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In 2012 on a trip from Lima, Peru to Cartagena, Colombia I had a chance to head on a 4 day/3 night circuit in the Cordillera Blancas. The landscapes of this region of Peru provide some of the most jaw-dropping alpine scenery I have witnessed, and the hike was definitely a highlight of the trip. Let’s just say, I will be back!

The Hike

After spending a few days of exploring the bustling Andean city of Huaraz, day hiking to Laguna Churup, and gathering food and gear, we were ready to head off for a 4 day Santa Cruz Trek in the Cordillera Blanca Mountain Range.

Day 1: Huaraz – Cashapampa – Llamacorral (3700m)

Day 2: Llamacorral – Jatuncocha – Taullipampa (4250m)

Day 3: Taullipampa – Punta Unión pass (4750m) – Paria (3850m)

Day 4: Paria – Vaqueria – Llanganuco – Huaraz

The decision to begin the trek in Cashapampa and hiking to Vaqueria meant first hopping in a combi and heading towards Caraz. To find a combi we walked north on the main street (Mariscal Luzurriaga) in Huaraz until we crossed a bridge. On the other side of the bridge is where combis leave for Caraz every few minutes. It was a tight squeeze in the combi with our packs plus about 8 locals, but we made it work (I must say it wasn’t the worst ride I have ever taken in South America, but it was far from the best). There are lots of hills, speed bumps, and hair-raising passings on the way and will cost around $3-4 USD.

Once we arrived in Caraz we had to pick up a few last items for the trek–camping fuel, water purification tablets, and grab a meal before we hit the trail. Caraz is much smaller than we had imagined, and had far fewer hiking and trekking stores and no super market! We had purchased the bulk of our food in Huaraz beforehand which worked out perfectly. After tracking down a blue fuel canister and some MicroPure water purification tablets at a pharmacy, we asked for directions on where to find a taxi that could take us to Cashapampa. A few blocks over from the central market there is a small lot where you will find shared taxis ready to depart as soon as they have passengers. The ride should cost about $2-3 USD per person to reach the trailhead in Cashapampa.

Climbing steadily out of the valley floor on a dirt road towards Cashapampa you will be rewarded with stunning views of the cultivated fields below. The climb just to the trailhead allows you to grasp the size of the mountains here. We shared the taxi with a mother and son, who were dropped off halfway up the hill and continued on from there to their home on a path.

The taxi dropped us off right at the trailhead where a national park guard checked our entry permits (65 soles) that we had purchased earlier when hiking to Laguna Churup. The entry permit is valid from a month, so if you plan on entering the park multiple times and locations be sure to buy this version instead of the daily permit.

After paying the taxi, asking the guard a few questions about how long it takes to get to Llamacorral (3700m) and double checking our packs, we hit the trail. Nearly 2:00 pm, it was much later than we would have hoped for a start time, but we figured it would only take 3-4 hours to reach our first camp.

The trail starts off by climbing up a narrow canyon adjacent to a river littered with large boulders and whitewater. With our packs weighted down with all of our water and food, every little upturn in the trail made the altitude easily felt. We kept the pace slow and only hoped that we would acclimatize over the next few days as we climbed higher into the mountains.

As the trail climbs, the valley begins to open up. Livestock has certainly made their presence as they graze the valley floor, and cow pies are almost inevitable to avoid along some parts of the trails. The day was stunningly beautiful, with blue skies, and limitless views of the towering mountains above.

After following the river for several hours we reached Llamacorral at an elevation of 3700m. Several groups had already setup camp and were lounging about in the grassy corral. Deciding to search for a slightly less crowded camp we headed up the trail a bit longer until dusk.

As the sun began to set, we setup our first camp and made a makeshift fence with brush to deter the friendly cows from getting too curious during the night. The temperature dropped as fast as the sun and we quickly cooked up some dinner. It was time to crawl into our sleeping bags to stay warm and rest up for the next day.

Click Here for part 2 of the trek!

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