Cordillera Blanca treks

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Cordillera Blanca

The Huayhuash Circuit

• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Distance: 20-108km
• Duration: Two to 12 days
• Maximum elevation: 5,000-5,200m, depending on the route
• Start/end point: Pacllón to Llámac

The trails around the Huayhuash range go by shimmering turquoise lakes, glaciers, high mountain passes and all have expansive views of more glaciers and summits over 6,000m. You may see condors, vizcacha (a kind of chinchilla) and vicuña, the wild cousin of the llama. As the campgrounds are all maintained by local communities, this is a great place to meet Andeans who speak Quechua and maintain their traditional culture and lifestyle.

The Huayhuash Circuit is a challenging multi-day trek which can be adapted for routes as short as two days and as long as twelve days. The Cordillera Huayhuash was made famous by Joe Simpson’s 1988 book Touching the Void, which recounts his nearly fatal climb up Siula Grande (6,344m) with Simon Yates in 1985.

The treks are not nearly as dangerous as attempting to summit the peaks but they are all at high altitude, between 3,300m and 5,200m. All trekkers should check on current conditions with the Casa de Guías in Huaraz before setting out. You can get free maps that are quite basic or purchase detailed topographical maps. There is an extensive network of trails around the Huayhuash Range, which makes it easily adaptable for almost any length of trek. A simple overnight is usually at Laguna Soltera Cocha and the full twelve days is a circle around the entire mountain range.

If you book with an agency, they will provide transportation from Huaraz to the trailhead at Quisipata, near the town of Chiquián. From Quisipata you can hike to either Llámac or Pacllón. If you are hiking alone, enquire about transportation at the Casa de Guías in Huaraz. If you are coming directly from Lima you may start in Cajatambo, but that is not advisable unless you are already acclimated to the high altitude.

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Cordillera Blanca

Alpamayo trek

• Difficulty: Challenging
• Duration: Eight to 12 days
• Distance: 80km
• Max elevation: 4,750m
• Start/end point: Hualcayán to Cashapampa

The Alpamayo Trek takes hikers to the base of Alpamayo (5,947m), considered one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. You will trek by numerous glacial lakes and have fabulous views of some of the most famous peaks: Alpamayo (5,947m), Santa Cruz (6,259m) and Pucajirca (6,050m). Even though this is a popular trek, you will see more wildlife than people, especially condors, vizcachas and vicuñas.

The trek can take between eight and 12 days, depending on the route. The shortest route is to start in Cashapampa, closest to the foot of Alpamayo, then exit at the end of the Santa Cruz trek to Vaquería. The full loop starts in Hualcayán and finishes in Cashapampa, though you can also do the trail in reverse. Either way, you’ll go to the town of Caraz from Huaraz to access the trailhead.

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Cordillera Blanca

Cójup trek

• Difficulty: Challenging
• Duration: Three days
• Distance: 32km
• Max elevation: 5,050
• Start/end point: Pítec

The Cójup trek is a shorter loop than most Huaraz area treks and a great way to acclimate if you are building up for a longer trek. You’ll walk by the glacial lakes of Tullpacocha, Cuchillacocha and Palcacocha. From the Huapi pass (5,050m) you will have views of five peaks over 6,000m, including Palcaraju (6,274m).

All guiding companies in Huaraz offer this trek and will include transportation from Huaraz. If you are going without a guide, check at the Casa de Guías for maps and trail conditions. Vans to Pítec depart from the corner of Avenida Las Americas and Avenida Agustín Gamarra in Huaraz.

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Cordillera Blanca

Olleros-Chavín trek

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Duration: Three days
• Distance: 37km
• Max elevation: 4,700m
• Start/end point: Olleros/Chavín
  

This is the best trek for people interested in pre-Inca cultures and archeology. It follows a pre-Inca trail used to travel between the Callejón de Huaylas and the Conchucos Valley. When you arrive in Chavín, you should visit the Chavín de Huántar archeological site, which dates from 1200BCE.

This trek is one of the easiest in the Cordillera Blanca and a great option for training for a longer trek or a summit climb. The overall altitude is lower than other treks and the trail does not have the steep sections that characterise the region.

The Olleros Trek is not a loop like most Huaraz region treks. The trail begins in Olleros, a half hour drive east of Huaraz and ends in the town of Chavín. If you do this trek with an agency, they will provide transportation from Huaraz. If you go on your own, there is public transportation available from Huaraz to Olleros and from Chavín back to Huaraz. You can hire llamas to carry your camping gear, which is preferable to mules because llamas’ small feet do not damage the pre-Inca trail.

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Huaraz

Qhapac Ñan trek

• Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
• Distance: Various routes, typically around 60 km (37 miles)
• Duration: Five to seven days
• Accommodation: Camping
• Start/end point: Huanuco Pampa

Not really a single trek, Qhapac Ñan ("Beautiful Road" in Quechua) is the name for the 25,000 mile road network that stitched the Inca Empire together from Colombia in the north to Chile in the south.

Only recently discovered (by the tourism industry at least – locals have always known about it), pioneering travel companies are now developing sections of the Qhapac Ñan into commercial treks. This is a truly frontier travel experience, and one that can contribute directly to the preservation of a fascinating but criminally overlooked historical artefact.

Most of the action is centred around the central region near Huaraz, but various routes stretch a long way both up and down the Andes.