06 Days/05 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 - Huanucopampa - Queropalca (3,800 masl)
Day 2: Queropalca - Lake Carhuacocha (4,250 masl)
Day 3: Carhuacocha (4,250 masl) - Carhuac Pass (4,650 masl) - Mitucocha (4,200 masl)
Day 4: Mitucocha (4,200 masl) - Cacanan Pass (4,700 masl) - Rondoy (4,300 masl)
Day 5: Rondoy (4,300 masl) - Sambunya Pass (4,750 masl) - Jahuacocha (4,100 masl)
Day 6: Jahuacocha (4,100 masl) - Pampallamac Pass (4,500 masl) - Llamac or Jahuapunta Pass (4650 m) or Pocpa village (3,600 masl) - Huaraz
Day 1: Huaraz - Huanucopampa - Queropalca (3,800 masl)
Your guide will meet your group at the hotel after breakfast and you will head out for Queropalca, passing through rural villages such as Recuay, Ticapampa and Catac along the way. You will continue south, arriving at Lake Conococha, the headwaters for the Santa River. From the lake, you will turn east heading into the Huayhuash Mountain Range and passing through communities such as Pachapaqui, Huansala and Huallanca, before finally arriving at the ruins of Huanucopampa. We will break for lunch here, allowing time to explore the ancient archeological site and will then continue to the rural village of Queropalca (3,800 masl), our first campsite. The total travel time today is approximately 7 hours.
Day 2: Queropalca - Lake Carhuacocha (4,250 masl)
We will begin hiking at 8:00am and will arrive at Lake Carhuacocha in approximately 5 hours. We will break for lunch and set up camp at the turquoise glacial lake where we’ll be able to take in stunning views of the snow-capped peaks of Yerupaja, Siula and Ninashanca.
Day 3: Carhuacocha (4,250 masl) - Carhuac Pass (4,650 masl) - Mitucocha (4,200 masl)
After breakfast at Carhuacocha, we will begin a 3-hour ascent towards Carhuac Pass (4,650 masl), where we’ll be greeted by up-close views of Ninashanca and Jirishanca. We’ll break for lunch at midday and continue descending for another 1.5 hours to Lake Mitucocha (4,200 masl) where we’ll setup camp for the night.
Day 4: Mitucocha (4,200 masl) - Cacanan Pass (4,700 masl) - Rondoy (4,300 masl)
We will leave camp at 8:00am and begin with a 3-hour climb towards Cacanan Pass (4,700 masl), allowing for a nice view of the southern side of Ninashanca. We will break for lunch at the pass and begin a 3-hour descent to our next campsite at Rondoy (4,300 masl).
Day 5: Rondoy (4,300 masl) - Sambunya Pass (4,750 masl) - Jahuacocha (4,100 masl)
After breakfast, we will head out at 8:30am for a 4.5-hour ascent to the Sambunya Pass (4,750 masl) where we’ll break for lunch and observe a panoramic view of surrounding peaks such as Jirishanca, Ninashanca, Yerupaja, Siula and Carnicero. We will then begin a 3-hour descent to our next campsite at Lake Jahuacocha (4,100 masl).
Day 6: Jahuacocha (4,100 masl) - Pampallamac Pass (4,500 masl) - Llamac (3,600 masl) or Jahuapunta Pass (4650 m) - Huaraz
Our last day on the trail, we will hike for 2.5 hours until reaching the final pass at Pampallamac (4,500 masl) where we can say goodbye to the gorgeous peaks that have accompanied us throughout the journey: Yerupaja, Ninashanca, Siula and Diablo Mudo. We will then begin a 1.5-hour descent into the rural community of Llamac where private transportation will be waiting to take our group back to Huaraz. Travel time from Llamac to Huaraz is approximately 3 hours.
Included meals: B=breakfast; L=lunch; D=dinner
Season: May to November
Difficulty: Moderate
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