Perú - Llanganuco - Santa Cruz Trek

Altitude: 4.750 m.

Duration: 04 Days

Difficulty: Low Difficult

Trekking Season: May to September

Description:

This circuit starts in the village of Cashapampa, located east of the Huaylas province, whose capital is Caraz. It's one of the most beautiful treks in Cordillera Blanca, through three spectacular valleys: Quebradas Santa Cruz, Huaripampa and Llanganuco. During 4 days, we'll be immersed in the Andean landscape surrounded by views of beautiful summits such as Alpamayo, Taulliraju , Artesonraju, Huascarán, Chopicalqui, Huandoy Chacraraju and Pisco. We'll also have the opportunity to observe local flora in the National Park Huascarán, such as quenuales, and beautiful landscape with lakes and waterfalls.

Day 1: Huaraz - Caraz (breakfast) - Cashapampa (2900m) - Llamacorral (3760m).
We leave Huaraz early in the morning, by road to the trailhead at Cashapampa (2,900m). From there, donkeys will carry our gear. After 3 hours walking we'll have lunch in the shade of quenuales. We then continue to a flat meadow called Llamacoral at 3.800m and set camp.

Day 2: Llamacoral - Alpamayo base camp -Taullipampa.
On this day the trek is easy, to the turquoise lakes of Jatuncochja. We‘ll have lunch close to the lakes, at a spot called Quisuar. We then ascend to the base camp of Alpamayo, which offers a spectacular view. The second camp is called Taullipampa (4.200m.)

Day 3: Taullipampa (4.250m) - Paria Valley (3.870m).
We leave camp after a good breakfast, towards Union Pass (4,750m.) following a zigzag trail. After 3 hours walking we reach the pass, and admire a beautiful view of the Cordillera Blanca with the summits of Taulliraju, los Rinrijircas, Pucahircas, Quitaraju, Santa Cruz, Artesonraju, Pirámide de Garcilazo, Paria, Millishraju, etc.

Day 4: Paria Valley (3.870) - Vaquería (3.850). We walk along the valley with spectacular views of Chacraraju to the village of Vaquería, where private transportation will transfer us to Portachuelo Pass. This is a lookout point to the lakes of Chinancocha y Orconcocha as well as the summits of Huascarán, Chopicalqui, Chacraraju, the four summits of Huandoy y Pisco. After this impressive panorama, we continue by road to Yungay and back to Huaraz.