CORDILLERA BLANCA & HUAYHUASH

Day 1
We fly to Lima today, and on arrival this evening those on the group flights will be met and transferred to the hotel.

Day 2
This morning we drive to the small town of Chavin, in the Cordillera Blanca region. The drive is quite long and tiring (450km in about 9 hours), but increasingly scenic as we enter the mountains. The journey includes the crossing of the 4100m Conococha Pass and we should arrive in the early evening.

Day 3
This morning we visit the ruins of Chavin de Huantar, located just outside the town. The citadel is the largest restored pre-Inca site in Peru and is best known for its impressive carved stonework and anthropomorphic figures and its labyrinth of underground passages. In the afternoon we drive to Huaraz to prepare for the first trek.

Day 4
We drive north to the trailhead, passing the town of Yungay, which was completely destroyed by the 1970 avalanche killing 20,000 inhabitants. The road winds up into the gully between Huascaran massif and the Huandoy three-pronged peak. Llanganuco, as the area is known, has the two lakes of Chinancocha and Oroncocha, with turquoise blue waters. We cross the pass of Llanganuco at 4,750m with spectacular views of Mt. Huascaran, Huandoy, Pisco and Chacraraju. Continue on to Vaqueria (3,700m). The trek starts with a leisurely walk down towards a trail which makes its way over a small ridge and into the Huaripampa valley. Overnight in the area of Paria or Tuctu at about 3,800m.

Day 5
The trail starts ascending towards Punta Union, a pass of 4,750m. The old trail was heavily used in pre-Columbian and colonial times as a route for transporting goods from the eastern side of the Andes to the main valley. As we approach the pass, Mt Taulliraju will loom above us and on the other side its glacial lake and glacier adds colour to the amazing view down the Santa Cruz valley. The trail descends into Taullipampa (approx 4,150m), where we spend the night with stunning mountain views on all sides.

Day 6
Past the side-valley of Arhuaycocha (with the option to view Mt. Alpamayo), we continue down the Santa Cruz valley. The landscape changes, and scree slopes appear on each side of the now marshy meadow, as well as rock boulders fallen from eroded walls above. Towards the end of the day we walk out of the ever-narrowing canyon into Llamacorral. We usually camp right beside the river here at approx 3,700m.

Day 7
A steep descent brings us to Cashapampa in the early morning. We meet the vehicle that will take us back to Huaraz. The road winds slowly down to the main valley, and we will arrive at Huaraz in the afternoon. We should have enough time for a few pisco sours and a meal to celebrate our brief return to civilisation!

Day 8
Today we have a long but stunning drive to the Cordillera Huayhuash. We drive back up towards the Conococha pass but this time turn left along the new mine road. Soon the Cordillera Huayhuash come into view - a sharp and compact range rising out of the high plateau. We pass the town of La Union before finally arriving at Huanuco Pampa. Above a village, on a big pampa (high altitude meadow) lies one of the most important Inca sites, still untouched as it must have stood in Inca times. We camp nearby, with time to explore the site.

Day 9
Leaving the site, the road criss-crosses past the villages of Rondos and Baños. From here the road slowly ascends to Queropalca, the roadhead. Our horses and drivers wait for us as we begin our hike to Carhuacocha, a beautifully located lake below Mt. Jirishanca, Siula and Yerupajá (Peru's second highest mountain at 6,344m). Overnight on the lakeshore with amazing views of the Jirishanca, Yerupajas and Siula (camp is approx 4,100m).

Day 10
Head up over the Mitucocha pass (4,750m) and then drop into another cirque, with views of Rondoy and Ninashanca. Camp near the shores of lake Mituchocha (approx 4,200m), surrounded by an awesome landscape of terminal moraines and glistening glaciers.

Day 11
Walk up the hillside until we reach the Cacanampunta pass (4,750m), the aquarium divortium between the Pacific and the Amazon. We descend into the valley to join the road, which will take us to our next camp at Rondoy (approx 4,200m).

Day 12
We ascend through the Rondoy valley towards the pass of the same name at 4700m, from where we can see the fantastic snow capped peaks of Ninashanca, Rondoy, Jirishanca, Jerupaja, Rasac and Solteracocha. We descend towards to beautiful lake Jahuacocha (approx 4,000m), where we camp and the support crew prepare a typical Pachamanca dinner. The lake's aquamarine colour in the sun is stunning, whilst it turns an inky black when clouds pass over.

Day 13
Take in the last views of the Cordillera Huayhuash before we leave the snow-capped mountains behind as we head down the Jahuacocha valley. The trail heads over the Llamac pass, into the village of Llamac and we camp in nearby Pocpa.

Day 14
From Pocpa there will be a full day drive (private bus) to Lima via Chiquian, over the Conococha pass and down the Fortaleza valley to the Panamerican Highway. Arrive in Lima in the late afternoon after crossing the desert.

Day 15
Those on the group flight will be transferred to the airport this afternoon for the flight to London. Those on Land-only arrangements will leave us after breakfast.

Day 16
The group flights arrive in London this afternoon.