Peru Huascarán National Park Trek

Cordillera Blanca, Peru · Peru

Challenging7 daysSouth America~£1,500 est.

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Overview

The Cordillera Blanca crams the highest tropical mountains on earth into a range you can see end-to-end from Huaraz's rooftop cafés. The Santa Cruz trek is the classic four-day line, from Cashapampa's canyon up to Punta Union at 4,750m, where Taulliraju's fluted face fills the pass and turquoise lakes stair-step the valley below; acclimatisation hikes to Laguna Churup and Laguna 69 are stunning enough to be goals in themselves. Climbers graduate to Pisco or Chopicalqui, with Alpamayo — often called the most beautiful mountain in the world — as the range's poster summit and Huascarán, Peru's 6,768m apex, looming over everything. Altitude is the whole game: Huaraz sits at 3,050m and the treks live above 4,000m, so build in three acclimatisation days before Santa Cruz or pay for it in misery. Colectivos make trailhead logistics absurdly cheap; the park entrance fee and a registered guide for the high routes are the paperwork. May to September is the dry season. £1,500 covers a fortnight of trekking with guides, mules and Huaraz recovery days.