The Huayhuash Trek, Peru – Part I

For several years I’d heard of a city called Huaraz, a base for trekking enthusiasts that is also known as the hiking capital of Peru (and no, this is not where Machu Picchu is, that would be much further south near Cusco). I had attempted to travel to Huaraz last summer, but weather and standby flight issues saw me pivot continents completely, leading to my spontaneous and memorable trip to Morocco.

Exactly a year later, and just days after a brief work trip to France I re-packed, left my viola at home, and made the flight to the Peruvian capital of Lima on standby. From there I took an overnight bus to Huaraz to begin my trekking adventure. With only 2.5 weeks set aside for this trip I chose to center my stay around the biggest and most epic trek in the region – the eight day Huayhuash Trek.

Initially I spent three days in Huaraz to acclimatize to the elevation (approx. 3,000 meters/10,000 ft). During this time I took a day tour to the popular Laguna 69, this gave me a chance to experience an ascent to around 15,000 ft. I was happy I did this, as the elevation headaches I experienced only lasted that day. I then booked a Huayhuash group tour in Huaraz through my accommodation – Kame House Hostel. It was perhaps a little pricier than some tours at $550 (+$60 in entrance fees), but I ultimately found that it was worth the price and it was quite possibly the best value tour I’d taken anywhere in the world.

My group of nine trekkers began with a 4:30 AM departure from Huaraz and a multi-hour long drive south to the Cordillera Huayhuash region, a subset of the Andes. Nearing our starting point we made a breakfast stop in a small village. Between bites of scrambled eggs and avocado we took turns sharing what we do for work, and how (if at all) our associated skills could help the group throughout the week. Amongst us were a primary care doctor, a social worker, a scientist, a political advisor, a former primary school teacher, multiple English teachers, a remote worker, and me – our designated group photo taker. All of us were between the ages of 28-35, and represented the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Spain, and Germany.

Joining us on our trek was our guide Umberto, our lovely cook Selina, her assistant Juliana, and two “donkey drivers” (not pictured) who were responsible for leading the cohort of donkeys/horses/mules which carried our food, tents, equipment, and extra personal baggage to each night’s campsite. Starting the trek we were each given a colorful bag with snacks for the morning, each night we’d turn these back in and receive new snacks for the following day. Lunches were sometimes served mid-day on the trail, or at camp on days where we arrived by early afternoon. And because I’m sure you’re wondering – yes, there were somewhat decent toilets at each night’s campsite that are maintained by the small communities along the trail.

The Huayhuash is known somewhat loosely as one of the 10 most scenic treks in the world. Having never done a trek this long I had little to compare it to, aside from day hikes in the Indian Himalayas and the Georgian Caucasus (both similarly impressive). What would surprise me the most over the span of the trek was the vast diversity of scenery, there were often considerable changes in just one day! This was compounded by sometimes unpredictable weather that showcased different shades of the environment. Also surprising and unexpected was that each night’s campsite sat before some spectacular mountain view.

Our first day was a solid warm-up with a single mountain pass and a perfectly clear sky, but on day two moody clouds set in that would follow us for a full day longer. I joked with my group that everyone would become “fantastic artists” by the end of the week, given how obsessively I spoke about good versus bad lighting while using my Fuji-Film camera amidst the variably cloudy conditions. Group shots and self-timers required the perfect moment when the sun would beam through. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t.

Three of our group members were from the French speaking Canadian state of Quebec. They affectionally named a friendly trail dog “Captain Quebec”. CQ followed our donkey drivers each day and then waited in and around our meal tent for dinner scraps.

During the daytime the donkey drivers sometimes took the same routes as us, and with multiple other tour groups out at once there were many moments that we needed to stand aside and let the faster animals pass. The drivers competed to get to camp first, this helped them select the best spots and also allowed them to set up in advance of our arrival. The donkey drivers howled at their animals in a language that didn’t sound like Spanish, it was presumably a local language. With so many animals on these trails there was a jarring yet expected amount of manure throughout, it was a minefield for our shoes.

Day three featured the only famous view I’d known of before the trek – the Tres Lagunas. Dramatic and vivid turquoise lagoons would become a regular sight as our walk continued, but this one was a photographer’s dream. I managed to reach the summit just as a patch of sky conveniently opened up, revealing the color of the water and illuminating the dry golden landscape. Before I could set up my tripod for a self-timer the clouds re-arranged and made for a muted but no less striking visual.

As much as mountain views and lagoons stole the show there were also interesting ecosystems to take notice of. A repetitive enigma that recurred throughout the trek were these ponds with circular moss-covered clumps (they could also be found in areas with no water). I came up with an amusing theory that the piles of manure somehow sprouted plants, sometimes in or around water. It’s definitely not the case, but in my mind it seemed to give purpose to all the poo laying about.

I personally never struggled with breath issues or exhaustion during the trek, but the nights presented different issues. As soon as the sun would set over a distant hill the entire valley would fall into a cold shadow, with overnight temperatures that would go below freezing. As a very thin person who struggles to hold heat I had a hard time moving about the campsite in the evenings, even while wearing adequate layers. This affected my ability to interact and enjoy the company of my new friends at dinner. My normal multi-step oral care routine was dulled down to a simple brush ‘n done. “Showers” for me consisted of using baby wipes in the tent. Thankfully the provided sleeping bags were well-suited for the conditions and I was otherwise warm once I’d settled in for the night.

At some point on the fourth day we were joined by a new trail dog, we named her Pinchy. I’d had dogs follow me on short hikes many times before, but it was quite amazing to see these dogs trek with us or the donkey drivers day after day. These were some truly nomadic dogs. Pinchy was tiny, the tiniest dog we saw during the trek – but unlike many of us she was completely unfazed by the altitude or the steep mountain passes.

At our fourth night’s campsite our cooks brought out a huge board of local cheeses accompanied by crackers and pepperoni slices. Where all this had come from, and how it was stored we had no clue (we wondered this about a lot of the food we ate). A purple cheese had some of us fooled that it was meat. The attentiveness of Selina and Juliana to providing multiple rounds of tea and various snacks in addition to our meals kept us feeling well looked after – the general consensus by this point was that we’d all chosen a great company to book with.

Next post: The Huayhuash Trek, Peru – Part II