Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Peru Cordillera Blanca Trekking
Day 1 Arrive in Huaraz
30-minute private van transfer
Arrive at Huaraz-Anta airport and meet your MT Sobek guide for a private van transfer to the hotel in Huaraz. Rooms have been booked from the night before so you are able to check in immediately on arrival this morning and have a restful day to begin acclimating to the altitude (10,000'). This evening, meet up for a welcome dinner. There is currently one daily flight that departs Lima at 7:00 am and arrives Huaraz at 8:10 am (subject to change). We recommend arriving Lima the previous day and overnighting at the convenient Wyndham Costa del Sol Airport Hotel before taking the morning flight to Huaraz. You are also welcome to book the flight from Lima to Huaraz for a day or more early, to allow more days to acclimate or explore on your own.
Accommodation: Andino Club Hotel
(D)
Day 3 Hike to Ararcocha & Huilcacocha Lakes
1-hour private van transfer
4 hours/3.5 miles hiking with 2746' elevation gain & 121' elevation loss
Take in the breathtaking scenery of the Cordillera Blanca as you travel into the mountains by private van, then hike to two pristine Andean glacial lakes. This is a great acclimatization hike to help you adjust to the thinner air and prepare you for more challenging future hikes. From Rumichuco Bridge, ascend toward Ararcocha (12,116') and Huilcacocha (12,221') Lakes, boasting some of the best panorama views of the Cordillera Blanca range, including the highest peak in the Cordillera Blanca — Mount Huascaran — whose glacier-topped pinnacle sits at 22,204 feet! After a hearty lakeside lunch, meet your van for the drive back to Huaraz.
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Journey to Huascaran National Park
4.5-hours private van transfer
1-1.5 hours/1.8 miles hiking with 1,627’ elevation loss
Check out of the hotel in Huaraz and depart by private vehicle, stopping in the charming town of Carhuaz for a visit to the local market. Visit Campo Santo, site of the single worst natural disaster in the Andes. Today, it's a peaceful cemetery, with spectacular views of Huascaran, flower-filled gardens, and monuments honoring the dead. Enter Huascaran National Park, stop for a box lunch, then cross a pass of about 15,580' with a stunning panorama of the northern Cordillera Blanca. Here you'll leave the Pacific side of the range and begin a descent on the Amazon side. From the trailhead, hike downhill to camp at Vaqueria (12,136') — a short and easy warm-up for the next nine days.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp — Cordillera Blanca, Peru
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Hike to Tuctu Pampa
6–7 hours/9.5 miles hiking with 2,627' elevation gain and 1,247’ elevation loss
Begin your trek in earnest with an all-day hike down Quebrada Vaqueria (10,824'), passing near Colcabamba, then up the Tuctu Valley, passing small settlements and farmland. Camp at Tuctu Pampa (13,451'), with views of Taulliraju and Rinrijirca looming at the head of the valley and the massive wall of Chacraraju's east peak — all over 19,000 feet.
Accommodation: MT Sobek Camp — Cordillera Blanca, Peru
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Hike to Laguna Huecrococha
7 hours/6 miles hiking with 1,788' elevation gain & 2,785’ elevation loss
Continue up the Huaripampa Valley on pre-Inca trails, with views of Contrahierbas behind you. Cross Pucaraju Pass (15,252'). If it's clear, take in beautiful views of Piramide, Paron, Chacraraju, and Huascaran. Continue on to Laguna Huecrococha, a lake situated at about 13,000', then camp slightly below the lake, in the Tuctupampa Valley at 12,588'.
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Hike to the Jancapampa Valley
7–8 hours/7.5 miles hiking with 1,916’ elevation gain & 2,805’ elevation loss
Hike up to the village of Tingopampa, crossing the Tupatupa, a grassy pass at 14,274', and camp at Jancapampa (11,640'), one of the most beautiful valleys on the trek, situated below the Pucajirca massif. In the afternoon and evening, you'll likely enjoy the company of the curious children of Tingopampa in camp. Settle in for a good night's sleep in the trip's lowest-altitude camp.
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Climb to Huilca
8–9 hours/7.2 miles hiking with 3,786’ elevation gain & 2,273’ elevation loss
From Jancapampa, climb with ever-changing views of the immense glaciers of the east face of Pucajirca (19,844'). Continue climbing steeply through woods, across grassy meadows, and over glacially polished cliffs while enjoying an array of spectacular wildflowers. Make a steep ascent to the narrow Yanajanca pass (15,134'), then head downhill on the Pacific side toward the small settlement of Huilca. Camp just below the pass at 13,123' with spectacular views of Pucajirca.
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Hike to Moyobamba
5–6 hours/5 miles hiking with 2,053’ elevation gain and 397' elevation loss
Continue up Quebrada Tayapampa with beautiful views of the northeast face of Alpamayo (19,455') and the three peaks of Pucajirca in the distance. Ascend over a grassy pass at 14,553', crossing a ridge, and camp at Moyobamba at 14,783'.
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Enjoy Views of Alpamayo
6 hours/4.7 miles hiking with 1,552' elevation gain and 2,297’ elevation loss; optional side trip 2 hours/1.6 miles hiking with 508' elevation gain & loss
Hike over Caracara Pass (15,800'), enjoying fantastic views of Alpamayo's cirque, the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the Cordillera Blanca stretching southwards. After lunch, those who wish can hike up to the moraine — about two hours roundtrip, over scree — and enjoy stunning views of Alpamayo's famed classic pyramid shape and the turquoise green lake below the peak. Camp at 13,599' and take in dazzling views of Alpamayo as the sun sets and rises.
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Hike to the Highest Campsite
6-7 hours/6.1 miles hiking with 2,740’ elevation gain and 1,627' elevation loss
Begin a long ascent with about 50 vueltas (switchbacks) to arrive at Jatun Viento Pass (15,623'). Descend to camp at 14,947', the highest campsite on the trek, and a well-deserved rest.
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Reach Huischcash
7 hours/6 miles hiking with 1,549' elevation gain and 3,347’ elevation loss
Hike 1.5 hours to your last and highest pass, Toro Pishtanan (15,977'). Descend to Cullicocha Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in this area of the Andes, with its blue-green waters and view of the three peaks of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the background. Enjoy views of the Cordillera Negra, the snowless mountain range running parallel with the Cordillera Blanca to the west. Continue to Huischcash (13,100') and camp near a modern aqueduct that has replaced an ancient Inca one.
(B, L, D)
Day 13 Downhill to Hualacayan & Back to Huaraz
4-hour private van transfer
3 hours/3.8 miles hiking with 286' elevation gain and 3,061' elevation loss
Continue downhill to the ruins of Hualacayan and meet your van for the ride back to Huaraz. As you leave the mountains behind, see farmers working small plots of land overlooking the Huaylas Valley and the Cordillera Negra. After checking into the hotel in Huaraz, meet your group for a final farewell dinner in Huaraz.
Accommodation: Andino Club Hotel
(B, L, D)
Day 14 Depart Huaraz
30-minute private van transfer
Take an early morning group transfer back to Huaraz-Anta airport and begin your journey home.
Accommodation: Andino Club Hotel
(B)
Day 2 Discover the Ancient Center of Chavin de Huantar
5-hour private van transfer
3-hour guided visit to archaeological site
Continue your acclimatization with a day trip from Huaraz to the monumental site of Chavin de Huantar, one of the oldest archaeological sites you can visit in Peru - first inhabited as early as 1500 BC! Nestled at 10,500 feet, between the eastern and western ranges of the Andes, this complex of temples, terraces, and underground mazes belonged to the Chavin culture, who pre-dated the Inca by over 2,000 years. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, Chavin was a gathering place for worshipers from around the region. Admire the pyramidal temple and buildings of the ceremonial center, with outstanding examples of zoomorphic stone carvings. Step inside recently uncovered passages of underground tunnels, and visit the small on-site museum that houses artifacts found at the site including carved stone figurines and musical instruments.
Accommodation: Andino Club Hotel
(B, L)
