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Length: 8 days
Grade: Moderate. Up to 6-8 hours physical activity each day. Some exposure to heights
Pre-trek Briefing: The guide will meet you the day before departure at 4.30pm at 777 Bello Horizonte Passage, Huaraz to do a full gear check and finalize last minute details.
Start: 9:00am Huaraz
Finish: Huaraz
Departs: April to September
Join a scheduled departure or book a private or custom trip with dates to suit you.
This short circuit takes us through the finest views and most beautiful campsites of the Cordillera Huayhuash circuit. We spend a night camping on the expansive open pampa of Huanuco Pampa and visiting the Inca Ruins of Huanuco Viejo. Huanuco Viejo was an important Inca settlement and was a major stopover point on the Inca route that runs from Cuzco through the north of Peru.
You are picked up at your accommodation and begin the journey with a spectacular scenic drive along the Callejon de Huaylas Valley to our camp at the Inca ruins of Huanuco Viejo 3700m. There are opportunities for photo stops along the way. We spend the afternoon exploring the Inca ruins. 6 hours drive.
Drive to Queropalca 3830m which is the starting point of the trek, passing through the villages of Santa Rosa, Jesus, Banos. From Queropalca we start ascending gently to our camp at the beautiful Laguna Carhuacocha 4150m with magnificent views of Nevados Jirishanca, Yerupaja and Siula Mountains. 4 hours walk.
We stay another night at Carhuacocha to enjoy the mountain views. We take a day hike up to the base of Yerupaja and Siula Grande where there are 3 mountain lakes. Sometimes we see avalanches coming off the glaciers into the lakes. 4 hours walk.
A steady ascent on a good trail to cross our first pass Paso Carhuac 4630m and then descend to our next camp at another large lake – Laguna Mitucocha 4250m. 5 hours walk. From our camp we have close views of the big peaks Ronday, Jirishanca, Ninashanca
In the morning we cross Cacananpunta 4690m and descend to Quebrada Cuncush valley with wide expanses of rolling grassy hills and camp at Matacancha 4100m. 6 to 7 hours.
We ascend towards Paso Rondoy Punta 4750m pass from here there are awesome panorama of the big mountains of the Cordillera Huayhuash with Yerupaja dominating the skyline. We then descend to our camp at the beautiful Laguna Jahuacocha 4050m lake passing Laguna Solterococha. 7 – 8 hours walk.
We stay an extra day at Laguna Jahuacocha. We can take a day hike up to Yaucha pass 4850m to have views of the other side of the Cordillera Huayhuash Range.
We descend the valley before ascending to our final pass Paso Pampa Llamac 4300m from where we have our last close views of the Huayhuash range. We then descend to Llamac where our vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Huaraz. 5 hours walk and 4 hours drive.
Grading & Fitness
Grade: Moderate
Most people who enjoy a weekend in the hills or mountains at home are capable of undertaking a trek at this level: you need to be in good health and reasonably fit, and you will almost certainly be taking regular exercise. Walking at higher altitude and the occasional longer or more difficult day may be involved, but generally conditions underfoot will be fair. A walking day would normally be between 5 to 7 hours, and no experience is necessary.
Acclimatization
We highly recommend that you arrive in Huaraz at least 2 days before the trek departs and spend time doing day hikes to higher altitude, this will help with acclimatization to the new altitude. We can help organise day hikes for you.
Our Service
We offer full service trekking holidays, which basically means we do the work and you walk. We provide full support so all you have to carry is a daypack with whatever you require for that day's walk. Our staff will also erect and take down the tents, cook, wash up and even supply bed tea in the morning. This allows you plenty of free time to relax or explore your surroundings as you wish.
Guides & Safety
The mountain guides are qualified through the Peruvian Mountain Guides Association. The AGMP are affiliated to the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association – UIAGM/IFMGA who governs mountain guiding worldwide. All have strong first-aid skills and a wealth of local experience on the routes guided.
