Mama Simona

Overview

This mountain has the shape of a woman and is located in front of the Sacsayhuamán Sanctuary, halfway to the Ccorca district. Apu, according to the Quechua language dictionary, is the spirit of the mountains or snow. In the case of Cusco, the gods or guardians of the city are Apu Salkantay, Apu Pachatusan, Apu Ausangate, Apu Wanakauri, Apu Senqa and Apu Mama Simona. Almost all the apus represent the male part, but it represents the female part: the Apu Mama Simona, which is located northwest of Cusco in an area that is in front of the Saqsayhuaman Sanctuary, located on the edge of the ravine between the Killke and Piqchu area.

That is, the Apu Mama Simona is located in the Ccorca district.

  Where does the name Mama Simona come from to a hill and tutelary spirit in Cusco?

According to Dr. Ángel Avendaño Farfán, writer and renowned researcher in social sciences, there are two popular versions that may have some truth. One, that Simona was the name of a hacienda in this jurisdiction whose owner was called that; and the other, that Simona was the name of a sorceress who set up her farm in these lands. Regarding the name of Mama Simona, this Cusco scholar offers an interesting interpretation, which establishes that since all apus are male, the need to have a complementary female element to create life, generating an identity, is generated in the collective imagination.

Mama Simona has a very special characteristic to the other apus, since the male hills have peaks and bushes, rough and rustic, while Mama Simona has soft lines similar to the bust of a woman.

Hike To Apu Mama Simona

The route to Mama Simona Mountain includes approximately two kilometers of walking along a trail that leads to the top of this mountain. It is walked from the community of Quiswarchanka in the Ccorca district. The summit of the Mama Simona apu is 4,300 m high, has soft lines and resembles the bust of a woman. The path to reach the top is calm, along the way we connect with nature, with the wind, with the sun, with the animals. From the top you can see the Vilcabamba Mountain Range and the Urubamba Mountain Range. We do a meditation at the top and an offering to Pachamama.

• Departure: 8:00 hrs.
• Degree of Difficulty: Medium high
• Altitude: 4,300 meters above sea level (14,207 feet)
• Walking time: 3 hours
• Travel time to hike location: