Which Trek do I choose in the Cordillera Blanca / Huayhuash??
Tis’ the season to plan your next adventure (at least for those of you dreaming of a trip to Peru’s Cordillera Blanca), but with so many classic climbs and treks available, how to choose and how to know that what you’ve decided upon is actually right for you??
Here’s is part 2 of this blog, comparing the most popular trekking routes & itineraries in the Huaraz area to help you begin to narrow things down. As always, more information is only an email away (info@skyline-adventures.com) or for those of you who enjoy surfing the web, our blog-site is full of highlighted trips, literal praises for the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash, Huascaran National Park insights, and more – if you’ve got the time, read and enjoy!
Trip Length: 18 days Lima to Lima / 11 nights in a tent
Difficulty: Moderate – 1 high pass per day
Prerequisites: None. Participants do not need previous experience trekking or camping as our guides will teach techniques for staying healthy, clean, comfortable, and most importantly, enjoying every minute of the adventure! We recommend a level of fitness which supports walking 10 km a day with a light pack – the better shape one is in, the more they will be able to appreciate the amazing scenery of this part of the world!
Highlights: The Huayhuash (pronounced why-wash) mountain range is one of the more remote and spectacular areas accessed from Huaraz. The trek circumnavigates a skinny strip of mountains, taking hikers to the very foot of enormous peaks like Yurupaja, Jirishaca, and Siula Grande – the setting for a popular climbing film, Touching the Void. The highpoint of the walk is 5000 meters in the Cuyoc pass where you’ll actually be able to touch a glacier. Each day of the trek offers breathtaking views, friendly encounters with local people living along the way, and the opportunity to breath fresh mountain air on your path to re-connecting with the natural world.
Trip Length: 11 days Lima to Lima / 5 nights in a tent
Difficulty: Easy to moderate – 2 high passes in total
Prerequisites: None. Participants do not need previous experience trekking or camping as our guides will teach techniques for staying healthy, clean, comfortable, and most importantly, enjoying every minute of the adventure! We recommend a level of fitness which supports walking 10 km a day with a light pack – the better shape one is in, the more they will be able to appreciate the amazing scenery of this part of the world!
Highlights: The Santa Cruz valley is probably the most visited place in all of the Cordillera Blanca. Both trekkers and climbers from around the world come to experience its beauty and seek out an adventure. The trek can be done in 4 or 6 days, depending upon your final destination; we recommend the extended hike which allows passage through the Ulta Valley, a beautiful and much less-traveled area offering one additional high and stunning pass. The popular Alpamayo basecamp is located just off the main trekking route and is often explored as a side-trip during the hike. The highpoint of the trek is 4850 meters in the Yanayacu pass.
Los Cedros (the Alpamayo Circuit):
Trip Length: 15 days Lima to Lima / 9 night in a tent
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult – 1 or 2 high passes per day
Prerequisites: None. Participants do not need previous experience trekking or camping as our guides will teach techniques for staying healthy, clean, comfortable, and most importantly, enjoying every minute of the adventure! We recommend a level of fitness which supports walking 10 km a day with a light pack – the better shape one is in, the more they will be able to appreciate the amazing scenery of this part of the world!
Highlights: The Los Cedros trek is the least visited and perhaps the most gorgeous walking route in the Cordillera Blanca. The hike is less-popular for reasons of time and difficulty and in some ways this is the very secret to its greatness. Camps are not crowded as they are in the other areas and the people who live along the way are thrilled to stop and chat, organize a game of football (soccer), or simply smile as you pass by their homes. A rest day is typically built in along the way to visit the view of Alpamayo which gave the mountain its title “most beautiful in the world”. A lovely hike for those with the time and energy to devote to their adventure.
While these three routes are the most popular, within the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Huayhaush exist unlimited opportunities to hike, camp, and explore. The treks described above are all donkey-friendly, meaning you won’t carry more than your necessities for the day (water, sunscreen, camera) and your camp will include extravagancies like an eating tent with tables and chairs, gourmet and balanced meals with fresh veggies, meat, and sometimes recently caught fish from one of the many lakes, room sleeping tents, comfortable air mattresses, a bathroom tent, and more. For information on these or any other hiking options in the area, please feel very free to get in touch or to peruse our page of treks here: www.skyline-adventures.com/guidedtreks.asp
