Cajas National Park · Walking route

Cajas Route 6: Burines Valley

From Cucheros through the Burines valley to Caballo Shayana.

Mapped distance: 6.06 km
Walking time: 5 h 50ETAPA estimate for the full route
Difficulty: High
Average altitude: 3,981 m

The route

This route crosses high páramo and meets the Inca road in Burines before returning toward the road at Caballo Shayana.

Relief map of Ruta 6 · Al Encuentro con el Valle de Burines — Map: © OpenStreetMap · Relief: Copernicus

Elevation profile

≈ 3,877–4,085 m

Total gain: ≈ 430 m
Total loss: ≈ 320 m

In the direction shown below. Walking in reverse swaps gain and loss.

4,100 m3,850 m

0 km3.0 km6.1 km

Approximate terrain elevation · Copernicus GLO-30

If returning along the same path

12.12 km · gain ≈ 760 m · loss ≈ 760 m

These totals include walking the highlighted path both ways. For a crossing, arrange onward travel from the end.

By car, allow time to get back to your parking place. By bus, plan your finishing stop and the last service before setting out.

Highlight this route on the map

Mapped OSM path: 6.1 km. Map sources and distance differences

Laguna CucherosStart
Valle de Burines
Camino del Inka
Caballo ShayanaEnd

Before you walk

Register at the control
Ask which way the route is marked that day, and stay on it.
Start early
No walk may start or continue after 16:00.
Dress for cold and rain
Warm waterproof layers, good shoes, water and food. The weather changes fast at this altitude.
Stay out of the lakes
Swimming and wading are not allowed.

Getting there: Start in the Cucheros area. Plan your walk back or transport from the finish before setting out. Transport and registration

The other Cajas routes

Route 1
Nature and Human History
Lakes, woodland and a historic road on one loop.
5.5 km · Moderate
Route 2
Cerro San Luis Summit
Short and steep, to a summit above 4,000 m.
2.6 km · High
Route 3
Quinuas Valley
A full day of páramo and lakes.
7.9 km · Moderate
Route 4
Historic Paths
From Tres Cruces past Larga and Togllacocha.
3.6 km · Moderate
Route 5
Avilahuaycu Summit
A summit climb, returning the same way.
1.8 km · High
Route 7
Inca Road and Great Lakes
Luspa, Burines and Mamamag on a long crossing.
15 km · High
Route 8
Gran Osohuaycu
From Luspa through Osohuaycu to Burines.
12.4 km · High
Route 9
García Moreno Road
A walk along the historic García Moreno road.
1.6 km · Moderate

Compare all nine routes →

Plan your visit

Sources

Path and distance from OpenStreetMap, checked 16 October 2026. Route name, difficulty, average altitude and estimated walking time from ETAPA; its published distance may differ.

The two OSM paths named Ruta 6 connect Cucheros and Caballo Shayana through the Burines valley. They share a real junction with Routes 7 and 8. ETAPA lists 6.36 km.

OSM paths checked 16 October 2026. The 2012 ETAPA guide covers Routes 1–6.

Elevation profiles use Copernicus GLO-30 terrain, approximately 31 m resolution, sampled every 50 m or less and smoothed over three samples. Gain and loss sum the changes within each section and are rounded to 10 m. Disconnected sections remain separate; gaps add no distance or elevation change.

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