Ausangate is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Vilcanota, towering in the southeast sky from the city of Cuzco. It is a long, rugged mountain, with two high peaks rising from its jagged summit crest. The lower peak rises just east of the high peak, and is separated by a small saddle. There is no easy route to the summit of Ausangate, and the normal route is a technical climb up the steep icefall of the south face.