Santa Cruz Trekking with Lake 69 – 5 days

Day 1: Huaraz –  Yuraccorral – Laguna 69 – Yuraccorral

Drive to Llanganuco Lakes, hike to Laguna 69 and then back to camp by Llanganuco Lakes at Yurakcoral Travel by our private vehicle car for 2 ½ hours from Huaraz past the beautiful Llanganuco Lakes and then to Cebollapampa 3850 m. You start the walk from Cebollapampa by following the valley for some 40 minutes, then climb continuously on a zig zag track for about 2 hour 40 minutes to Laguna 69, a beautiful lake of the most brilliant blue colour 4500 m. The lake is surrounded by the mountains Chacrarju and Pisco which leave reflections on the lake. On the return walk you look directly towards the mountains Huascaran, Chopicalqui and Yanapaccha.

Return the same way descending all the way to the trail start at Cebollapampa and then walk about 20 minutes more down to a campsite named Yurakcoral 3850 m situated at the head of the LLanganuco Lakes where we camp the night.

Meals Included: L-D.

Day 6: Yurraccorral – Portachuelo Pass – Vaqueria – Paria

Drive to Vaqueria via Portachuelo Pass & hike up Huaripampa Valley to Paria Drive from Yuracorral Camp upwards to the Portachuelo de Llanganuco road pass 4767 m. Here we stop to enjoy views of a number of spectacular high Andean peaks, including the highest Huascarán, Huandoy, and Chopicalqui, as well as the Llanganuco lakes a kilometre below us.

We descend to Vaqueria 3600m, arriving after one hour  drive. We meet our donkey drivers, equipment is loaded  onto donkeys and we start trekking. We enjoy a relaxed, gradually ascending hike which takes us initially through the agricultural settlements of the Huaripampa valley, where we will encounter many friendly local children and observe the traditional village way of life and its farming methods close-up. We then leave civilization behind and enter the wilderness of the Huascaran National Park to camp in a secluded valley at Paria 3900 m.

Meals Included: B-L-D.

Day 7: Paria – Taullipampa – Via Punta Union Pass

Today is a hard day, with fitness and acclimatisation levels put to the test. Nevertheless, we take our time and have plenty of rest breaks as we undertake a  sustained ascent of 3 hours to a narrow notch in a granite wall. This is the pass over the Continental Divide, Punta Union 4750 m. The imposing nearby Taulliraju, a jagged snow-capped mountain, dominates the skyline while to the north and northwest, Rinrihirca and Quitaraju loom large, and in the distance to the west  we glimpse the blue Jatuncocha lake a long way down the Quebrada Santa Cruz valley. After admiring the views and taking photos, we enjoy an easy zig zag trail  down to our camp in a meadow at Taullipampa 4254 m.

Meals Included: B-L-D

Day 8: Taullipampa – via Alpamayo Base Camp to Llamacor

We hike up the Quebrada Arhuaycocha all the way to Alpamayo Base Camp from where climbers start their  ascent of Alpamayo (4300 m at Base Camp). There usually are some climbers base camps set up there and sometimes we can see groups of climbers making their  way up or descending down from Alpamayo Base  Camp. We can take a short 30 minute hike up to Lake

Arhuaycocha from Base Camp, before descending back  down the valley and hiking past Laguna Jatuncocha to  our camp at Llamacorral.

Meals Included: B-L

Day 9: Llamacorral down to Cashapampa & drive back to Huaraz

An easy down valley hike on a good trail, following the fast flowing Santa Cruz river to the village of Cashapampa where our private vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Huaraz

Meals Included: B-L