Trip report(May 2024): Huayhuash circuit in Peru

Partner and I spent 10 days hiking the Huayhuash circuit. The trek goes through the Cordillera Huayhuash range in the Andes and offers some of the best scenery we have seen in the world.

We opted to do this hike self guided and it wasn't as difficult as we had thought. Though I did have gastrointestinal issues the first few days which went away with an added rest day. No other issues with altitude since we climatized in Huaraz(big town nearby) for a week. Did a few practice day hikes and took acetazolamide(which is available for cheap at Inkafarma pharmacy in Huaraz) beforehand. With that said we are a bit more used to this elevation. Hiked Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador a few months ago and have done Salkantay and Ausangate on a previous trip to Peru. We were mentally prepared for what was to come and I think that's half of the hurdle for this trek.

We spent the last few months in Peru so didn't have the option of bringing freeze dried food from the US. Instead we had to haul cans of beans and tuna as lightweight food options are limited in Huaraz. Other food items consisted of powdered mash potatoes, noodles, dried fruits, mushrooms, nuts and sugary snacks for energy. Water was readily available on the trail, just had to filter. We would carry minimal water to reduce pack weight when going up passes. Fuel for camping stoves was found at the hiking stores though for double the price we would pay at home. The 450 gram size was good for the 10 days. We would boil water 2-3 times daily.

We organized a shuttle to the start of the trek at our hostel in Huaraz(Hostel Montanero) for 100 soles per person to Quartelwain. A bit more pricey than the public transport option but we just wanted to the start of the hike early. Return was from Llamac via public transit and cost about half that to get back to Huaraz.

We originally planned to do the hike in 8 days but tacked on another 2; an added rest day and then a second for a detour to the hot springs(which was very worthwhile). They have a small shop and a restaurant at the springs. More shops, restaurants and guesthouses are available in the town of Huayllapa which is 2/3 of the way into the trek.

Some nights got cold, especially the camps at high elevation. I had a -9 celcius bag and partner had a 0 degree bag with a liner. Partner had to put on additional layers on colder nights and had some restlessness due to the cold. Mostly cold feet.

I roughly calculated that we hiked a distance of 115km(70 miles) but the thing that made the trek difficult was that you had to go over a pass a day with the highest being 5100m(16,800ft).

Used a combination of alltrails and map.me for navigation. Things weren't the most straightforward as there are a lot of animal trails so it's easy to get off path.

The trek is on private property owned by a series of communities. You pay to pass through each community. This cost us 270 soles per person.

A really great trip that was oh so beautiful!

There are a lot more pictures and details about this and other hikes on my IG. Link in profile.

Hope you enjoy the pics and find this information helpful. Feel free to ask questions and I'll answer when possible.