Experiences and local guides in Huaraz

Nature

Huaraz, at 3,050 m in the Callejón de Huaylas, faces the Cordillera Blanca head-on: 30 peaks above 6,000 m, including Huascarán (6,768 m), the roof of Peru. Huascarán National Park protects hundreds of turquoise glacial lakes, queñual forests, ten-metre Puya Raimondi plants and the most famous trekking routes of the Peruvian Andes.

Activities

• Day hikes to Laguna 69, Laguna Parón, Churup or Wilcacocha
• Santa Cruz trek (4 days) over Punta Unión pass and the Huayhuash circuit (8 to 12 days)
• Mountaineering: Pisco, Vallunaraju, Ishinca and Huascarán expeditions with certified mountain guides
• Rock climbing at Hatun Machay, mountain biking and paragliding in the Callejón
• Chavín de Huántar, a World Heritage site, and the Monterrey and Chancos hot springs

When to go

May to September is the dry mountain season, with clear skies and nights below freezing. October to December is still possible with afternoon showers. From January to March snow and rain close the high passes.

How to get there

No regular commercial airport: get there by bus from Lima (8 hours via the Pativilca road, day and night departures) or from Trujillo (8 hours). Anta airfield, 30 km away, has occasional flights. Lake excursions and treks leave from Huaraz and from Caraz, in the same valley.