PERU TREKKING
Trekking Santa Cruz
Maximum altitude: Punta Union Pass 4,750 m.
Duration: 4 days / 3 nights.
Location: Cordillera Blanca.
Difficulty: Easy
Best Season: April – October.
Distance: 50 km
Santa Cruz Vaquería trek is considered one of the most beautiful treks in the Cordillera Blanca due to its exceptional beauty. This path takes us through extraordinary view landscapes such as; Huascaran the highest mountain in Peru, Huandoy peaks, Yanapaccha, Pisco, Chacraraju, and Chopicalqui mountains. You can appreciate the view of Alpamayo Mountain which is considered one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, the Artesonraju mountain the Paramount peak, Rinrihirca, Taulliraju peaks, and the beautiful lakes.
DAY 01: HUARAZ – YUNGAY – LLANGANUCO LAKES – PORTACHUELO PASS (4,768 M.), VAQUERIA – PARIA (3,810 M.)
After breakfast at your hotel, we board the private transport to drive along the Callejon de Huaylas, which is on the north side of Huaraz city. We pass through different towns like Carhuaz 2,650 m, Yungay which was buried by an avalanche that fell from the Huascaran north peak in 1970, from the New Yungay at 2,500 m. we get to the Llanganuco valley, where we reach the Huascaran National Park office, where we get our entrance fee, then we continue driving along the valley where we will appreciate two lakes, Chinancocha and Orconcocha after that, we continue driving up till Portachuelo Pass 4,760 m. where we will have a spectacular view of different peaks such as Huascarán, Chopicalqui, Pisco, Huandoys, Chacraraju, and other ones. Later, we start driving down to Vaqueria village where the donkey drivers w/ their donkeys will be waiting for us in order to start trekking, we walk up about 4-5 hours to reach Paria the first camp of the trek.
DAY 02: PARIA – PUNTA UNION PAS – TAULLIPAMPA (4,750 M. – 4,250 M.)
After breakfast in the campsite, we start going up to Punta Union 4,750 m. the highest point of the trek during the trail we can appreciate the wild flora and fauna. This trail is an ancient one it was widely used in pre-Columbian and colonial time as a trail for transporting goods from the eastern side of the Andes to the main valley. When we arrive to the highpoint we can enjoy the view of Santa Cruz peaks, Taulliraju, Rinrihircas, Artesonraju and Paria Mountains. At the botton of Taulliraju mountain there is a beautiful lake with the same name, we have lunch in a nice viewpoint then we go down more to reach Taullipampa, we spend the night there.
DAY 03: TAULLIPAMPA – ALPAMAYO VIEWPOINT– ARHUAYCOCHA – JATUNCOCHA, LLAMACORRAL (4,250 M. – 3,760 M.)
After breakfast in the camp, we start going up for one hour to the Alpamayo viewpoint then, we will continue along the path that takes us to the Alpamayo base camp after taking some photos we reach Arhuaycocha lake 4,420 m. it has a spectacular view of Rinrihirca, Jancarurish, Alpamayo, Quitaraju, Artesonraju, Caraz, Aguja, Garcilaso and Paria mountains. Then we take the same trail to return to Alpamayo viewpoint once we get there, we go down along Santa Cruz valley, we arrive at Jatuncocha lake where we have lunch and enjoy the view of wild birds after that, we walk down toward the last camp Llamacorral camp where we spend the night.
DAY 04: LLAMACORRAL – CASHAPAMPA – HUARAZ (3,760 M. – 2,970 M.)
On the last day at the Huascaran National Park, after having our breakfast, we walk down to Cashapampa village, it takes 3 hours to reach it. There will wait for us a private transport to transfer us to Huaraz.
