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T R E K K I N G P E R U
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CHAPTER 8 
This is Peru’s premier mountain destination,
offering endless trekking opportunities
amid magnificent scenery and the
highest summits in the country. More
than two hundred snow-covered peaks
over 5000 m stretch in a swath 180 km
long and 20 km wide; thirty-two of them
reach over 6000 m. Here are over seven
hundred glaciers, the highest concentration
in the tropics, their levels sadly receding
year after year due to climate change.
At the base of the glaciers are more than
four hundred lakes, turquoise jewels
enhancing the superb mountain scenery.
Seven life zones above 3000 m are home
to 850 plant species, as well as 210 species
of birds, from condors to hummingbirds.
Many of these natural wonders are protected
by Parque Nacional Huascarán,
and trekking permits are issued by the
national park.
Although the region as a whole has
adopted this name, the Cordillera Blanca
is but one of several mountain ranges
and valleys accessed from Huaraz, capital
of the Department of Ancash and
hub of the area. The western range is the
bare Cordillera Negra; the eastern one
is the snow-covered Cordillera Blanca
proper. Between the Cordilleras Negra
and Blanca is the Río Santa valley, called
Callejón de Huaylas while it flows north
before turning west to the Pacific. The
valleys east of the Cordillera Blanca, their
rivers draining to the Río Marañón, a tributary
of the Amazon, are called the Zona
de Conchucos (or just Conchucos). More
mountains, in the Cordillera Oriental,
lie farther east beyond the Marañón. To
the southeast of the Cordillera Blanca are
the snow-capped Cordilleras Huallanca
and Huayhuash. The lower valleys of the
Callejón de Huaylas and Conchucos are
extensively populated and cultivated; and
many small towns here provide access to
the mountains ...
Trek 3 WILLKAWAIN TO AGUAK COCHA TRAINING FOR THE CORDILLERA BLANCA 
“THE BEST WAY TO train for trekking is by trekking,” goes the motto of one of our
long-standing hiking companions. This may be overstating the case but, insofar as it
makes a good point, an ideal place to train for trekking in the Cordillera Blanca is along
this route. Within easy reach of Huaraz and with minimal navigational challenge,
this is a fine workout to build stamina for longer more challenging trails ahead. The
route begins at a small
archaeological site and
climbs to a pretty little
lake nestled under
glacier-sculpted walls.
Along the way are various
introductions to
the many charms of
the Cordillera Blanca:
fine views, interesting
flora including traditional
crops, polylepis
trees, and miniature
cacti thriving above
4000 m. If you are lucky, you may see nesting Andean gulls on their little rookery
islands in the lake.
WARNING In 2017, after Trekking Peru had gone to press, muggings were reported along the trail to Aguak Cocha. Inquire with iPeru in Huaraz before hiking this route. There are several other day-hikes for acclimatization not far from Huaraz (eg Wilcacocha, Laguna Churrup, and Laguna 69) and Caraz (Miramar, Laguna 69, Laguna Parón, and Winchus) ... Trek 4 ISHINCA TO AKILPO SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE 
THIS ROUTE OFFERS A bit of everything, from the camaraderie of a large
climbing/trekking lodge to the solitude of a seldom-visited valley, from barren recently deglaciated
moraines to lush queñua forests teeming with life. Superb vistas of summits, glaciers,
lakes, and waterfalls abound, and the great natural beauty is complemented by a
small archaeological site at the end of the route. Most of the trails are well maintained
and signed, but there is enough cross-country travel and a 5000-m-plus pass to provide
challenge and adventure. You can also choose not to cross the pass and still enjoy a
worthwhile portion of the route. It is hard to find a better “bite-size” multiday trek
within easy reach of Huaraz
...
Trek 5 LAGUNA TISHUGYOC BLUE OF BLUES 
LAGUNA TISHUGYOC HAS A rare beauty. Its waters are a deep pure blue that is
neither the turquoise of other glacial lakes nor a reflection of the sky, yet they are a faithful
mirror of the white glaciers and black-, gray-, and red-rock mountains that surround
it. Tishugyoc means “island lake” in the local Quechua dialect, and, indeed, it has a
single island covered in exquisitely wind-sculpted queñua trees. The unusual color of the
water is even more curious because it does not appear to contain much glacial silt; the
outflow and shallows by the shore are crystal clear. The effect is spectacular and difficult
to convey with words or photos; you have to see it for yourself
...
Trek 6 HUARI TO CHACAS INTRODUCTION TO CONCHUCOS 
LESS FREQUENTED BY TREKKERS and climbers than the Callejón de Huaylas or the
Cordillera Blanca, Conchucos has a character of its own. People here are a bit more reserved
at first but nonetheless soon warm up to visitors. The landscape is gorgeous: lakes and emerald
green valleys beneath tussock-covered hillsides, rocky slopes, and glaciers. Huari, the
starting point of this trek, is a regional center that makes a convenient base for several hikes
in the area, starting with this fine introduction to the Conchucos backcountry
...
Trek 7 CHACAS TO HUARI VIA YAUYA THE GREAT INCA CAUSEWAY 
OF THE MANY OUTSTANDING features of the Capac Ñan or Great Inca Road (see
Chapter 1), one of the most impressive are the causeways that carried it over marshy
terrain. These highlight the monumental nature of the road because, in many cases,
they were not strictly necessary. Inca engineers could have detoured around such bogs,
but instead they built the road perfectly straight through them, over stone culverts that
permitted the free flow of water beneath the roadway and have kept it intact for hundreds
of years. The Inca did not deign to make detours for man or nature!
...
Trek 8 MARCAJIRCA THE WARI PENTHOUSE 
THE WORLDWIDE FAME OF celebrity archaeological sites like Machu Picchu
(Chapter 10) and Kuelap (Chapter 7) has tended to eclipse the myriad undeveloped ones
throughout Peru. Trekkers soon learn, however, that it’s hard to take a step anywhere
in Peru without stumbling on something of archaeological significance. Marcajirca is a
good case in point: an impressive, minimally developed, and little-known site spectacularly
located on a narrow ridge 1000 m above rushing rivers on three sides. Objects from
Marcajirca have been dated from approximately ad 700, placing its origins in the Wari
era. (In the usual confusion of toponyms, Wari refers to the ancient civilization and
Huari to the contemporary town.) The site contains residential, public, and funerary
sectors, including many small stone mausoleums called chullpas. Views from Marcajirca
are as impressive as its structures. It must have been quite a privilege to live (and die) up
in this “Wari penthouse.”
...
Trek 9 ALPAMAYO CROSSING THE CORDILLERA BLANCA 
THIS TREK IS A splendid combination of the wild and the organized. It traverses the
heart of the Cordillera Blanca alongside some of its most impressive mountains and
glacial lakes, crossing five 4500-m-plus passes. Yet the trail is excellent along most of the
route, there are large designated campsites, and signs are generally helpful. An optional
side trip takes you higher and farther off the beaten track, but all parts of the route offer
plenty of physical challenge, incomparable mountain vistas, and many “wow moments.”
Of course the perfect pyramidal summit of Alpamayo is the star of the show
...
Trek 10 POMABAMBA TO CHACAS LAID-BACK CONCHUCOS 
IT IS UNUSUAL TO find a multiday trek that is off the beaten track and offers breathtaking
views of the Cordillera Blanca, yet is not too physically demanding. The three
very scenic passes along this route are all under 4400 m, which is modest by Peruvian
standards. Many of the climbs, although long, are on good trails and relatively gentle
slopes. You can end the trek in Yanama or take a comfortable break there, about halfway
along the route
...
Trek 11 CARAZ TO YUNGAY ALONGSIDE THE GIANTS 
FEW ACCLIMATIZATION HIKES HAVE views as spectacular as this one. It is quite
a feeling to walk alongside the towering summits of Huandoy (6395 m) and Huascarán
(6768 m, Peru’s highest mountain), among other beautiful glaciated peaks. This full-day
hike on trails and back roads follows a broad ridge east and then south, high above the
Río Santa valley between Caraz and Yungay. The ridge separates the Río Santa from
the Ríos Llullán and Ancash, behind which are the giant mountains. In addition to
spectacular views, the route offers a glimpse of rural life in the Callejón de Huaylas
...
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