Climate: If planning to go trekking to Huaraz you should expect heavy rains from December to March and a well-defined dry season, with sunny days and temperatures reaching 25° C, while nights are cold.
Access: From the city of Huaraz, one can reach the towns of Carhuaz (32 km / 30 minutes), Yungay (39 km / 40 minutes) and Caraz (67 km / 50 minutes), all of them towns at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca range.
Services: Nearby towns provide a full range of services. In the area of the Llanganuco lakes there is a campsite with some services. Visitors should go warmly dressed; in the evening, the cold is intense and the winds pick up.
Huaraz is riddled with countless trekking circuits. However, some of them have become world-famous: the route of the Quebrada Santa Cruz gully is possibly the most popular of all. The trek sets out from Cashapampa and ends up in the gorge of Quebrada Llanganuco, at the edge of the emerald-green waters of the Llanganuco lakes. The hike takes four to six days. Other popular trekking circuits in Huaraz include the tour of Mount Alpamayo, a spectacular 12-day hike along the mountaintops; the Quebrada de los Cedros, a trail that gives visitors views of the mountains in the northern sector of the Huascarán National Park during a four-day hike; Llanganuco-Portachuelo, a simple, day-and-a-half trek; and Quebrada Quilcayhuanca, which is gently sloping and lasts for two-and-a-half days.
If willing to practice trekking in Peru you should consider these recommendations:
- Climbers should get information on the state of trails and the degree of difficulty of the climbing route. It is best to check with the local inhabitants in Huaraz.
- Bear in mind that local inhabitants have different notions of time and distance. The classic response "aquicito nomás" (just around the corner) can mean long hours of trekking up steep slopes.
- Do not pull up or cut live plants or light fires within highland forests.
- Do not move trail signposts.
- Do not hunt or fish during the dry season (trout fishing ban).
- Always inform local authorities, trekking or mountain climbing associations in the area of your entry into mountainous areas.
- Never go on climbs or treks unaccompanied.
- Always bring back litter. Leaving it on the mountainside can harm the fragile environment.
- Sunscreen is recommended, plus warm clothing. High altitude sickness known locally as soroche can set in at over 2,500 m.a.s.l. Take precautions by resting the first day, drink plenty of liquids and avoid heavy food and alcohol.
| Other Trekking in Peru Articles |
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Inca trail to Machu Picchu Trek - Cusco
Trekking in the Cordillera Blanca - Huaraz
Trekking in the Cordillera Huayhuash - Huaraz
Llama Trek Chavín to Olleros - Huaraz
Trekking in the Colca Valley - Arequipa
The Salkantay Loop - Cusco
Trekking beyond the mountains
