Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Lima, transfers to Hotel

Day 2: Tourist bus 1st class seat Lima to Huaraz, 7-8 hours. We opt for the seats on the Tourist bus
over a private minivan transfer as the drivers are safer and the vehicle is more comfortable. Stay
Guesthouse in Huaraz.

Day 3: Huaraz. Day hike to Macashca Hills. Stay Guesthouse.
A lovely climb up into the hills directly behind Huaraz. The trip starts with a short car journey (around
½ hour into the Macashca Valley close to Huaraz). We initially walk up quite steeply for around 1 hour
on a grassy hillside, then reach a wide open grassy ridge which you follow easily to a saddle at 4200m.
From the ridge there are fantastic views over Huaraz, across to the snowcapped peaks of the
Cordillera Blanca and Huascaran (the highest mountain in Peru) and also the Cordillera Negra.
The walk descends a long way with open views all the way to finish in Huaraz. Around 5 hours.

Day 4: Huaraz. Day hike to Laguna Churup. Stay Guesthouse.
A good acclimatisation walk. Take the car from Huaraz to Pitec, driving through the attractive farming
settlements of Unchus and Llupa (1½ hours drive). From Pitec (3850m) there is a steady climb on a
good path with views to Laguna Churup (4440m), a beautiful turquoise mountain lake below Nevada
Churup (5493m). The final 100m to the lake is up a steep rock gully. We allow 4 to 5 hours walk from
Pitec to the lake and return.

Day 5: Day trip. Hike Laguna Ahuaccocha (4580m) Stay Guesthouse.

Day 6: Vallunaraju. To Morena Camp (5130m)

Day 7: Vallunaraju. Climbing instruction day. Approx. 5300m. Camp at Morena Camp 5130m.

Day 8: Vallunaraju Summit climb (5686m). Around 10 hours to climb and return to Llaca Valley & then
return to Huaraz by car. Stay Guesthouse.

Day 9: Rest day Huaraz, a time to sleep in, wash clothes and of course eat!

Day 10: Drive 2½ hours from Huaraz to the village of Cashapampa (2090m) where we meet our
donkey drivers. Approaching Cashapampa we have our first view of Santa Cruz, the huge pyramid
shaped mountain that gives the trekking circuit its name. We climb up through the Santa Cruz Valley,
following the river. The first 2 hours we are in a steep sided river gorge and can be quite hard as we
are climbing continuously up, and if the sun is out it is hot in the gorge. But later the valley opens out
to grassland and it is more flat and cooler as we approach our first camp. We camp near the river at
Llamacorral (3750m) 4 to 5 hours. Quite a short day.

Day 11: This is also a short day and you’ll probably be at Alpamayo Base Camp for lunch and rest in
the afternoon. During the walk up the valley the twin peaks Quitaraju and the famous Alpamayo
come into view. We walk past two lakes, first the small Ichiccocha then the larger Jatuncocha. We
then climb 40 minutes on a steep zig zag path to enter the Quebrada Arhuaycocha and continue with
a relaxed hike up the valley to Alpamayo Base Camp (4250m). 4 to 5 hours.

Day 12: REST DAY in Alpamayo Basecamp
The porters will carry equipment up to the high camp on Alpamayo & return to Base Camp this day.
You can take a short walk up to the beautiful glacial lake Arhuaycocha, nestled at the base of Ririjrca.
Often there is ice floating on the lake.

Day 13: To Moraine Camp or High Camp. The first 1½ to 2 hours is a testing climb on moraine and
some slippery rock until we reach the ice. We then climb up average 45 deg up an ice gully to reach
the bottom of an ice cliff. In some years there is about 100m to 150m of 70º ice to climb to arrive at
the top of an ice cliff and we may fix ropes on this section. The High Camp is situated at the top of the
ice cliff between Alpamayo & Quitaraju. There is also the option to go only as far as Moraine Camp
(5000m) on this day, which is half way to High Camp. (5450m) 5 to 6 hours.

Day 14: Summit Day Alpamayo
We leave camp early and climb on sometimes steep snow slopes for about an hour to a bergschhrund
at the bottom of the southwest face; sometimes there are crevasses to negotiate here. The climb on
the southwest face to the summit is steep and technical, with mixed good snow and hard ice. The
climb to the summit takes about 5 hours. The descent is by the same route, and takes 9 rappels.
Return to sleep at high camp. The whole day is 8 to 9 hours. With an early start and early arrival back
at High Camp there is the option to descend to Basecamp on the same day also.

Day 15: EXTRA DAY. Bad weather day, rest day or climb Quitaraju.

Day 16: Return to Base Camp. It is necessary to do a rappel of 100m to 150m close to the high camp
to descend the ice cliff. The last 1½ hours to the camp is on steep and slippery rock. 5 to 6 hours.

Day 17: A long but easy walk down the Quebrada Santa Cruz to Cashapampa. 6 to 7 hours. Our
vehicle will be waiting in Cashapampa to return us to Huaraz. Stay Guesthouse.

Day 18: Transfer back to Lima. Flights home in evening or stay Hotel. Or join Huascarán add on
itinerary – see below.

Day 19: Transfer to airport / flights home for those that didn’t depart on prior evening.

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