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Huayhuash Trek FAQ: 20 Burning Questions About the Best Hike in South America

The Cordillera Huayhuash, one of the world’s great mountain ranges. Oh, that name not ringing a bell? Well, it’s a chain of fabulous, snow-covered peaks in northern Peru not far from the trekking mecca of Huaraz. Still drawing a blank? It’s in the Andes? South America? There we go, now you’ve got it.

The point I’m trying to make is that outside of serious hiking circles, the Huayhuash region is really not very well known. To say the least. Now, how can that be when numerous sources describe the epic Huayhuash Circuit as “the second-best trek in the world”? Well, part of the reason is that those sources are overwhelmingly located in the immediate vicinity of Huayhuash itself.

Woman hiking up steep path to the Mirador Tres Lagunas in Peru

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Plus, all those “x-best such and such” claims are all so subjective and impossible to prove. For example, “the best trek” in this scenario is generally assumed to be Everest Base Camp which is undoubtedly amazing, but isn’t even our favourite trek in Nepal. So, there’s room for interpretation, is what I’m saying.

However….

The fact that we are even having this conversation tells you that the Huayhuash Trek is pretty special. Something we can now wholeheartedly confirm. Certainly the best trek we’ve done in South America. Far better than the much more famous Inca Trail. More varied and scenic than “The W” in southern Patagonia. And, while we did not take on the full 10-day version of the Huayhuash Circuit, we still spent a full 5 days trekking through this spectacular mountain range, sleeping in tents well above 4,000 metres each night and crossing multiple high passes (some reaching as high as 5,000 metres).

Hiker approaching a bright blue mountain lake

The scenery was incredible, the trail varied and impressive, our Peruvian trekking staff outstanding, our 7 young Israeli fellow trekkers friendly, ebullient and endlessly chatty, the weather mostly decent – and truly excellent when it mattered most – and our trail dogs adorable and clingy and only occasionally irritating.

Group photo at a high pass in the Cordillera Huayhuash

Many blogs have already delved into the logistical details of the Huayash Trek so I won’t bore you (or myself) with all of that. What I will do is address some of the most common questions that occur to people (including us) when planning their big Andean trek. Along with some far less common questions that I either feel like you should be asking, or that I simply felt like answering.

How does the scenery compare to other famous alpine treks?

Glassy mountain lake with steep peaks behind

It is so hard to compare them as so many are incredible – just different. Like trying to decide between pizza and burgers, Succession and Breaking Bad or toenails and fingernails. But the Huayhuash is certainly right up there, scenically, with the very best, such as Nepal’s Gokyo Lakes, the Italian Dolomites and the French and Swiss Alps.

How hard is the Huayhuash Trek on a scale of 1 to WTF?

Overall, I would describe it as “strenuous” and call it mid-range among the multi-day treks we’ve done other places. The Walker’s Haute Route in France and Switzerland is definitely harder but mostly at lower altitudes, putting them on a similar level. The Carros de Foc in Spain also avoids the altitude issues but the trail itself is much harder and more exhausting – again, pretty similar. Of course, both of those have comfortable mountain huts waiting at the end of each stage. The Huayhuash has a tent and, if all goes well, a bucket of hot water. Overall, it’s more comparable to hiking in Nepal, just shorter.

Hiker with snowy mountain in background

Which is why a big factor is how many days you do. We had 5 hiking days and 3 of those were really strenuous – 800 to 1000m of elevation gain/loss at high altitude. The first day was merely “tiring” and day two was mostly a valley stroll, although that would have changed if the skies had been clear enough to try the Alpine Route.

So, yeah, that’s another consideration. Most stages have two options – the traditional trail (i.e. easiest) and the “Alpine Route”. The Alpine Route was seemingly devised to send you up to all the highest passes, best viewpoints and most exhausting altitudes. Definitely choose this one if you are fit and looking to maximize the scenic value of the trek. Or if you have a masochistic streak that simply can’t be satisfied by plucking nose hairs or buying the cheapest toilet paper you can find.

Sharp mountain peaks in the Andes

The 10-day Huayhuash Trek will obviously require more endurance (and a greater store of said toilet paper) but actually avoids a couple of the highest passes so, as far as day-to-day averages, isn’t necessarily harder.

What is the best viewpoint?

Couple sitting on a rock overlooking the famous three lakes of the Cordillera Huayhuash

Usually this would be a very contentious question but the Huayhuash has one very famous viewpoint that, happily, more than lives up to the hype. Mirador Tres Lagunas (Three Lakes Viewpoint) provides stunning views back down the valley over – you’re going to love this part – three lakes! It is, as the kids used to say, really cool. And it certainly doesn’t hurt if you happen to get a warm, sunny day with perfectly clear blue skies when the time comes. Unlike the very steep hill to get there. That hurts a fair bit, it turns out.

Man admiring the view over a mountain lake and waterfalls

What is the most picturesque lake?

Reflection of mountains on Laguna Carhuacocha

In our opinion, that would be Laguna Carhuacocha. A fabulous lake surrounded by hills and snowy peaks with some nice camping areas spread around its shores. People tougher than me (i.e. the Israeli boys) can enjoy swimming in it at the end of a long hiking day, while others simply enjoy the fantastic mountain views (some of which may include a glacier shaped like a slightly inebriated polar bear).We stayed there our second night and got to enjoy a gorgeous reflective sunrise before continuing on to the Mirador Tres Lagunas. It was quite a day.

Peruvian glacier that resembles a drunk polar bear
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it

How much oxygen is there at 5,000 metres?

Barely enough to get by, and far less than is ideal. There is literally about half as much oxygen in the air at that height, so assume that climbing to those passes will take you at least twice as long as usual, requiring at least twice as many breaks and, typically, far more than twice as much swearing.

Couple overlooking San Antonio Pass on the Huayhuash Mini-Trek

In all seriousness, though, you can very easily get altitude sickness at that height, so take care and pay attention to the signs (meaning headaches, nausea and dizziness, not signs that say “are you sick?”). On the other hand, studies do NOT show any connection between high altitudes and troublesome thigh rashes. That is strictly a North Face problem, apparently.

What do you have to carry?

Pack mules hauling camping gear up a mountain trail

This, my friends, is the best part. If you join an organized group, that is. If you choose to do it on your own this is, in fact, the WORST part. For us, being lovingly catered to by Waroma Eco-Tours, all we had to carry was a day pack with water, warm clothes, rain gear, a few snacks and some tissue packs (the dry air means lots of nose blowing / bathrooms are many hours apart).

BTW, there are lots of different tours to choose from so shop around…

Three hikers in front of a creek

We had a great guide (Maikel), terrific cook/secondary guide (Cilicio) and – here’s the relevant bit – two “arrieros” responsible for the mules that so generously carried all our camping gear (tents, mats, sleeping bags), extra-warm night clothes, cooking gear (another tent, stoves, pots, etc.) and, of course, food. I’d call them important but I’m not sure that word fully covers it. Crucial? Essential? Indispensable? Life-saving miracle workers?

Three hikers at Siula Pass in the Cordillera Huayhuash
Group of trekkers in a dining tent on the Huayhuash Circuit

Can the mules and donkeys be trusted?

Mule coming out of stream in front of mountain campground

To faithfully carry all the gear that you really don’t want to carry and get to the campsite well before you so the guys have time to have everything set up and waiting for you? Absolutely. To be discreet about where they shit so you don’t have to constantly dodge steaming nuggets while struggling up to the next pass? I wouldn’t count on it.

Why is it called the “Hummus Hike”?

Group of hikers sprawled on the rocks at a high pass in Peru

Because, we were told, “every Israeli eats hummus and every Israeli hikes the Huayhuash”. For some reason, the Huayhuash Trek has become a rite of passage for young Israelis looking to earn their adventure badge through exotic travel, intensely difficult trekking and massive WhatsApp group chats. Many of whom recently completed their mandatory military service and are fit, energetic and open to trying new things. Especially if they can try those things with anywhere from 6 to 50 of their compatriots.

Can you describe the bathroom situation without being vulgar?

Hikers making their way down a steep scree slope
Photo unrelated to the toilet situation because, hey, you don’t need to see that

Not well, and certainly not accurately. But there ARE toilets at each campsite. Of a sort. Some of them flush (some of them don’t). Some are clean (some are not). None of them have toilet paper. None of them have toilet seats. They are all cold. Most feature a cardboard box overflowing with shit-covered toilet paper. Ah, so close to avoiding the vulgar.

Does everyone get their own dog?

While we can’t speak for everyone, in our experience, yes, you will each receive a personal canine companion for the duration of the trek. Friendly, only slightly mangy, tireless, apparently, and, always – always – very interested in whatever you happen to be eating.

Two hikers and a dog companion

Of course, these dogs aren’t official members of the trekking party. But they’ve bravely chosen a nomadic lifestyle, journeying far and wide throughout the Cordillera Huayhuash, making new friends every week or so, diligently rubbing against your legs on all the steepest parts and just generally getting in the way on all the narrowest stretches of trail, all in the service of the occasional half-eaten plate of pasta or accidentally dropped, biscuit. They hump each other once in a while, too.

Do you get your own sleeping bag, too?

Surprisingly, no. I mean, it IS one person to a sleeping bag, you don’t have to worry about being having to snuggle up with some sweaty Israeli dude. But when the camp gets packed up every morning the sleeping bags are just thrown in a random pile, later getting doled out just as randomly among the tents. So you may (will?) end up sharing with one of those sweaty Israeli dudes, just not necessarily at the same time.

Tent glowing from the inside with the moon above

How cold is it on a scale of 1 to WTF?

Pretty close to freezing. Our last morning we woke up to snow on the ground. So, way too close, if you ask me.

Why do Peruvians calls “passes” “puntas”?

View from Trapisio Pass on the Huayhuash Trek

In most Spanish-speaking countries, “paso” means “pass”. Not hard to see the connection, really. And, usually, “punta”, means “point” or, quite often, “penis”. Yet the Peruvians call passes “puntas”. Sometimes. Not all the time. Seemingly with no correlation to whether or not the pass is in any way shaped like a dick.

So, to answer your question, how would I know?

Should I bring a swimsuit?

Well, there are plenty of lakes, that’s for sure. Are they lakes you want to dip your mostly bare body in, though? I’m not so sure. It is a probably a decision best made on a case-by-case basis. Most days we decided it was sufficient to briefly dip our feet in a freezing creek and brave a quick “pit splash”.

Woman washing her feet in a mountain creek

But if you’re still intrigued by the “full dip” experience, complete this short questionnaire to determine where you land in this great debate:

Did you bring a bathing suit specifically for this purpose?

Did you tell everyone back home you were planning to swim higher than 4,000 metres above sea level and now feel somewhat trapped by that hasty boast?

Do you suspect that feats of extreme discomfort are the best path to earning your father’s respect?

Do you stink? Like, really stink?

Do you love telling stories that end with “my nipples were hard enough to cut glass”?

If you scored at least 3 out of 5 yeses, then brace yourself, buddy, things are about to get real chilly.

Campground overlooking Laguna Carhuacocha

Is there any cell service along the trail?

Couple on a ridge overlooking an alpine lake and steep mountains

Precious little. So we recommend taking this opportunity to disconnect, unplug, live in the moment, yada yada yada. Or just keep a close eye on your guide and whenever you see him scaling some improbable rock at a high pass (or “punta”) waving his phone around like he’s ecstatically enjoying a Dave Matthews Band concert, definitely follow him because that, my friend, may be just the place to get a single intermittent bar.

There is also very slow wifi in the hostel in Huayllapa at the end of day 5.

Is the hostel in Huayllapa really a hostel?

Hikers entering the adobe village of Huayllapa Peru

In that it has beds, showers and toilets (one of which even has a seat) and lots of young people loudly partying later than is prudent, yes, it IS a hostel. Do they provide any of the other services a hostel normally provides such as a shared kitchen, local info, other guests or general friendliness? No. But – and I can’t stress this enough – you do NOT have to sleep in a tent.

Who left that toothbrush in the pee area at Elefante Camp?

Not me, thankfully, because that shit was pretty gross. Somehow just way more gross than it really should be. I mean, it was just a dirty toothbrush, after all. Covered in the urine of dozens of hikers far too lazy to walk all the way to the actual toilet. But still. I have a vision of some careless dude watching it slip out of his hands into the damp grass among the disrespectful clumps of used tissues, looking crestfallen and depressed as he slowly comes to the conclusion that “it’s just a couple more days, my teeth can wait”.

How do you get to the trailhead?

Two vans unloading gear for the Huayhuash trek

Via a long, slow, winding 3.5-hr van ride from Huaraz. There is a breakfast stop, however.

How do you get back from Huayllapa?

Man in front of a van with another man stacking supplies on top

Apparently, via a long, slow, winding 5-hr van ride to Barranca, all the way down on the Pacific Coast. At which point you will switch to another van, either for a long, slow, winding 4-hr van ride back to Huaraz or a long, slow, straight 4-hr van ride to Lima.

Does the math of any of that make sense? I’m not so sure. But that’s sure as hell how WE got back.

What should I pack?

Lots of warm clothes. No, warmer than that, friend. Puffy jacket, merino wool shirts, buff, long underwear, big socks, toque (beanie), gloves. You’re going to be spending your nights in a tent in the mountains over 4,000 metres above sea level. Sure, +2C may seem pleasant (or even balmy in March in Saskatchewan) when you’re hiking or walking to your car or waiting outside a bar for your Uber. It feels less pleasant when wind is whistling down the valley as you contemplate 4 more hours before it gets dark enough to go to bed.

Couple selfie with mountains and lakes in background

Then, of course, you’ll need the usual hiking gear. Good shoes, hiking poles, rain gear, hat, strong sunscreen. Lots of water. And water bottles, bladder, water filter, iodine tablets. So you don’t die, or whatever.

For the camping, you’ll want a headlamp. Just think of it as a hands-free cell phone light for when you’re trying to navigate a seat-less toilet in a frozen concrete outhouse at 3 am. Toilet paper, obviously. I always carry a small travel pillowcase that, via a single puffy jacket, can magically drop the “case”. The Netflix app with several downloaded episodes of Top Boy.

Huayhash Trek Summary

Patches of grass and flowers in the shallow water of a mountain lake

So that is it for our Huayhuash Trek – All Your Burning Questions. I’ll leave it to you to decide if any of these were actually burning or not. And you may have more questions, the 20 was mainly chosen for its satisfying roundness. If you do want to know more, feel free to send us a message and we’ll do our best to help you out.

In the meantime, the main takeaway should be that the Huayhuash region is just as beautiful as they say, definitely one of the world’s bucket list trekking destinations. You should probably give it a look.

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