Huayhuash Trek: Experience the Magic of the 8-Day Journey

Saying that the Huayhuash Trek was the highlight of our South America trip is an understatement. It is one of the best and most memorable hikes I’ve ever done. We almost ended up missing on it due to lack of time. Luckily, we managed to shorten some other parts of the trip in Peru to make it happen.

The Huayhuash Trek also marked the end of our adventure in South America. In just two months we visited the stunning regions of Lima, Cusco and Puno in Peru, before continuing our unforgettable trip to Bolivia and Chile. Later, after making our way up the Western Coast of Peru, we embarked on this incredible adventure through the Peruvian Andes.

Huaraz, known as the hiking capital of Peru, is located about 7 hours north of Lima and serves as the starting point for many treks. In fact, this city is very popular among climbers and mountain lovers and an absolute heaven for landscape enthusiasts. We arrived at the beginning of October, so the rainy season had just started. Luckily, during our stay it only drizzled a bit and all the treks remained accessible.

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Huayhuash Trek Itinerary Overview & Map

This incredible itinerary starts in Llamac and takes you for 8 days through the beautiful Andean mountains. You can opt for a longer trek version of 12 days as well. We personally find the 8-day trek the right balance of excitement and exhaustion.

The Huayhuash trek is about 120 km / 75 miles long and is considered a very challenging route. In my opinion though it is one of the most underrated treks in Peru and South America.

Huayhuash Trek or Santa Cruz?

Initially, we were uncertain which multi-day trek to choose, debating between the Santa Cruz and Huayhuash trek. Both are fantastic options! They are both multi-day treks but Huayhuash is ranked as more difficult. Also, these treks cover two different mountain ranges.

Ideally, if you have the time for it, you can first do the Santa Cruz and then the Huayhuash trek. This way you will know how your body handles high altitudes. This experience will also help you acclimate to multi-day hiking.

When doing our research everyone was quite unbiased about the two treks, until we spoke to Ivan from Huayhuash Expeditions. He confidently stated that Huayhuash was the best trek between the two. And we trusted fully his expertise! Admittedly, we were a bit intimidated by the challenge, especially since this was our first experience tackling a long trek at such high elevation.

To help you choose the trek that suits you best, I’ve summarized the key details below:

Huayhuash Trek:

• Duration: Trek of 8 or 12 days around Cordillera Huayhuash
• Elevation: Hike at altitudes above 4,000 m / 13,123 ft for most of the trek, surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains
• Popularity: Less touristy and more uncontaminated nature
• Scenery: Experience numerous lagoons and hike below the second highest mountain in Peru
• Physical Preparation: You need to be acclimatized and in good physical condition to handle an average of 6-8 hours of hiking every day

How to prepare for Huayhuash Trek: With a tour or independently?

Whether you decide to do the Huayhuash trek independently or with a tour depends on you. An experienced mountaineer we met, for example, wanted to do the trek on his own initially. He compared the expenses and planned the itinerary. At the end though he realized that doing the Huayhuash trek independently would be more expensive.

Our trek cost 1,500 Pesos (approx. 360 EUR / 400 USD) and included 3 meals a day, snacks, tents, sleeping bags, English tour, transportation and mules. Also, we had great company as well!

When organizing the trek independently, you need to get some entrance permissions beforehand, organize your transportation and food supplies. To reach the trailhead and return back to Huaraz you will need to arrange a collectivo, a local bus. Also, you will have to pay for your own mule to transport heavier equipment.

In our group everyone had quite a different pace. Nevertheless, we were always sticking together and waiting for each other. In many instances, faster hikers ended up adding one more stop to their day. On the other hand, the rest reached the campground, took some more pictures, and enjoyed the amazing scenery a bit longer. Maybe we’ve just been lucky, but we established a great atmosphere of laughter, support and team-work. We played cards after dinner, helped each other in times of need, learnt about our limits and respected our downtime.

Essential Packing List for the Huayhuash trek

Here are some must-have items I recommend for your trip:

• Hiking Shoes: Opt for sturdy shoes with ankle support.
• Hiking Sticks: Absolutely essential for stability and support!
• Sun Protection: Pack sun cream and lip balm to protect against UV rays.
• Water Filter: Essential for staying hydrated on the trail.
• Merino Wool Underlayer: Keeps you warm and dry at all times.
• Weatherproof Jacket: Bring a windproof and rainproof jacket.
• Neck Warmer: Perfect for added warmth, especially at night.
• Snacks: Bring plenty of snacks to keep your energy up.
• Wet Wipes: Essential for personal cleaning (yeah, no sight of a shower on the trek)
• Altitude Sickness Pills: Include these and a personal emergency bag for safety.

These items are just the essentials. Don’t forget to pack enough T-shirts, trousers, socks, and other clothing for the trek!

Best time to hike the Huayhuash Trek

The best time to hike the Huayhuash trek is the dry season, between May and September. But, we went at the beginning of October, when rainy season starts, and were blessed with amazing weather. It’s always best to have a plan if things go sideways. So, make sure you check the weather before the trip and have the right gear with you.

Huayhuash Trek in 8 Days

We decided to book with Huayhuash Expeditions. Luckily, a group was leaving for the Huayhuash trek just in 2 days and they still had some spots available.

Before setting out on the trek, we were a bit anxious about its length, the weather, and our physical condition. We are quite fit and never suffered of altitude sickness before. In fact, we did the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu and hiked on top of Cerro Toco in Chile without symptoms. Still, we weren’t certain how this experience would unfold.

Before you start the Huayhuash trek, make sure you are fully acclimatized. Unfortunately, a very fit guy of our group had to cut the trek short because of altitude sickness. In his case not even the sickness pills helped. So, make sure you take all the precautions and don’t underestimate high altitude.

DAY 1: Huaraz – Llamac – Janca

We left Huaraz early in the morning. Initially, we started as a group of 8, of which the majority spoke German. If I have one certainty in life, is that where mountains are so are Germans (and neighboring German speaking countries).

Firstly, we drove to Chiquian, where we stopped for breakfast. Here you had the option to either buy the food at the restaurant or bring it with you from home. The breakfast was more like a lunch menu, with anything varying from meat to fish. Since I enjoy a sweet treat in the morning, I made sure to pack some snacks for the trek.

Then, we made our way trough the Llamac village to the trailhead. The first day was rather short. We walked for about 4 hours and the highest point reached was at 4,700 m / 15,420 ft.

The remaining of the hike was downhill before getting into our campsite at Janca. It resembled more an open field, but there were toilet facilities visible in the distance. We arrived after lunch, and once we set up the tents, we gathered in the dining tent for a meal. Just as we stepped inside, the rain began to fall. We enjoyed some warm tea, and before we knew it, it was time for bed.

DAY 2: Janca – Carhuacocha

We woke up at around 5:30 am and the sun was just starting to warm the snowy peaks. Then, we had an abundant breakfast and we made our way through a cloudy unmarked path up the mountain. We also had some new members in our group: shepherd’s dogs! They ended up walking ahead with us until the next campsite.

From the plateau on the top, we admired Laguna Mitococha and Laguna Ninacocha clustered in the rocky mountains.

We continued ahead for another 40 minutes before being faced with a massive rocky wall. And guess what? We had to climb it. After our guide pointed us towards the safest path to climb, getting to the top was not that bad. Punta Carhuac Pass (4,650 m / 15,256 ft) was the highest point of the day.

Then we followed down the path to one of the most stunning views on Huayhuash Trek: the Three Lagoons.

The peace and the landscape at this viewpoint are indescribable! Just getting here was already worth the entire journey.

We then started the steep descent to the campsite, next to Laguna Carhuacocha.

The bravest of the group, decided to jump in the freezing waters of the vibrant lagoon. Following, we all had a very warm tea session in the main tent.

At night the sky was covered in stars and we all spent the time outside with our heads up.

DAY 3: Carhuacocha – Huayhuash

We woke up with all the mountains in full sight. This included Yerupaja (6,634 m / 21,765 ft), the second highest mountain in Peru.

I usually like to watch documentaries of the places I visit. In this case, the mountain on the left of Yerupaja, Siula Grande (6,344 m / 20,814 ft) appeared in the movie “Touching the Void“. It’s crazy to think that someone climbed it in the past!

We continued the trek towards the three lagoons to reach one of the best viewpoints of the entire trek.

After enjoying the view some minutes longer, we started to make our way to the next pass at 4,800 m / 15,748 ft.

Our cook decided to stop at one of the lagoons to fish our dinner. He then arrived to the pass, where we all enjoyed our lunch.

It was then time to descend through green valleys and rocky moose to the next campsite, at Huayhuash.

This was probably the best campsite location we had during the entire trip. Unfortunately, at night the stray dogs in the valley picked up a fight with our dogs. This led to a very sleepless night.

DAY 4: Huayhuash – Trapecio Pass – Aguas Termales

After a horrible night of sleep, we had a long day ahead of us. Despite our fatigue, we started the hike towards the Trapecio Pass (5,000 m / 16,404 ft). Although I wasn’t in my best shape, once the adrenaline kicked in my mood changed with it. At the top, the view over the glaciers and the vibrant lagoons left us quite literally speechless.

As a group we decided to change slightly the original itinerary and head to Aguas Termales at the Laguna Viconga. Luckily, our guide was totally on board with our plan. This added a few extra hiking hours to our day, but at least we were able to soak our sore muscles in hot water afterward.

From the Trapecio Pass, we followed the Circuito Alpino. This runs under the mountains and leads to the Portachuelo Pass (4,750 m / 15,584 ft). Along the way, we were treated to breathtaking views and the crisp mountain air, making the journey even more memorable.

Here we stopped for lunch and then continued the whole way to the campsite. I think this was one of the most difficult days overall. In fact, we crossed two passes, gained many meters in elevation and descended as many as well. At the end, seeing the hot spring was like a mirage.

We all jumped into the hot waters and enjoyed every moment. Also, for the first time in four days we had a proper shower in a pool nearby. Disgusting, huh? The hot water rejuvenated us. After this trip, I will never give showers for granted.

DAY 5: Aguas Termales – Cuyoc Pass – Huanapatay – San Antonio Pass

From the hot spring, we hiked to Punta Cuyoc (5,000 m / 16,404 ft). From here we firstly made our way down to the campsite at Huanapatay (4,400 m / 14,425 ft). This descent was not only a welcome break from the altitude, but it also allowed us to appreciate the changing landscapes along the way. Then, we could choose to either relax or hike to San Antonio Pass (5,100 m / 16,732 ft) and back.

For many, this day is the highlight of their Huayhuash trek. In fact, if you follow the original trek, on Day 4, from Trapecio Pass you would head to San Antonio Pass. Since we wanted to reach the hot springs, we added some extra distance to our trek.

We decided to head to San Antonio Pass before lunch. It was still 11 am, we had already crossed a pass and we were ready for the second one. It is not an exaggeration to say that from the campsite to the pass, the path is just upwards. Therefore, y advise to you is not to rush. Instead, follow your own pace and take enough time for your body to get used to the lack of oxygen. After a bit less than 2 hours, we reached the top!

It was so beautiful that we almost didn’t want to make our way down to the campsite. But, we were hungry and tired so there we were, running down the dusty hills.

At the campsite we had a huge amount of food. We relaxed for a bit and socialized for the rest of the night.

DAY 6: Huanapatay – Huayllapa – Huatica Campsite

This was probably my least favourite day. It was a long descent into the valley, on steep rocky bits next to the waterfall. My knees were completely shattered.

We reached Huayllapa just before lunchtime. Here is where one of the members of our team decided to leave the trek and return to Lima. He did not feel well in the past days and decided to terminate the adventure. Huayllapa is also where the 6 day treks usually end. You then have the option to return to Huaraz or Lima.

From Huayllapa to the campsite it was again just uphill. At this point of the trek, everyone was starting to feel tired.

We ended the day enjoying popcorn outside, watching the storm drift away from us.

DAY 7: Huatica Campsite – Punta Tapush – Paso Yaucha – Laguna Jahuacocha

The next day, we continued trekking around dramatic landscapes, glacier lagoons and rainbow-colored mountains.

From Paso Yaucha (4,800 m / 15,748 ft) to the Laguna Jahuacocha (4,100 m / 13,451 ft), the landscape only got better and better.

The mountain we spotted on the first day of the trek now loomed before us. It made us truly appreciate the vast distance we had covered.

As we made our way down, the rain began to fall, making the trail slippery. We arrived at the tent eagerly anticipating food and much-needed rest.

DAY 8: Laguna Jahuacocha – Pampa Llámac pass – Llamac – Huaraz

From the Pampa Lamac pass we had our last view over the Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range. We had now a steep decline to the Llamac village where our bus was waiting for us. By 10:30 am we were driving back to Huaraz, where we arrived in the afternoon.

This was our last stop in Peru before leaving the country. There could have not been any better way to finish this memorable trip! If I recommend it? I absolutely do! Jump on this adventure, soak in all its beauty! I can assure you, this will be a memory of a lifetime. If you ask me, Huayhuash trek is one the best hiking trails in South America.

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