Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit Trek

Arrive in Huaraz and check into your guesthouse. Enjoy exploring Huaraz on foot as you get used to the altitude. If you are coming from a lower elevation, it is strongly recommended to spend 2-3 days acclimatizing to the altitude, and you can book a 3-day acclimatization tour during the booking process, or you can plan your acclimatization before the trip on your own. The option acclimatization tour you can book takes you out to some of the most beautiful hikes around Huaraz. You can also arrange bus travel from Lima to Huaraz in the booking process.

A private van will pick you up in the hotel in Huaraz at 8:30 AM and take you to Cuartelwain (4,150 m / 13,615 ft). The drive takes about 5 hours plus a lunch stop along the way. At Cuartelwain, set camp and make dinner. Get a great night’s rest to prepare for the first hiking day!

After breakfast, the trekking starts as you undertake the complete Huayhuash Circuit. Start with a 3-hour hike up to Qaganan Pass (4,700 m / 15,420 ft). Enjoy the view as you rest and eat lunch. From there, you will descend down the eastern side of Cordillera Huayhuash. After 2 more hours of hiking, you will reach the shores of Mitucocha Lake (4,250 m / 13,944 ft), where you will eat dinner and camp for the night beside the impressive Hirishanca and Rondoy mountains.

This morning on the Huayhuash Circuit Trek begins with a climb up to the Carhuac Pass (4,650 m / 15,256 ft). The hike takes about 2.5 hours and promises beautiful views of the Yerupaja Chico, Yerupaja, and Siula mountains. It is a perfect place to rest and eat lunch. From here, another 2 hours of hiking brings you to the shores of Carhuacocha Lake (4,150 m / 13,615 ft). This stunning location is where you will camp and enjoy your dinner tonight.

Get an early start today as you hike up to the Siula Pass (4,800 m / 15,748 ft). The trail begins along the shores of Carhuacocha Lake, where you have just spent the night, and passes three more lakes along the way: Qanrajancacocha, Siulacocha and Quesillococha. The hike to Siula Pass takes about 4 hours, with spectacular views of the Hirishanca chico, Yerupaja and Siula mountains visible the whole time. The Siula Pass offers a panoramic view of an array of snow-covered peaks, Siula Mountain in particular, and it is the perfect place to rest, eat lunch, and take photographs. The trail then continues down again for about 3 hours to a well-earned dinner and night of rest at the Huayhuash campsite (4,300 m / 14,108 ft).

Today on your trek on the Huayhuash Circuit you will climb for about 2 hours up to the Portachuelo Pass (4,750 m / 15,584 ft). This pass forms the boundary between two different mountain chains, the Cordillera Huayhuash and the Cordillera Raura, and offers spectacular views of both chains. The trail then descends through fields of Peruvian feathergrass (jarava ichu), which only grows at elevations above 4,000m (13,123 ft) in the Andes mountains. You may even spot some llamas and alpacas that feed on these grasses. Continue hiking past beautiful Viconga Lake until reaching the campsite for the night, which is located near the hot springs (4,400 m / 14,436 ft). The hike from the Portachuelo Pass to the campsite takes about 2 hours.

Today’s Cordillera Huayhuash hiking takes you to new heights! Climb 600 m in about 3 hours, up to the Cuyoc Pass (5,000 m / 16,404 ft) between Cuyoc Mountain and Pumarinri Mountain. The highest pass on this tour, the Cuyoc Pass offers amazing views of Cordillera Raura, as well as a section of the Cordillera Huayhuash. The trail then leads back down into the Guanacpatay Valley (4,400 m / 14, 436 ft), and the hike to your campsite there from the Cuyoc Pass only takes about 1.5 hours.

After breakfast, a 2.5 hour hike brings you to the spectacular San Antonio Mirador (lookout) point (4,850 m / 15,912 ft). From this overlook, you will enjoy clear views of five different mountains - Carnicero, Jurao, Siula Grande and Yerupaja – as well as two mountain lakes – Jurao and Siulacocha. Rest here and take plenty of pictures before hiking another 2 hours down into the Cutatambo Valley (4,250 m / 13,944 ft) to camp for the night.

After several days of demanding trekking on the Huayhuash Circuit, today you can either take a well-deserved rest day or go on a marvelous trek to the Siula Grande glacier base camp. This well-known mountain was the scene of the dramatic survival story of Joe Simpson, told in the book “Touching the Void,” and the film of the same name. The hike to Sarapococha Lake (4,550 m / 14,928 ft) and the glacier takes about 2.5 hours. Take time to walk around the lake and take pictures of the glacier before returning to the Cutatambo campsite by the same trail.

Today, the Huayhuash Circuit trail descends along the Huayllapa River through a beautiful valley filled with native trees and shrubs. After hiking for about 3.5 hours, you’ll reach the Huayllapa Village (3,600 m / 11,811 ft) where you can treat yourself to soft drinks or beer before camping nearby for the night.

Leave the valley today and hike back up into the mountains to the Tapush Pass (4,850 m / 15,912 ft). The hike from Huayllapa Village to the Tapush Pass takes about 3.5 hours of steep climbing, but your efforts will be rewarded with views of the Cordillera Blanca and Tuco Mountain. Stop to rest and enjoy the view before hiking down for about 2 hours to reach Qashpapampa (4,500 m / 14,764 ft). This area is often used as a base camp for climbing the Diablo Mudo Mountain.

Have your camera ready for a day full of breathtaking vistas on the Huayhuash Circuit! After breakfast, a 2.5 hour hike will bring you to the Yahucha Pass (4,750 m / 15,584 ft), which offers spectacular views of Cordillera Huayhuash’s western side. You can clearly see at least 6 different snow-capped peaks, including Ninashanca, Hirishanca, Yerupaja Chico, Yerupaja, and Rasac. Yerupaja (6,634 m / 21,765 ft) is the second-highest peak in Peru after Huascaran (6,768 m / 22,205 ft). Rest and take plenty of pictures while at the Yahucha Pass. Continue hiking about 2.5 hours through the Huacrish Valley until you reach Jahuacocha Lake (4,070 m / 13,353 ft). Enjoy your dinner and a good night’s rest here on the shores of Jahuacocha Lake against a stunning mountain backdrop.

On the final day of this circuit tour, hike for 3 hours up to Pampa Llamac Pass (4,300 m / 14,108 ft). From this lookout, get one last, up-close view of the Cordillera Huayhuash mountain chain. After pausing to rest, hike down for about 2 hours to Llamac Village (3,300 m / 10,827 ft). In Llamac Village, you will meet up with a car waiting to take you back to Huaraz City and your hotel.

Today you’ll depart Huaraz. Many guests take a bus back to Lima, though some stay on to complete another trek in the Huayhuash.