Santa Cruz Trek Tour

Arrive in Huarez and check into your guesthouse. Enjoy exploring Huarez 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 optional acclimatization tour you can book takes you out to some of the most beautiful hikes around Huarez.

You can also arrange bus travel from Lima to Huarez in the booking process.

Meet your transfer vehicle at your hotel for a 3.5 hour transfer to Cashapampa (2,900 m / 9,514 ft), a town just outside Huascarán National Park. The village of Cashapampa is the starting point for your Cordillera Blanca trek. A horseman and pack animals will meet you there, and after you have transferred your luggage, you will start the hike. Enjoy the trail as it wanders through native trees of the Andes in the Santa Cruz Valley. After about 4 hours of hiking, you will reach the Llamacorral campsite (3,760 m / 12,335 ft) which is your home for the night.

After breakfast, continue your trek along the trail through the Santa Cruz Valley. Along the way, you will see beautiful lakes including Ichiq Cocha (“small lake”) and Hatun Cocha (“big lake”). You will also enjoy a spectacular view of snow-capped peaks as you hike through the Cordillera Blanca, surrounded by native Andean flora. Continue hiking for about 5 hours until you reach tonight’s campsite at Taullipampa (4,200 m / 13,780 ft).

Climb to new heights today! After breakfast, hike for about 3 hours up to the Punta Union Pass (4,750 m / 15,584 ft), which is one of the highest points on this tour. From this overlook, you can see a fantastic Cordillera Blanca vista, including the Taulliraju, Rinrihirka, and Paria peaks. Rest, take pictures and enjoy the view before continuing the trek for about 3 hours down to the campsite in the Huaripampa Valley (3,850 m / 12,631 ft).

Today is a wonderful day as you get to experience Andean village life. Begin today with a 2.5 hour hike down to Colcabamba (3,300 m / 10,826 ft) and visit the village of Huaripampa along the way. Continue walking through the Keshu Valley where you will visit the Quechua village of Chalhua. In Chalhua, you have the opportunity to meet with local residents, see their farms, and watch them perform daily activities. Keep your camera ready for this unique experience! Then, continue hiking for about 3 hours until you reach Molinopampa (3,600 m / 11,811 ft) where you will set camp for the night.

Today’s hike is about 5 hours of climbing from Molinopampa up to Avalancha (4,500 m / 14,763 ft). The trail leads you through grasslands and fields of crops grown by the local people of the Keshu Valley. Throughout the hike, you will have inspiring vistas of the Contrahierbas mountains before you. When you reach Avalancha, at the base of the Contrahierbas mountains, you will stop to camp for the night.

Get an early start on this last day of your Cordillera Blanca trekking tour. First, you have a 3.5 hour trek that takes you up to Yanayacu Pass (4,830 m / 15,846 ft) which is the highest point of your tour. From this overlook, take in the breathtaking sight of snow-capped peaks, including Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Contrahierbas, and Ulta. Pause to rest and take pictures of this viewpoint before continuing with a 3-hour hike down into the Ulta Valley (4,300 m / 14,107 ft). Here, a car will be waiting to take you back to Huaraz, with a stop in the traditional village of Shilla along the way.

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