This famous 4-day trek takes you through the Cordillera Blanca, or ‘White Range’, so called because of its numerous perennially ice-capped peaks and glaciers. The 180km-long range has the greatest number of summits over 6000m outside the Himalayas, including Peru’s highest peak, Huascaran (6768m).

The Cordillera Blanca is the highest tropical mountain range in the world and offers dramatic mountain panoramas, with breathtaking views of towering glaciered white peaks, including Nevado Artesonraju (6025m), Nevado Taulliraju (5830m), and Nevado Alpamayo (5947m), which is considered the most beautiful mountain in the world thanks to its near-perfect pyramid of ice. Add to these wonders pristine azure lakes and deep green valleys rich with exotic tropical plants, and you have one of the most magnificent parts of South America.

Despite including a 4760m high pass, this stunning trek is suitable for amateur hikers and in a short space of time offers a fantastic collection of gleaming mountain peaks and jewelled glacial lakes.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Trip duration 4 days

Trip type trekking adventure

Grading moderate

Starting point of trek Vaqueria

Finishing point of trek Cashapampa

Highest point Punta Union Pass 4760m

Distance approx 50km

DAY 1 Drive to Vaqueria (3600m), via Yungay, the Llanganuco Lakes

(3860m) and the Portachuelo Viewpoint (4760m). Trek to Paria (3870m).

Approx 3 hours driving, 6 hours trekking

DAY 2 Trek to Taullipampa (4250m), via Punta Union Pass (4760m).

Approx 7 hours trekking

DAY 3 Trek to Llamacorral (3760m), via Alpamayo Base Camp (4250m).

Approx 7 hours trekking

DAY 4 Trek to Cashapampa (2900m). Drive to Huaraz, via Caraz.

Approx 3 hours trekking, 3 hours driving