Huaraz & Prep for Huayhuash Trek

Introduction

A hiker’s town, Huaraz is found an 8 hours drive above Lima in Peru. Missed out on by most mainstream tourists as they flock down south onwards to Machu Picchu and Cusco. Huaraz is the base town for 3 mountain ranges in the Andes, Cordilla Blanca, Cordilla Negra and Cordilla Huayhuash. I came to Huaraz to acclimatize and prepare for my epic trek to the Huayhuash region. In doing so, I explored the relatively smaller town and did 3 day hikes as training - Wilcacocha, Rajucolta & Lake 69.

Huaraz

Huaraz as a town boasts a main street where most of the hiking shops are found on, coupled with many travel agencies and restaurants. The Plaza de Armas is also found along the main road. Unfortunately, there are not many attractions within the town, with tourists spending most of their time either shopping for supplies, resting at their hostels or getting a nice coffee at a cafe. There is a main wet street market, however beyond a first visit, there is little to see.

Laguna Wilcacocha

At 3700m, lake Wilcacocha is often used by hikers as their first acclimatization hike. A half day programme, it takes most visitors about 5 hours to reach the top, explore, before returning down. Found a short distance away from Huaraz, tourists can board a collectivo bus (number 10 or E), which will cost them about 2 soles and take them to the entry road to the lake.

We took the steep step path through the village in order to reach the top as fast as possible, but opted to descend back via the main vehicle road, which offers a nice gradual stroll back out. During our time there, the hike got pretty hot, but did not offer too much of a challenge in terms of navigation or terrain.

When we got to the top, we found a group shooting a music video coupled with a family who had brought a boat to paddle on the lake. This means that you can most certainly take a taxi all the way to the lake, should you prefer not to hike up.

Overall, the lake was pleasant and the scenery was nice.

Rajucolta

For our second acclimatization hike, we chose a less popular destination in Rajucolta. No daily group departures are offered, nor are there public transport services to the area. Instead, we had to hire a 4X4 drive, and have an absolute head banging of an experience on the way.

Nonetheless, the journey was absolutely worth it as the route was devoid of people, with only 1 other group of hikers and 1 group of climbers present. While the altitude is above 4000m, the walk is almost completely flat and gentle. As such, it was a highly enjoyable walk towards the lake, which resides just beneath the mountain at the end of the path.

Laguna 69

We picked Laguna 69 as the final acclimatization hike. Unlike the previous, this was a highly popular hike, with daily group departures from Huaraz. As many as 50 people could be on the trail at any one time. At about 4700m, Laguna 69 poses a slightly tougher walk, while also boasting some steep sections that will likely take your breath out.

The route roughly includes 2 flat sections and 2 steep zig-zag paths. Once we reached the top, the wind was at full force, causing us to retreat to behind the cover of rocks. With snacks in hand, we took time to appreciate the lake, though much of the mountains were covered by clouds.

Conclusion

Having finished these 3 acclimatization hikes, I was as ready as I could probably be for the Huayhaush trek. 11 days in Andes promises to be an adventure of a lifetime. In my next post, I will start to cover my time in the Cordillera Huayhuash.