Cordillera Blanca
Trekking
Located 100 km from the Pacific
coast and measuring 180 km long, The Cordillera Blanca forms a natural
barrier between the coast and the Amazon jungle. Every mountain top is
more beautiful than the next, and many hiking trips can be arranged
through the Cordillera’s grand mountain passes. The mountain roads were
built centuries ago by the native people of the region.
The Cordillera Blanca, and its many beautiful places, is now accessible by
various roads using 4x4 vehicles. Huaraz, at 3091 m.a.s.l., used to be a
beautiful little town until the terrible earthquake of 1970. Though the
village has been reconstructed, it is not quite as beautiful as it used to
be. That said, the National Park of Huascaran is close to Huaraz; founded
in 1975 the Park is a nature preserve for the amazing flora and fauna of
the region. The surrounding landscapes are beyond beautiful, and the area
is also well-known for its giant plants called Puyas de Raymondy, some of
which measure more than 10 meters. Definitely worth seeing! To organize
your tour in the Cordillera Blanca contact the travel agency Terra Andina
Peru
The Cordillera Blanca and its Huascarán National Park offer excellent
possibilities for trekking.
Laguna Churup
Duration: 4~6 hours.
Get In: The trail starts at Llupa. There are frequent combis leaving from
Huaraz. It's also possible to hire a taxi and start at Pitec.
Description: From Llupa it's about 1 hour walk to Pitec. From there it's
about 2 hours uphill to the laguna. The last part involves a bit of
rockclimbing. From the laguna there is a short trail leading to the
smaller Laguna Churupita.
Laguna 69
Duration: 1~2 days.
Get In: The trail starts at a site called Cebollapampa. There is a combi
in the morning leaving from Yungay, which is about 1.5 hours from Huaraz.
It's also possible to get a shared taxi.
Description: It's about 3~4 hours from the trailhead to the laguna. The
views on the way are excellent.
Santa Cruz
Duration: 4 days.
Get in: You can either start from a place called cashapampa, which is
about one hour from Caraz, there are frequent colectivos going. Or you can
start at the other side at a place called vacaria, which is about two
hours from Yungay.
Description: The Santa Cruz trek is Peru's second most popular trek after
the Inca trail.
Cordillera Blanca Tour
Duration: 11 días
Description: An itinerary which includes all of the main attractions of
the Cordillera Blanca and all the typical views of the snow-capped peak of
Alpamayo (5947 m.a.s.s.) – declared to be the world’s most beautiful
mountain by the UN in 1968.
It is recomended to take registered
travel & trekking agency for reservation and arrangements. |
Colca Canyon Trekking
Colca Canyon is located in Peru's
Southern Sierra region. The Colca Valley is an area of astounding scenic
beauty, with giant Andean terraces and a deep canyon that reach a depth of
4160 metres. Along the way visitors can enjoy unique natural sceneries, as
well as animal life; such as herds of Vicuñas (a wild relative of Llamas
and Alpacas) and various types of birds, of which stand out the giant
hummingbird, eagles, gooses and the mighty Andean Condor, which can
usually be spotted at the "Cruz del Condor". There are many adventure
tours organized in the area.
A journey to the Colca Valley takes at least 4 hours throughout high
Andean plateau, reaching at one point a high pass of 4800 metres (so take
care with altitude and cold), which offers fine views of the volcanoes.
You'll have to pay an entrance fee when arriving to Chivay, a nice and
very friendly town at the beginning of the canyon, with good hotels and
hostels. Look around for the towns with a lot of local colour, and very
cheap handicrafts and garments. If travelling during the southern summer,
the views are stunning thanks to the abundance of greenery; there is a
significant risk of rain though. |