13-day Cordillera Huayhuash Trek from Lima

First, we will pick you up from your hotel in Lima around 7 am and drive in a private vehicle for 2 and a half hours towards Huaura along the PanAmerican highway. Then, we will turn to the east side by the huge sugar cane plantations and start driving along the Rio Huaura pass, Sayan village and into the Churin valley. We will arrive in Churin at around noon, check into the hotel, enjoy lunch and spend a free afternoon in Churin to enjoy the Hotsprings that contain sulfur, magnesium, and sodium chloride which is excellent for the lungs and respiratory illnesses. In the evening, dinner and overnight at a hotel in Churin 2258masl.

Early morning breakfast at the hotel and drive up along the Rio de Oyon by a narrow valley and rocky mountains. Upon arrival at Oyon province, we will appreciate beautiful landscapes and stop for a fast coffee, or some hot drinks. Then, we will continue a few meters up and arrive at Laguna Surasaca where the donkeys will be waiting. We will arrive at Surasaca at 10 am and then start hiking along the lake. We will catch the first mountain views of Leon Huacana, the Siete Caballeros group of mountains that belong to Nevado Raura, and go by the gate of Portachuelo de Viconga pass at 4500masl. Lunch after the pass facing the wonderful mountains, then we will continue hiking down to the Viconga Hotsprings campsite at 4200m, dinner and overnight.

We’ll enjoy a moderate ascent to the highest pass of our whole trip, but going-up will take us approximately 3 hours. After we get there, we will go-down the Guanacpatay valley to have lunch at a beautiful field full of grass. After a few more hours of hiking, we’ll find our camping place in the peaceful Valley of Guanacpatay at 4150 masl
9.3 miles (15 km), 8-9 hrs of trekking, camp at 13.615ft (4150m), Meals: B/L/D

After the typical breakfast, we will start climbing to Santa Rosa Pass at 5200 masl which will take us around 2 hours. Enjoy the beautiful views of the Siula Mountains, where the film “Touching the Void” was made. Start hiking along the valley down to Huayllapa where a small isolated peasant village lies at 3490 masl. The small Andean shops will provide us soft drinks, beers, and first house necessities. We will arrive at around 6 pm for dinner, go shopping around the village, then dinner and Overnight in Huayllapa 3490m, 11.2 mi. (18 km), 7-8 hrs of trekking, camp at 11,520 ft (3490 m), Meals: B/L/D.

This time we’ll have about 5 hours to go-up to the Tapush pass at 4800 masl. After getting there, we will walk down an easy trail for about two hours, we will arrive at the campsite in the late afternoon, overnight at 4417 masl, 7.5 mi (12 km), 5-6 hrs of trekking, camp at 14,578 ft (4417 m), Meals: B/L/D.

After breakfast, we’ll start our trek up to the Yaucha Pass at 4800 masl. We’ll rest and take pictures and after 2 hours we’ll continue going down along the Huacrish ravine for approx three or four hours. Suddenly we’ll be surprised by a beautiful panoramic landscape. The Jahuacocha lake is at the base of the Jirishanca, Yerupaja, and Rondoy mountains and is a beautiful green color lake that lies at 4066 masl. We will set up camp and enjoy the spectacular avalanches coming down from the base of the  Jirishanca mountains. Next to our campsite, we’ll find a typical Mountain hut for sheepherders; and the owner, Mr. Delao Huaranga, will receive us and may offer us cold beer and soda water. He will provide additional information about his lifestyle in the mountain as Mr. Delao Huaranga lives with a lot of sheep. Overnight in Jahuacocha at 4050 masl
4.8 mi (7.8 km), 4-5 hrs of trekking, camp at 13,365 ft (4050 m), Meals: B/L/D

After camping in Juacocha, we will start hiking-up along the lake Jauacocha to Solterococha, for about one hour and a half, and start hiking-up to the Sambunya pass. As we go up, we will appreciate the nicest views of the mountains and the lakes. It will take us about 3 hours to get to the Sambunya Pass at 4800masl. A wonderful view of the mountains that we can stop to enjoy if there is no wind. If it is windy, we will immediately start going-down along the Rondoy small valley, hike for about 3 hours and get the Camp Site of Cuartelhuain, dinner and overnight at 4200 masl.

In the morning after breakfast, we’ll get our things ready and at 8 am we’ll start our trek. Climbing to the pass will take us about 2 to 3 hours. From there, we’ll go down then we’ll go up approx 30 minutes and we’ll have lunch after the short climb. We’ll take the alternative trail to get back early to the campsite and catch sight of the Andean rabbits called Vizcachas. Once we have arrived at our camping place, we’ll have time to go fishing around the lake while our cook prepares dinner. We will camp at 4170 masl.

After breakfast and packing our things, we’ll start our trekking at 8 am. After 3 hours of walking, we’ll reach the pass where we’ll have lunch. We’ll enjoy views of white peaked mountains such as Yerupaja, Jirishanca, and Siula, and arrive at our camp place at approx 3 or 4 pm. We’ll be surprised by a beautiful lake, with the mountain’s green silhouettes behind, so we will set up camp in this special place facing the lake. We will camp at 4150 masl
8.7 miles (14km), 5-6hrs of trekking, camp at 13,695 ft (4150m), Meals: B/L/D.

At 8 am after breakfast, we will start and easy-going trek after the rest day before. After going-up approx for one hour, we’ll get to the nicest three different color Siula Lakes, then we will arrive at the Siula Pass at 4850masl, after the pass, there are scenic places to have lunch next to the Carnicero lakes, from there a few kilometers down, we’ll arrive at our camping place at 4350 masl.
8.6 miles (13.8 km), 8 hrs of trekking, camp at 14,355 ft (4350 m), Meals: B/L/D

After breakfast, we’ll continue our trek. It will be easy going-up to the Portachuelo de Huayhuash Pass. From there, we’ll go down to the campsite at Viconga to have lunch, and after, we will go to the hot springs at a 20 minutes walk down from the campsite. Those who don’t want to go to the hot springs will have a free afternoon and rest. The campsite will be at 4390 masl.
6.8 miles (11 km), 5-6 hrs of trekking, camp at 14,480 ft (4390m), Meals: B/L/D.

Early in the morning, we will start hiking up to Portachueo Viconga, passing closer to the lake of Viconga, after two hours of walking, we will get to the Portachuelo pass at 4500masl, then we will continue walking down for one hour and arrive at lake Surasaca, then walk along the Lake for another two hours more and arrive to the bottom of the lake at around midday. After, we will take a private minibus down by the nicest route, pass by the lake Rumbrococha, pass by the typical Quiches village, by Cashaucro at 3500masl and arrive at Oyon for a short break. We will take pictures and visit the plaza de Armas before continuing down the valley to Churin, a district full of Hotsprings. Lunch in a restaurant and accommodation in the hotel. After enjoying the hot springs, we will have dinner in a restaurant and overnight at Hotel in Churin at 2258masl.

Breakfast at Hotel around 7 am, then one hour to return to the hot springs or rest. We will depart Churin at 9 am, drive by a narrow valley under rocky walls. Then we will leave a huge area of sugar Cane farming fields. On the way, local vendors offer tourists fruits from the farm. arrive at Huacho around 1 pm for Lunch in a recommended restaurant in the PanAmerican highway to Lima, then after lunch drive to Lima to the Hotel, Airport or Bus Station arriving around 6 pm.