Huayhuash Circuit Trek in Peru — 16 Days

The Huayhuash circuit is a long self-contained trek around a compact high massif south of the Cordillera Blanca. The classic line takes twelve days, covers about 120 km and crosses passes above 4600 m almost every day. The Mountain Guide trip adds the arrival, acclimatisation in Huaraz and a departure day, so the total duration is sixteen days.

This is the full circuit, not a shortened route with a vehicle exit after a couple of lakes. The group starts at Cuartelhuain and works through Mitucocha, Carhuacocha, the village of Huayhuash, Viconga, Cuyoc, San Antonio, Cutatambo, Huayllapa, Tapush, Yaucha and Jahuacocha, finishing the trek at Llamac.

The maximum altitude on the base line is around 5000 m at the Cuyoc pass. The San Antonio viewpoint pass reaches almost the same height. The altitude load repeats for many days in a row, so a participant needs experience of multi-day mountain walking, good endurance and a proven ability to recover in a tent above 4000 m.

No technical mountaineering equipment is used on the classic circuit. The remoteness of the route, however, makes simple problems more serious: an injury, an infection, a severe altitude illness or lost equipment can require a long walk out. Evacuation is not part of the base price and must be covered by insurance.

The land around the massif is managed by local communities and by private conservation areas. Fees and access rules can differ from sector to sector. The confirmed compulsory fees for the stated line are included in the package, and the guide keeps the documents and receipts that may be needed on the route.

Pack animals carry the group load and personal duffels of up to 7 kg. A participant walks with their own day pack, water, rain protection, a warm layer, a first-aid kit and documents. Access to the duffel during the walking day is not guaranteed.

The guide may cancel the viewpoint walk to the Siula Grande glacier or the crossing of a particular pass in dangerous weather, where the trail has been destroyed or where a participant is in poor condition. This does not turn the route into a shortened version: the decision is taken so that the whole group gets out safely.

Day 1. Arrival in Huaraz

Independent arrival in Huaraz, check-in at the hotel and rest. In the evening we meet the group and make an initial check on how everyone is feeling. Night in a hotel.

Day 2. Acclimatisation walk to Wilcacocha

The first walking day is spent light around Huaraz. The climb to Laguna Wilcacocha lets us check pace and kit without going onto the self-contained section. We return to town, go over any mistakes and recover. Night in a hotel.

Day 3. Preparation and acclimatisation reserve

A final equipment check, packing of the duffels and a briefing on evacuation, water and community rules. If everyone is in good shape, a short walk without much gain in altitude is possible. This day is not replaced by a long drive. Night in a hotel.

Day 4. Huaraz - Llamac - Cuartelhuain, 4170 m

Transfer to the northern part of the massif via Llamac. At Cuartelhuain we meet the muleteers, distribute the load and set up the first camp. Night in tents.

Day 5. Cuartelhuain - Cacanan pass, 4750 m - Mitucocha, 4230 m

The first full pass shows how ready the group is for a repeated altitude load. After Cacanan we descend to the camp by Mitucocha. Night in tents.

Day 6. Mitucocha - Carhuac pass, 4600 m - Carhuacocha, 4138 m

We cross into the next valley over Carhuac. The camp at Carhuacocha faces the glaciated summits of the massif; recovering here before the next pass matters. Night in tents.

Day 7. Carhuacocha - Carnicero pass, 4630 m - Huayhuash, 4330 m

We cross the Carnicero pass and reach the camp in the Huayhuash sector. The sleeping altitude stays above 4000 m, so we keep an even pace even where the day's profile looks easier. Night in tents.

Day 8. Huayhuash - Portachuelo pass, 4750 m - Viconga, 4407 m

After Portachuelo we descend to Viconga. Where access is open, the local hot springs can be used; a soak does not replace a drinking routine and proper recovery. Night in tents.

Day 9. Viconga - Cuyoc pass, 5000 m - Guanacpatay

One of the key days of the full circuit. We climb to the high point of the base line, the Cuyoc pass, then descend into the Guanacpatay valley to a camp also known as Elefantepampa. Night in tents.

Day 10. Guanacpatay - San Antonio pass, 4990 m - Cutatambo, 4250 m

The climb to the San Antonio viewpoint opens a panorama of Siula Grande, Yerupaja and the high lakes. The descent to Cutatambo is steeper than the ordinary trail; the guide decides whether to take it, based on the weather and the state of the ground. Night in tents.

Day 11. There-and-back walk to Siula Grande

Without moving camp we walk towards the base camp, the glacier and the lakes of Siula Grande. The exact turning point depends on the state of the trail and of the glacier zone. We return to Cutatambo. Night in tents.

Day 12. Cutatambo - Huayllapa, 3500 m

We descend along the valley to the village of Huayllapa. After a series of high passes this day is for recovery, although the accumulated tiredness is already considerable. Night in tents.

Day 13. Huayllapa - Tapush pass, 4800 m - Cashpapampa, 4600 m

We gain height again and cross the Tapush pass. The camp remains very high, so dry clothing and an early night matter especially. Night in tents.

Day 14. Cashpapampa - Yaucha pass, 4750 m - Jahuacocha, 4070 m

The last big pass leads out to Lake Jahuacocha. This is one of the main panoramic camps of the circuit and the place where the group prepares for the final walk out to Llamac. Night in tents.

Day 15. Jahuacocha - Pampa Llamac pass, 4300 m - Llamac - Huaraz

We cross the last, lower pass, descend to Llamac and meet the transport. Return to Huaraz, a shower and rest. Night in a hotel.

Day 16. Departure from Huaraz

The trip ends after breakfast. A participant books the ticket to Lima or their onward route with a margin for a possible delay in returning from the trek.

• A Mountain Guide trek leader for groups of 4 participants or more
• A local trekking guide for the whole circuit
• The Huaraz - Cuartelhuain and Llamac - Huaraz transfers
• Four nights in a hotel in Huaraz, twin rooms
• Eleven nights in tents, twin occupancy
• Meals on the walking section and breakfasts in the hotel
• The work of the cook, the muleteers and the pack animals
• Transport of a personal duffel of up to 7 kg
• Group tents, kitchen and dining equipment
• Treated drinking water in the camps
• The compulsory local community fees for the stated line
• Entry to the Viconga hot springs when they are operating
• A group first-aid kit

• International flights and domestic air tickets
• The journey between Lima and Huaraz
• Visa and other entry documents where these are required by the participant's nationality
• Medical insurance for trekking up to 5000 m
• Single occupancy in a hotel or a tent
• Sleeping bag, personal clothing and personal equipment
• Lunches and dinners in Huaraz
• A personal riding horse and the carriage of baggage over 7 kg
• Mountaineering ascents of the summits of the massif
• Search and rescue, medical costs and evacuation
• Tips for the local team
• Costs arising from the weather, road conditions, section closures or community decisions

The full Huayhuash circuit can be run for a private group on its own dates within the dry season. Before quoting we agree who is coming and their experience, the number of guides, the standard of the hotel in Huaraz, single tents, the baggage allowance, communications equipment, reserve days and the ground transport option.

A strong group can be given more time at the viewpoints, but acclimatisation cannot simply be dropped, nor the twelve-day line compressed, without changing the product. A group that needs a shorter route is quoted a separate version; the full circuit is not cut short once it has started.

Family and corporate enquiries are considered only after each participant's experience at altitude and on multi-day treks has been assessed. A private format gives more flexibility over the arrangements, but it does not set aside the preparation required or the constraints of a remote route.

• A valid passport
• A visa, if one is required for your nationality
• Insurance covering multi-day trekking, rescue and evacuation from up to 5000 m
• Air tickets and any documents needed for transit
• The details needed to register with local operators and communities
• Digital copies of your documents on your phone and in cloud storage

The rules on entry and on access to the sectors of the circuit are checked before the trip. The absence of a road near camp does not remove the requirement to carry your documents and insurance policy offline.

The main season for the full Huayhuash circuit falls in the dry months of the Peruvian winter, when prolonged rain is less likely. Even so, a clear morning is no guarantee of a settled day: on the passes the wind picks up quickly, cloud builds, and snow and hail are possible.

Most of the camps lie above 4000 m. The temperature drops quickly after sunset, the night can stay below freezing, and in the morning the tents and the trail may be covered in frost or snow. A sunny day at altitude also means strong ultraviolet.

In the wet season there is a greater risk of roads and trails being washed out, of precipitation on the passes and of delays to ground transport. The full circuit is planned around a suitable seasonal window, not simply around convenient flights.

Before every pass, your guide assesses the state of the trail, the visibility, the wind and how the group is feeling. Viewpoint outings and the exact order of stops may be adjusted if taking them on would create undue risk for the rest of the circuit.

Before and after the trek the group stays in a hotel in Huaraz, in twin rooms. The full circuit involves eleven nights in two-person tents. The particular hotels and campsites are confirmed before the trip.

The pack train carries the tents, the kitchen, the food and the agreed personal baggage. Camp is set up by the local team, but the remoteness of the route means the arrival of the animals and the loads can depend on the state of the pass, the weather and the pace of the pack train.

Camp meals are included on the trek: breakfast, a daytime meal, dinner, hot drinks and treated water. Breakfasts are included in Huaraz. Tell us about allergies and dietary restrictions before the food is bought.

The menu is built around a multi-day workload and what a field kitchen can do. Once you are on the circuit it is not possible to replace food quickly, so an individual diet, vegetarian or vegan, must be agreed before the expedition section begins.

After leaving Huaraz the trip becomes self-sufficient. The camps have no guaranteed hot shower, electricity, Wi-Fi or mobile signal. Washing facilities depend on the site and on the rules of the local community; whichever fixed or camp toilets are available will be used.

The Viconga hot springs are a point on the route, but they are no substitute for a regular shower and may be unavailable because of opening hours or the state of the path. For personal hygiene you need your own towel, wipes and a supply of dry clothing.

Your holdall reaches you in the evening, so all day you carry water, a snack, waterproofs, a warm layer, documents, a personal first-aid kit and a head torch. Keep the kit you sleep in inside a dry bag, whatever the forecast.

Your phone, navigation and camera need a power bank with enough capacity for the whole self-sufficient section. A signal at certain points does not count as working communications. Emergency communications and evacuation procedures are gone through before you set out.

Documents and baggage

• Passport and digital copies of your documents
• Insurance for multi-day high-altitude trekking to 5000 m, including evacuation
• Day pack of 30-40 litres with a rain cover
• A soft holdall of the agreed weight, to be carried by the pack train
• Dry bags for your sleeping bag, clothing, electronics and documents

Clothing and footwear

• Broken-in trekking boots for stony trails and long descents
• Light footwear for camp
• Base layers and a separate dry set of clothes to sleep in
• A fleece or other insulating layer
• A warm jacket with a hood
• Waterproof shell jacket and trousers
• Warm hat, buff and two pairs of gloves
• A sun hat, trekking socks and spare dry pairs

Personal equipment

• A warm sleeping bag for nights above 4000 m at sub-zero temperatures
• Trekking poles
• Head torch and spare batteries
• Category 3-4 sunglasses and SPF 50 sun cream
• Flasks or a hydration system holding at least 2 litres
• A power bank with enough capacity for the self-sufficient section
• Personal first-aid kit, toiletries and a quick-drying towel

The final list is checked against the season and the state of the route. A technical ascent of Diablo Mudo or any other summit is not part of the full trekking circuit; crampons, an ice axe and a climbing harness are not needed for the standard line.