TOURS & TREKS IN HUARAZ

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Huaraz is usually visited for its surrounding mountain ranges and the world class outdoor activities they offer rather than the city having many attractions itself.

Located in northern Peru at an altitude of about 3000 meters, it is the capital of the Huaraz Province of the same name and is home to about 120,000 residents.

It is a convenient stopover for those travelling north from Lima to Ecuador (or vice versa) and whilst the city itself isn’t the most attractive the vista of snow capped mountains that surround the city makes up for this.

Huaraz has a different vibe to many other parts of Peru and is a perfectly pleasant place to visit and relax for a few days. Overall it has a sleepy pace and feels more traditional with a mostly indigenous Quechua population.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1.Top Attractions in & Around Huaraz
• 2.The Huayhuash Trek
• 3.Other Treks & Day Trips
• 4.Huaraz City Info

Top Attractions in & Around Huaraz

The most popular activities are Trekking and Climbing with the nearby stunning Cordillera Blanca & Cordillera Huayhuash mountain ranges hosting some epic adventures. The highest mountain in Peru , the 6768m Huascaran is part of the Cordillera Blanca range and can be seen from the city.

The area was made even more famous by the book , later made into a movie, Touching the Void based on the real life exploits of climber Joe Simpson and his battle for survival on the mountain Siula Grande, situated in the Huayhuash range.

For trekking enthusiasts, the 10 to 12 day Huayhuash circuit is main attraction but there are other popular multi day treks that are shorter that are well worth it.

There are also day treks and activities that will get you out of the city and into the mountains so if your short on time you can still enjoy the area.

In the city itself there aren’t a huge amount of attractions but some worth taking a look at are :

• Plaza de Armas  - as per every other city built by the Spanish, there is a central square in Huaraz. It is a large space with well-kept flowerbeds and feels contrastingly clean to the rest of the city.  On one side is the Cathedral that is slowly being constructed and to the east great views of the mountains.
• Archeology Museum – close to the plaza is this small museum that offers some interesting displays of artifacts from the Ancash region including stone sculptures and some mummies. Don’t forget to explore the nice garden behind as it contains some of the sculptures.
• Wilcahuain Ruins – This small but interesting pre-Incan site has some very preserved stone work and is constructed in a different style to that of the Incas. You can take a taxi or a nice way of acclimatizing to walk there as it takes about 1.5 hours each way. Check locally about the safety of walking there though as there have been some robberies in the past.
• Callejon de Conchucos & Chacas  - for those who like to explore off the beaten track places with few tourists then a visit to this area, a few hours’ drive outside of Huaraz, might interest you. The City of Chacas has some wonderful colonial architecture and on the way, you pass through the worlds highest tunnel at 5000 meters.

The Huayhuash Trek

Huaraz is the trekking and climbing center of Peru and offers some of the best treks in the world.

The cream of the crop is the world famous Huayhuash trek that has a couple of variations, but the standard routes are generally considered to be 10 to 12 days.

Many would say that it is the best alpine trek in the world and it provides the visitor with incredible mountain scenery unsurpassed elsewhere on the continent

The 11 to 12 day route covers about 120km of trails with altitudes ranging from about 3500 meters up to over 5000 meters. Most days involve trekking over a high pass of around 4500 to 5000 meters so good acclimatization is essential.

Throughout the trek you will see incredible mountain scenery and there are also some stunning glacial lake views.

Get an idea of the views you will see with this short video:

TYPICAL HUAYHAUSH ITINERARY

A typical 11 day itinerary including  travel and a rest day might be as follows :

DAY 1 – Huaraz (3050m) – Quartelhuain (4150m) (travel by road)

DAY 2 – Quartelhuain – Cacanan Punta-Pass (4.700 m) – Mitucocha (Trekking Distance 10km)

DAY 3 – Mitucocha – Punta Carhuac pass (4,650 m) – Carhuacocha (Trekking Distance 12km)

DAY 4 – Optional rest day

DAY 5 – Carhuacocha – Siula Pass (4,830 m) – Huayhuash (Huayhuash village) (Trekking Distance 15km)

DAY 6 – Huayhuash – Portachuelo Pass (4,795 m) – Lake Viconga (Trekking Distance 11km)

DAY 7 – Viconga – Punta Cuyoc (5,000 m, the highest point of the trek) – Huanacpatay (Trekking Distance 10km)

DAY 8 – Huanacpatay – San Antonio Pass – Huayllapa – Huatia (Trekking Distance 18km)

DAY 9 – Huatia – Punta Tapush (4.750 m) – Susucocha – Cashpapampa (Trekking Distance 9km)

DAY 10 – Cashpapampa – Jahuacocha (optional: ascent of Diablo Mudo, 5,350 m, see below) (Trekking Distance 11km )

DAY 11 – Jahuacocha – Llamac – Huaraz (Trekking Distance 8km)

Peak trekking season for the Huayhuash runs from May through to September as this is dry season. Outside of these months it can be possible but also weather conditions can make areas inaccesible.

In the mountains weather can change quickly so you need to make sure you are well prepared for all conditions especially for such a long trek as it is impossible to know before departure what the conditions will be like in the latter stages.

Other Treks & Day Trips

• The Santa Cruz Trek – this is the next most popular trek in the area and being just 4 days it is suitable for those with less time. Still in the Cordillera Blanca area it goes up to a maximum altitude of 4750m when you go over the Punto Union pass.
  See full details of our Santa Cruz Trek Tour
• Laguna 69 -  an extremely popular day trip from Huaraz involves an early start around 5am for the 3 hours drive out to the trek start point. Just a few hours walking up to the pristine Laguna 69 lagoon makes this a relatively easy trek but at 4600 meters it still means you need to be a least a bit acclimatized.
  See full details of our Laguna 69 Trek
• Llanganuco Lagoons – for those that want to experience the mountain views and explore a bit of the surrounding area of the Callejón de Huaylas this day trip is by bus and involves not strenuous walking.
  See full details of our Llanganuco Lagoons Tour
  
• Pastori Glacier – this 8km wide , 4km long glacier at an altitude of 5250m is sadly receding year on year due to global warming. It offers a good chance to visit a glacier up close with only around 1 hours hiking required. There are also some ice caves nearby.
  See full details of our Pastori Glacier Tour
  

Huaraz City Info

Being a city, albeit a small one, Huaraz has most things that you will need or at least the basics.

There are a number of small cafes and restaurants, some focused on the tourist and climbers/trekkers.

For accommodation there are plenty of hostels, small hotels and there are also AirBnb apartment rentals available. There are less options for higher end accommodations but there are some like the Boutique San Sebastian hotel.

There are doctors, dentists and a hospital but for serious treatment you would likely have to travel to Lima (or it would be best to if possible).

Huaraz is a good place to pick up some souvenirs as the traditional hats and jumpers you see for sale in Cusco are cheaper here for the exact same things.

If you’re here for trekking or climbing there are plenty of places where you can rent equipment such as tents, sleeping bags and mattresses. It is also possible to rent some technical climbing equipment, but quality will vary greatly to be careful.

ALTITUDE

You should be aware that Huaraz is located at an altitude of 3052 meters so it is not uncommon to feel the effects upon arrival particulary if you are coming from Lima or another sea level place.

You should plan to take it easy and acclimitise for at least a couple of days before taking on anything strenuous like a trek. If you are planning on climbing some peaks you should take at 4 or 5 days to adjust.

To help acclimitise it is best to keep well hydrated, eat regular but light meals and refrain from drinking too much alcohol or ingesting lots of sugar. If your feeling bad then drinking coca tea can help with effects and basic headache medication can be taken for relief.

Whilst you need to make sure you dont over exhert yourself you should not just spend your time just lieing around as a bit of movement, casually walking around for example, can help you adjust.

Once your beginning to adjust then taking some day trips or going on a day trek or two can be good preperation should you be planning to do a longer trek or climb.

If you feel especially bad or after 3 or 4 days your not adjusting then it might be best to consult with a doctor. Sometimes the best solution is to simply to go to lower altitudes. It is not recommended to try to push yourself to "get through it" if your feeling bad as you will likely feel worse and altitue sickness can become a serious condition.

TRANSPORT

There are buses leaving for and arriving from Lima several times per day and the journey takes about 8 or 9 hours.

Several companies operate services from Lima to Huaraz such as Cruz del Sur , Civa and MovilTours

Heading north you can take buses to Trujillo (about 9 hours) and from there onto Tumbes for travel onto Ecuador.