Peru Huayhuash High Route, 9 days, fully self-supported/fully backpacked.
❤️Huayhuash (Waiwashi) is undoubtedly the most breathtaking mountain area I’ve ever explored. The high route is incredibly challenging and cold, but the experience is utterly rewarding. The more you trek, the more you fall in love with it.
🍂Season: The best time to visit is July-August, during the Peruvian winter, which is similar to our January-February. This period offers the most stable weather. By September, the rainy season begins, bringing daily showers 🌧️. Nighttime temperatures from June to August can plummet to -10°C, while early September sees milder nights around 3-5°C.
⛰️High Route vs. Standard Route: Most commercial tours follow the standard route, which, apart from three lakes, mostly winds through valleys. The high route, however, involves crossing more passes and is significantly more demanding. Yet, the rewards are endless. Both routes typically take 7-11 days.
⚠️The high route is extremely difficult, with altitudes reaching over 5000m. Some sections traverse ridgelines and scree slopes, so those with a fear of heights should be cautious.
📍High Route Itinerary:
This adventure was shared by four of us, each equipped with four different high route options on our phones. After completing the journey, I highly recommend the following highlights:
1. Viewpoint on the southwestern hillside of Laguna Carhuacocha. Resist the urge to descend; instead, leave your pack about 1 km north and make a round trip. Difficulty: 3 stars.
2. After crossing Paso del Trapecio, head north to the Jurau Glacier rather than south downhill to the lake. This was unanimously voted the best scenery of the entire route. Difficulty: 4 stars.
3. Cerro Gran Vista. The ridgeline offers stunning views of three large blue lakes and awe-inspiring glaciers, even more impressive than Tres Lagunas. Difficulty: 5 stars.
As for how to connect these points, that’s the most intriguing part… I’ll let you discover the fun for yourself.
🗺️Maps: Gaia GPS, Caltopo, MapMe, and other apps provide “dashed lines” that you can connect to create your route. I used Gaia GPS to pre-draw our route, and many alternative paths are also marked on Gaia, making it very reliable.
📖Other tidbits:
– Currency Exchange: Huaraz’s local Internank offers good exchange rates.
– Wildlife: There’s not much wildlife, unless you count wild dogs. You’ll see more cows than people, and cow dung is a common sight 😅.
– Trail Snacks: Beef jerky, sausages, and biscuits bought in Trujillo are quite tasty. Otherwise, bring your own from home.
– Resupply: The town of Huayllapa, reachable around day 6-7 on the high route, is a great spot to rest, eat, and buy supplies.
– Base: Huaraz. From Lima, take the Cruz del Sur bus (bookable online, Plaza Norte station is closest to the airport), costing around $20-30 and taking about 8 hours. Accommodations in Huaraz are generally similar.
– Costs: Without joining a tour, the transportation budget is approximately $60 round trip per person (buses, car-sharing, etc.).
), trail snacks at $40 per person, and entrance plus camping fees ranging from $50 to $70 per person (depending on the campsites you choose to visit).
#Hiking[Topic]# #MyHikingDiary[Topic]# #HikingRouteRecommendations[Topic]# #Peru[Topic]# #PeruHiking[Topic]#
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