El Misti is a volcano in the south of Peru in the immediate vicinity of the city of Arequipa. In the ancient Inca language Quechua that is still spoken in parts of Peru, El Misti means "the gentleman". The scenic beauty is located close to Arequipa city, the second largest city in the country, in a fertile valley. The volcano dominates the cityscape with its prominent shape and is therefore considered a landmark of Arequipa. Arequipa was nicknamed "The White City" due to the fact that most of the city's colonial buildings were constructed from El Misti's white volcanic stone (sillar). With an altitude of 5.822 m, El Misti not is not only a great model for impressive pictures, but also provides a perfect opportunity for trekking.
Transfer from your hotel and leave the city of Arequipa at 8:00am. An hour later we reach the starting point of the trek, around 3,400masl. From here we walk to 4,800masl over about 5 hours. At this point we make camp. During the walk we will have a box lunch, and observe the change in landscape due to the altitude, as well as panoramic views over Arequipa. The guide will prepare dinner, before an early night.
At 3am we have breakfast before we ascend to the top of El Misti Volcano. This is another 5 hours of ascent, and after passing the crater we reach the top at 5,825masl, where there is a cross. From here we can see the extinct crater, along with the neighbouring volcanos, Chachani and Pichupichu. We stay here for around 30 minutes before descending to the camp. After packing up our equipment we return to the start point and return to Arequipa around 16:30.
The exact program is subject to change, due to weather and other unexpected circumstances.