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Cordillera Huayhuash Trek

Three hikers on the Cordillera Huayhuash Trek in front of a green lake.
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Cordillera Huayhuash Trek

Intermediate 16 Days Peru
Peru’s Cordillera Huayhuash is a captivating trek at sustained high altitude. Trekking in Peru with Alpenglow Expeditions means you are led by our professional guides while taking advantage of our longtime relationship with our local logistics team to create a seamless experience.
Jun 08, 2024 – Jun 23, 2024
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Illuminated tents at night with a sky full of stars during the Cordillera Huayhuash Trek

One of the most beautiful multi-day treks on the planet.

The Cordillera Huayhuash is a spectacular mountain range, with sharp, towering peaks looming high above the trekking trails. This 11-day trek is led by a certified mountain guide and is complete with porters so that you can focus on taking in the views rather than carrying a heavy pack.

FITNESS

Trekkers must be in excellent physical shape to join this expedition. Regular, challenging exercise for many months in advance of departure is the only way to gain the necessary level of fitness that is needed on big peaks. Trekking in the Cordillera Huayhuash is a large physical undertaking, and those who are joining our teams should have at least a general understanding of what it takes to train for an expedition like this. For a personalized training schedule, please reach out to our in-house trainer: lynette@alpenglowexpeditions.com.

TECHNICAL

No prior technical experience required.

ALTITUDE

No prior altitude experience required.
Mountain views on the trail of the Cordillera Huayhuash Trek

Cordillera Huayhuash Trek Itinerary

Three hikers on the Cordillera Huayhuash Trek with stunning peaks on the mountain
Day 1
Arrival

Arrive in Lima in the afternoon or evening. We’ll stay one night in Lima in case of delayed flights, etc.

Day 2
Head to Huaraz

Drive to Huaraz (8 hours) where we base out of Olaza’s Guest House, a small but beautiful hotel (10,000’ / 3,050m).

Day 3
Acclimatize in Huaraz

Organize and acclimatize in Huaraz. Generally speaking, we can spend this day exploring the beautiful city of Huaraz. This not only gets our legs moving, but really gets our acclimatization process jumpstarted.

Day 4
Acclimatize in Huaraz

A second day in Huaraz is spent mountain biking on local trails to continue acclimatization. At the end of two full days in Huaraz, we should be ready to make our drive to the village of Llamac.

Day 5
Drive to Llamac and Begin Trek

Drive (4-5 hours) to Llamac (11,152’/3,400m) before beginning our trek. In Llamac, we’ll meet the backbone of our guide(s) and burro team. From here, we’ll cast off towards Cuartelhuain (13,615’/4,150m) following the Quero River. Our total trekking time today will be 5-6 hours.

Day 6
Trek to Lake Mitucocha

Today, we tackle our first challenging pass, the Cacananpunta Pass (15,419’/4,700m). We ascend over a 4-5 hour period to the pass which lies on the Andean Continental Divide. Throughout the day, we’ll have views of Ninashanca (18,395’/5,607m) and Rondoy (19,258’/5,870m). From the pass, we’ll descend for 1-2 hours to our campsite on the shores of Lake Mitucocha (14,107’/4,300m).

 

Day 7
Trek to Carhuacocha

Our biggest day of trekking yet – we climb over a second pass called Carhuac Pass (15,255’/4,650m) before dropping into another beautiful valley. Our camp for the night lies on the shores of Laguna Carhuacocha (13,615’/4,150m). Today’s total trekking time should be about 6-7 hours.

Day 8
Rest Day

Rest Day in Laguna Carhuacocha. We take this day to enjoy our location deep in the wilderness. For those feeling energized, we can go on an exploration hike in the area.

Day 9
Trek to Huayhuash Village

We leave Laguna Carhuacocha and hit our third pass before ending our day in the beautiful village of Huayhuash (14,107’’/4,300m). The Carnicero Pass will be challenging at 15,583’/4,750m, and will once again provide impressive views of the mountains surrounding it. Total walking time today is 6-7 hours.

Day 10
Trek to Laguna Viconga

An early start has us leaving the tranquil village and heading towards Lake Viconga (14,419’/4,395m). Our fourth pass of the trek is Portachuelco Pass (15,583’/4,750m) and provides more great views to remote peaks in the Cordillera Raura. We end the day by soaking in the hot springs of Laguna Viconga. Total trekking time today is 5-6 hours.

Day 11
Trek to Rinconada

Today we cross our highest pass as we move towards camp in Rinconada. The Cuyoc Pass (16,404’/5,000m) will be difficult, but rewarding. We continue our trek by descending from the pass towards Rinconada where we set up camp for the night. Total trekking time today is 4-5 hours.

Day 12
Walk to Huayllay

Today is a much needed easy day of walking through the valley towards the village of Huayllay. From there we ascend a gradual slope up a narrow valley to reach Huatiac (14,107’/4,300m). Total trekking time is 4-5 hours.

Day 13
Trek to Gashgapampa

Another day, another pass. We leave Huatian in the morning to move towards Tapush Pass (15,748’/4,800m). From there we descend to Gashgapampa (14,763’/4,500m) where we set up camp. Trekking time is 3-4 hours.

Day 14
Trek to Laguna Jahuacocha

From Gashgapampa we head toward Laguna Jahuacocha (13,615’/4,150m) and climb one of our last passes of the trip, Yahucha Pass (15,584’/4,750m). From this pass we will have spectacular views of high peaks, including Yerupaja (the second highest peak in Peru). Trekking time is 4-5 hours.

Day 15
Trek to Llamac, Drive to Huaraz

Waking up on the shores of Laguna Jahuacocha, we are now on our last day of trekking. One final pass stands between us and the finish: Pampa Llamac Pass (14,108’/4,300m). After enjoying our last views of the Cordillera Huayhuash, it is time to bring our trek to a close. A couple more hours will bring us out of the mountains, to the small village of Llamac. From here, we will travel by vehicle back to Huaraz.

Day 16
Leave for Lima

We depart from Huaraz back to Lima to catch our flights (after 11pm). Say goodbye to your team and head home!

Cordillera Huayhuash Trek Trip Packet

Our Cordillera Huayhuash Trek Guides

Get to know who you might be trekking the Huayhuash circuit with.

Cordillera Huayhuash Trek Questions

Below are some answers to commonly asked questions about trekking the Huayhuash
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