Huaraz- Hiking in Paradise!

Huaraz was to be our last major destination in Peru. It is located in Peru's northern Andes and is the hiking and trekking capital of Peru. Our ultimate goal of our visit to Huaraz was do the 4 day classic Santa Cruz trek. With that goal and the altitude in mind we arrived 5 days early to give us time to acclimatize and get some shorter day hikes in.

Hike 1: Laguna Churup

We hoped on a collectivo (local mini van) early in the morning and after a 45 minute ride we were at the base of the the Laguna Churup. The start of the hike took us up a makeshift staircase and passed a few lookout points. From there we hiked along a trail until we can to a waterfall. The next section of the hike took us up the left side of the waterfall using ropes to help pull ourselves up the rocks. Once at the top we followed the stream further up until we reached Laguna Churup. We were both taken aback by the crystal clear water and reflection of the surrounding mountains.

Hike 2: Laguna 69

Laguna 69 is one of the more popular day hikes from Huaraz. To get to the start of the trail we had a 2 hour bus ride the took us up a narrow mountain road, through valleys and passed lakes. The hike started next to a campsite and went along a stream. Slowly the trail started to get steeper and steeper. When we reached the base of a waterfall we started a series of small switch backs that eventually took us to a small pass and eventually to the lake.

Santa Cruz Trek

This trek was a three night four day hike in the Cordillera Blanca range. We both agreed it was one of the most beautiful places we’d ever been. It was a slightly challenging but not impossible hike that left us feeling accomplished at the end of each day.

Day 1 we drove five hours from Huaraz to the start of the trail and then hiked another five hours passing small villages on the way. It rained for the last hour and we were happy to arrive at the camp and see our tents set up. After changing into dry clothes we got hit chocolate and had a good dinner.

Day 2 was the hardest day of the hike with the most up. This old trail was heavily used in pre-Columbian and colonial times as a route for transporting goods from the eastern side of the Andes to the main valley.

The hardest part of this day was summiting Punta Union Pass at 15,583ft/4,750m. We huffed and puffed our way up to the top and we were rewarded with beautiful views of a lake and snow flurries.

We had a few more hours of the hike but it was all down hill to our campsite in the valley. This night was absolutely freezing! Tiffany bundled up in everything she brought and still shivered all night.

Day 3 was also named the hardest day because it was the longest, 9 hours. We hiked up to Laguna Arhuaycocha where Tobias went for a dip (we later learned this is not allowed) and Tiffany held the camera while thinking about how crazy he was and enjoying being warm and dry.

The rest of the hike was flat and down. We hiked through a hot dessert looking valley and we all stripped off our extra layers down to our t-shirts and wished for the cold we left on the mountain.

Day 4 was the last day of hiking and the shortest, only 3 hours. The scenery changed and we hiked next to a rocky river. The trail offered lost of shaded refuge from the sun. We returned and were picked up with the company van and had a four hour drive back to Huaraz. We learned that the donkeys and porter would do the same four day trek in one day and return that evening to the village we started at!