The Cordillera Huayhuash is often said to be the most beautiful part of the Peruvian Andes. It’s a land of high grassy valleys, clear mountain lakes, tumbled glaciers and snow-shrouded peaks – all overarched by an impossibly deep-blue sky, where condors soar. The Huayhuash is a landscape of awe-inspiring height and scale, with six peaks over 6000m – including Yerupaja (6617m) the second highest mountain in Peru – and several passes over 5000m. Our route is a challenging 14 day, 170km circuit that leads us right around the range. At night we camp or stay in villages where possible, share meals with villagers in their homes, listen to the haunting Andean harp, and might even coincide with a colourful village festival. There’s also a chance to sample a traditional Peruvian pachamanca feast, and to fish the area’s abundant trout for a delicious mountain dinner. Our guides are natives of the Huayhuash, so we’re shown this magnificent range by people who know and love it best. The people of the Huayhuash area are desperately poor. Our brand of trekking here helps bring much needed income, as well as unforgettable cultural interactions. Profits from the Moving Mountains Project’s Huayhuash treks in 2009 will go towards providing essential equipment for schools in the villages of Llamac, Huayllapa and Pacllon.

Cost
AUD $2700

In 2009 we’ll be walking the Cordillera Huayhuash
Trip 1   20 May–8 June 2009
Trip 2   21 June–10 July 2009   

Download comprehensive trip notes on The Cordillera Huayhuash trek here:

   > PeruTripNotes.pdf