Breakfast
Porridge, quinoa or cereal, with eggs, pancakes or toast and marmalade.
Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit with Siula Grande Base Camp, 15 Days
Fifteen days for the full Huayhuash circuit, unhurried, with rest days at Carhuacocha and Jahuacocha and a side trip to the base camp of Siula Grande, the mountain of Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void. You cross eight passes, the highest Cuyoc (5000m), and spend two weeks above 4000m. Since 2009 the Huayllapa community controls access to the Calinca valley and the base camp: it is decided when the group arrives and carries an extra community fee.
The complete circuit and Siula Base Camp
- Grade: Hard
- Duration: 15 days (options 13/14)
- Highest point: Cuyoc 5000m
- Passes: 8
- Highlight: Siula Grande Base Camp
- Above 4000m throughout
A complete, unhurried circuit with rest days at Carhuacocha and Jahuacocha and a side trip to Siula Grande Base Camp. Graded Hard for its length, the high passes and two weeks continuously above 4000m. You need good fitness and to be comfortable with sustained climbs, long descents and short sections on loose ground.
High Altitude Tactical Itinerary
Review the route day by day: altitudes, distances and acclimatisation.
Huaraz to Llamac via Chiquián by road
Walking time
4 to 5 hours driveHighest point
3300mWe drive from Huaraz to Chiquián with distant views of the Huayhuash, then descend through cactus-and-scrub country to the village of Llamac (3300m) for our first camp.
How your Huayhuash trek runs
A private trek with your own crew, from the drive out of Huaraz to the day you walk back into Llamac. The community access and camping fees are included.
Included in your trek
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A licensed trekking guide, a cook and an assistant (one for 3 or 4 clients, two for 5 or more)
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Donkeys and donkey drivers to carry your bag, the tents and the food
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Five meals a day, from fresh produce; vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free on request
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Twin-share tents, dining tent with table and chairs, foam mat and inflatable Thermarest
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Private transport to the trailhead and back
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Community access and camping fees
Not included
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Hotels in Lima and Huaraz, and meals in town
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Getting from Lima to Huaraz and back
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Sleeping bag (we can arrange hire)
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Acclimatisation day hikes before the trek
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Travel, rescue and cancellation insurance
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Tips for the crew
Plan your trek
Ask about this trek
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. You will hear back from the family that runs the trip, with honest advice on acclimatisation and the route, and a full price for your group.
How we price this trek. It depends on how many of you there are and how many days you trek, and the price per person comes down as the group grows. The community fees are included, and our quote is valid for 31 days.
When I started inquiring about trips many companies either didn’t respond or took a week or more, but right from the first prompt email Peruvian Andes Adventures was professional and thorough.
Essential Trekking Notes & Rules
Calinca Valley Access
Since 2009 the Huayllapa community controls access to the Calinca Valley and Siula Grande Base Camp to protect grazing; access is not guaranteed and is decided when groups arrive, with an extra community fee. If refused, we camp at Huanacpatay and day-hike to the San Antonio pass for views of Siula Grande and its Base Camp.
Grading
Graded Hard for the length, the number of high passes and two weeks continuously above 4000m. You need good fitness, comfort with sustained two-to-three hour climbs, prolonged descents and short sections on loose, uneven ground.
Community-Owned Land
The entire Huayhuash circuit crosses privately owned community farmland, not a national park. Communities allow groups to pass and camp and charge access and camping fees (included in the trek fee), providing toilets at campsites. Please leave no rubbish and respect the local people and their animals.
Trails & Terrain
Trails are unformed, unmaintained dirt paths also used by animals and uneven underfoot, often steep both ascending and descending and slippery or rocky in places.
Hiking Hours & Kms
Hiking hours are estimates including breaks and the lunch stop, for our average groups; the altitude affects people differently, so some are faster and others much slower. Distances are estimated. Access roads are unpaved and bumpy, so road travel is slower than the distance suggests.
Five meals a day, at 4,000 metres
Good food is how your body keeps going at altitude. Every year, before the season starts, our cooks spend a course learning new trekking dishes, and on the trail they cook from fresh vegetables, fruit, chicken and meat. All drinking water is boiled. Menus change with each cook's favourite dishes; this is a typical day.
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten-free
Lactose-free
Trail snack box
Nuts and dried fruit, biscuits, chocolate or sweets, a piece of fruit and a small fruit juice.
Cooked lunch
Protein, carbohydrate and vegetables — say a tuna and tomato salad with carrot, cauliflower, broccoli and rice — with herbal tea.
Afternoon tea
Popcorn, crackers, cheese, spreads and nuts, with extra treats like wontons and guacamole.
Dinner
A fresh soup (never from a packet), a main of chicken, fish, meat or a vegetarian dish with pasta, rice or potatoes and vegetables, and dessert.
What our Huayhuash trekkers say
"We were very particular about the itinerary and they work with us to make our specific desires happen… Our cook made the most amazing Peruvian food, and it may be the only trek where I gained weight."
Brian (USA) — Cordillera Huayhuash Trek, May 2018
"Our guide David is very knowledgeable in the history, flora, fauna and peaks. It’s amazing how he remembered the exact elevations of all the peaks we saw!"
Carolyn (Canada) — Cordillera Huayhuash Trek, June 2018
"Giovanni always making sure that I had protein at every meal! … I have been vegan for 16 years… I can’t believe that over 10 days I didn’t touch my emergency supply!"
Tamsin (UK) — Cordillera Huayhuash Trek, September 2017
What to pack for the cold
On a clear night in the Huayhuash the air can drop to between −5 and −12°C, and the sheltered campsites are the coldest. The ground is colder still, so bring a good four-season sleeping bag rated to at least −20 to −25°C, and a down jacket for the evenings.
- Your trek bag travels by donkey: a soft duffel or backpack, never a hard suitcase, up to 15kg.
- Line it with a waterproof bag so your sleeping bag stays dry if it rains.
- We provide the tent, a foam mat and an inflatable Thermarest. If you have a good Thermarest of your own, it is worth bringing.
- No sleeping bag? We can arrange one for hire in Huaraz.
Getting there & when to go
From Lima there is one LATAM flight a day, leaving at 7am and landing in Huaraz at 8.10am, or an eight-hour tourist-class bus with Cruz del Sur or Movil Tours, by day or overnight.
The best months are May to September. June and July are the busiest. May and September are quieter, and May is green and full of wild flowers after the rains. Weather in the Andes is changing, so come ready for cloud and rain in any month.
Ready for the Huayhuash?
Tell us your dates and group size, and we will send you a full price and everything it includes.
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May - SeptFrequently Asked Questions: Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit with Siula Grande Base Camp, 15 Days
Essential answers about this high-altitude route.
That is the plan, but access to the Calinca Valley is controlled by the local community and decided when groups arrive. If refused, we day-hike to the Cerro San Antonio pass for views of Siula Grande and its Base Camp instead.
It is the complete circuit at an unhurried pace, with rest days at Carhuacocha and Jahuacocha and a side trip to Siula Grande Base Camp. The route can also be done in 13 or 14 days.
Graded Hard: eight high passes and two weeks continuously above 4000m. Good fitness and comfort with sustained climbs and long descents are needed.
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