray and leave their wishes in a kind of game symbolically are already a reality by building, for example, miniature houses, purchase a counterfeit degree or large sums of money can give play money and therefore buy some toy cars, dolls furniture or things like that or their bank debt to repay. Besides organizing various groups of costumed dancers traditional parades and ceremonies.

The Ukukus called, "Bear " or "guards" who wear wool masks and torn clothing, care in the warehouse for order and pull on the penultimate day in a dangerous walk up to the sanctuary on the glacier, where they spend the night. The return of the Ukukus the pilgrims camp on the last day at sunrise represents the culmination of the festival dar. Traditionally bring the guards pieces of ice which they have teed off from the glacier, and distribute them among the faithful ( which however has been banned in recent years by the Church, allegedly because the glacier is melting due to climate change ). The ice is used as a healing water to disease. The procession in which Ukukus come regularly to death (which is interpreted by many as a manifestation of the mountain of God and good omen ), is a renewal of the covenant with the mountain god. Traditional and Christian Tradition mixes.