In reply to Will Legon: Hi Will, I went walking round this circuit a couple of years ago, and its absolutely gobsmacking. I forget the names of all the places, but i think you start at Tinqui? It was really easy to get a lift on a truck from a town near cusco over a long tortuous rough road to tinqui (about 8 hours). When i got there i think it would have have been really easy to sort out a Burro. Had a few offers, but decided to go on me tod. Camped just outside Tinqui on the first night without any bother. The first big pass was helped a bit by a passing bloke giving me a ride on one of his horses all the way over, and i camped round the other side in the most stunning valley. Think it took me 3 days to walk round and back over, and spent the last night at a little place about 2 hours short of tinqui. Camped next to a tiny place, where the folk were very welcoming and plied me with beer, and showed me to the hot spring. Again cant remember the family name, except they had a young kid called Romario. I gave them my map. The whole circuit was just amazing, with a couple of easy peaks you can scramble up easily from the top of passes. Think the highest was about 5300 metres, and overlooked the chaotic glacier on the flank of Ausungate. One wordof warning though;the dogs! you pass a few pretty lonely spots where chaps seem to live by themselves looking after their lama herds. They have dogs, which seem to be bred to be pretty fierce defenders, and will run from a long way away to chase you off. Carry a couple of decent size rocks in your pocket, and lob them at them, that seems t get rid of them. None of them actually went for me but they're vicious buggers, but definitely scared of rocks.
Enjoy, its amazing
