13 Days/12 Nights Season: May to November Difficulty: Moderate
Huayhuash Circuit Trek: The Huayhuash trek route involves a circular route of 120 km around the mighty Huayhuash mountain range with several peaks above 6,000 m. The highest point in the trek, Yerupajá (6,617 m), is the second highest mountain in Peru, while another peak, Siula Grande (6,344 m), achieved notoriety as the setting for Joe Simson’s gruelling ordeal in his book Touching the Void. The Huayhuash Circuit trekking trails are less visited than the popular trekking trails of Cordillera Blanca, but the Huayhuash mountain range offers a challenging trek in a remote and sparsely inhabited part of the Andes where few trekkers venture.
Overview: Huayhuash Circuit trek around the Cordillera Huayhuash takes around 10 or 11 days to complete. There are several possible routes and the circuit can be tackled in either direction, but all Huayhuash Circuit treks include the same major features. As the trek progresses, participants need to dig deep into their reserves of endurance to conquer numerous high passes but are rewarded by the sight of magnificent, remote mountain vistas, including views of Yerupajá and Siula Grande, along the way. This is one of the toughest treks out of Huaraz that requires no technical mountaineering skills but the exquisite scenery along the way sets it apart from other challenging treks in Peru. The knowledge of having conquered such a demanding trek is ample recompense for the exertion required to reach the end.
Many guiding books: They say that Huayhuash trekking is the most beautiful in all of America (and the second best trekking in the world).
Day 1: Huaraz - Chiquián - Llamac
Day 2: Llamac (3,600 masl) - Pocpa - Cuartelhuain (4,300 masl)
Day 3: Cuartelhuain - Cacanan Pass (4,700 masl) - Mitucocha
Day 4: Mitucocha - Carhuac Pass (4,500 masl) - Carhuacocha
Day 5: Carhuacocha - Siula Pass (4,850 masl) - Huayhuash
Day 6: Huayhuash - Portachuelo Pass - Viconga
Day 7: Viconga - Punta Cuyoc Pass (4,900 masl) - Elefantepampa (4,250 masl)
Day 8: Elefantepampa - San Antonio Pass - Cutatambo (4,400 masl)
Day 9: Rest day in Cutatambo - Day hikes to surrounding glacial lakes
Day 10: Cutatambo - Huayllapa - Huatiac (4,400 masl)
Day 11: Huatiac - Yaucha Pass (4,800 masl) - Casgapampa (4,625 masl)
Day 12: Casgapampa (4,625 masl) - Yaucha Pass (4,800 masl) - Jahuacocha (4,100 masl)
Day 13: Jahuacocha - Llamac - Huaraz
Day 1: Huaraz - Chiquián - Llamac
After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will meet your group at 7:00am and you will head south of Huaraz toward the Huayhuash Mountain Range. During the drive, you will pass through the rural towns of Recuay, Ticapampa and Catac before reaching Lake Conococha (4,100 masl), the headwaters of the Santa River. You will then head east to the town of Chiquián (3,400 masl) before heading further into the mountains to the remote community of Llamac. During the drive you will have great views of several peaks of the Huayhuash, such as Ninashanca, Jirishanca and Yerupaja. You will arrive at Llamac (3,300 masl) around 12:00pm where we will eat lunch and campout for the night.
Day 2: Llamac (3,600 masl) - Pocpa - Cuartelwayin (4,300 masl)
After breakfast in Llamac, we will begin our trek at 9:00am, passing through the rural village of Pocpa before we reach our second campsite at Cuartelwayin around 2:00pm. From here, we’ll have a spectacular, up-close view of Ninashanca Mountain to the south.
Day 3: Cuartelwayin - Cacanan Pass (4,700 masl) - Mitucocha
After breakfast, we will head out from camp at 9:00am towards Cacanan Pass (4,700 masl). As we make our ascent, we’ll be surrounded by excellent vistas of Chaupijanca and Cunchus. From the pass, we will descend for approximately 2.5 hours until we reach our campsite at Mitucocha (4,200 masl), where we’ll take in views of Ninashaca, Jarishinca and Rondoy mountains.
Day 4: Mitucocha - Carhuac Pass (4,500 masl) - Carhuacocha
Departing camp at 9:00am, we will head southeast for approximately 3 hours until we reach Carhuac Pass (4,500 masl). From the pass, we will descend for 1.5 hours, finally arriving at our campsite, Lake Carhuaccocha (4,250 masl). From camp, we’ll be surrounded by views of Jirishanca, Yerupaja and Siula.
Day 5: Carhuacocha - Siula Pass (4,850 masl) - Huayhuash
Today we will leave camp at 8:30am with a short 30-minute descent down to Lake Carhuacocha. From the lake, we begin a 4-hour ascent towards Siula Pass (4,850 masl). At the pass, we’ll be greeted by peaks such as Jirishanca, Yerupaja, Siula and Carnicero. We will descend for 2.5 hours down into the Huayhuash Valley where we will make camp at 4,300 masl. This site will offer an excellent view of Mount Trapecio.
Day 6: Huayhuash - Portachuelo Pass - Viconga
We will start hiking at 8:00am, beginning with a 1-hour ascent to Puertacuelo Pass (4,750 masl). Once at the pass, we’ll take in views of Trapecio, Cuyoc and a hand-full of other snow-capped peaks before we begin our 4-hour descent into Viconga, finally making camp at Lake Jatuncocha (4,100 masl). In the evening we’ll have a chance to soak in the hot water of natural thermal springs near our campsite!
Day 7: Viconga - Punta Cuyoc Pass (4,900 masl) - Elefantepampa (4,250 masl)
After breakfast we’ll begin our ascent to Cuyoc Pass (4,900 masl) the highest pass of the circuit. From Punta Cuyoc we’ll have the chance to observe the peaks Puscanturpa, Cuyoc and the Pumarinri glacier. Later, we’ll make a 2.5-hour decent to Elefantepampa (4,250 masl) where we’ll make camp and watch the sunset behind Mount Cuyoc.
Day 8: Elefantepampa - San Antonio Pass - Cutatambo (4,400 masl)
Our day begins with a 2-hour climb to San Antonio Pass (4,900 masl). From the pass we will have great views of the glacial lakes of Siula, Sarapo and Jurau. We will then descend into the Sarapo Valley, the site of British Climber Joe Simpson’s historic mountaineering accident that inspired the novel and film, “Touching the Void”. We will set up camp at Cutatambo (4,400 masl) in the Sarapo Valley, break for lunch and then take a hike to the three glacial lakes we saw from the pass.
Day 9: Rest day in Cutatambo - Day hikes to surrounding glacial lakes
Enjoy a slow morning and relaxing breakfast! Today we rest in Cutatambo, so feel free to sleep-in and take it easy. Alternatively, you may opt to come along for a day hike to explore one of the many nearby glacial lakes such as Sarapo, Jurau and Santa Rosa. Lunch will be served in camp.
Day 10: Cutatambo - Huayllapa - Huatiac (4,400 masl)
After breakfast we will hike down along the Huayllapa River for 4 hours until we reach the rural community of Huayllapa. Here we’ll have the chance to learn about life in a rural, highland context. You may also buy candy, beer or soda from some of the local shops. From Huayllapa, we will begin an ascent to our next campsite at Huatiac (4,400 masl) and should arrive around 4:00pm.
Day 11: Huatiac - Yaucha Pass (4,800 masl) - Casgapampa (4,625 masl)
Our day will begin with a 3-hour ascent towards Tapush Pass (4,800 masl) where we will have an excellent view of the snow-capped peak, Diablo Mudo. We will make a steady descent until reaching our campsite at Cascapampa (4,625 masl).
Day 12: Casgapampa (4,625 masl) - Yaucha Pass (4,800 masl) - Jahuacocha (4,100 masl)
After breakfast we will hike towards Yaucha Pass (4,800 masl) where we’ll see the peaks of Jirishanca, Ninashanca and Yerupaja. We will continue hiking for 2 hours until we reach our campsite at Lake Jahuacocha (4,100 masl).
ALTERNATIVE OPTION: Climb Diablo Mudo (5,350 masl). Breakfast will be served at 2:00am and we will depart camp no later than 3:00am to make our way to the summit. After summiting, we will descend to our campsite in Jahuacocha. Total hike/climb time: ~12 hours
Day 13: Jahuacocha - Llamac - Huaraz
Our final day on the trail, we will depart Lake Jahuacocha and hike 1 hour before we begin a 1.5-hour ascent to Pampallamac Pass (4,300 masl) and enjoy some of our last views of Siula, Yerupaja, Ninashanca and Diablo Mudo. From the pass we will hike 1.5 hours down to Llamac where transportation will be waiting to take our group back to Huaraz. The drive back to Huaraz will take 3 hours.
Included meals: B=breakfast; L=lunch; D=dinner
Season: May to November
Difficulty: Moderate
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