This vivacious mountain is entirely natural. It is composed of 14 different colored minerals that give it a rainbow-like appearance. Vinicunca, also known as Montaa de Siete Colores, is part of Peru’s distinctive natural topography.
It is located near Cusco in the Peruvian Andes at an elevation of 17,100 feet. Every day, hundreds of tourists visit the mountain to see this multicolored geological wonder, which has quickly become one of Peru’s must-see attractions.
Hikers and tourists who wish to visit Vinicunca must move about five miles square trip. The environment is as awe inspiring as the high point itself, so the journey is well valuable it.
But even so, since high altitudes can be taxing on the body, the climb necessitates significant fitness and acclimatization prior to embarking on it.
Moreover, local Peruvian societies consider Vinicunca and its surroundings as sacred land, and tourists are required to act politely in accordance with regional traditions.
Based on the Cultural Landscape Office of Cusco’s Decentralization, the bold colours of Vinicunca are due to its mineral content.
The red and pink tints are caused by red clay, while the whitish hues are caused by crystal, sandstone, and marls.
The earthy brown and yellow colors are caused by fanglomerate and sulfurous sandstones, while the green and turquoise colors are caused by phyllites and ferromagnesian-rich clays.
But how did this magnificent mountain come to be?
During the Tertiary and Quaternary periods, huge water crowds stripped away and transferred minerals in old soils.
During geomorphological periods of time, these minerals piled on top of one another, resulting in various colored strata ordered according to the weight of each mineral.
These vibrant geologic hierarchies were concealed for a long period of time, shielded by the snow of the Peruvian Andes glacier. The glaciers, however, have melted as a due to climate change, uncovering Vinicunca’s geographical charm.
So, while it’s fantastic that we can trek to Rainbow Mountain and admire it in all of its greatness, we must keep in mind why we can now do so and what changes are occurring on our planet as a consequence of global warming.
This amazing place is also home to a variety of fascinating native animals. The famous llamas and alpacas can be found all over this remote region of the Peruvian Andes.
There are also skunks, deer, foxes, tapirs, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. The puma, Andean condor, and even the world’s largest bear, the spectacled bear, and etc.
Vinicunca’s height is much more and over half that of Mount Everest, so weather can be unpredictable, with temperatures regularly dropping below zero.
Nonetheless, in less than an hour, the weather near Rainbow Mountain can change from blistering sun to rain or even snow.
Despite this, concerns are growing about whether the city’s finding and the massive number of hikers make a contribution to the ruination of the previously unspoiled terrain.
While tourism in the Vinicunca area contributes approximately 400,000 dollars to the city’s economy each year, worrisome adjustments have already happened: a wetland that once housed trying to migrate ducks was eliminated to make path for a visitor parking area, and the 5-mile-long climbing trail has been severely damaged by human contact.
Despite community concerns, mining companies took the step to conduct metallic mining in the Cusco region.
