4850m
Hard
Santa Cruz & Quebrada Ulta Trek — 6 Days
Duration
6 Days trekking (with 7-day option)Best Season
May - Sept
Quebrada Quillqueyhuanca & Laguna Churup — 3 Days
A great short trek into the beautiful Quebrada Quillqueyhuanca, suitable for families with children or anyone looking for an easier option — with harder variants for those needing a challenge or acclimatisation for a climb.
It features the stunning Laguna Churup (4450m) and the glacier-fed Laguna Tullpacocha (4350m), beneath the peaks of Churup, Andavite and Tullparaju.
Duration
3 Days (option for 4)Grade
Flexible: Easy to Hard optionsHighest Point
4450mTwo beautiful lakes, flexible to your pace
- Grade: flexible (easy to hard)
- Duration: 3 days (option 4)
- Highest point: Laguna Churup 4450m
- Lakes: Churup & Tullpacocha
- Family-friendly
We can flex the trek to your fitness and the days you have: an easy valley/camping trip for families with small children, a medium itinerary taking in Laguna Churup, or a medium-to-hard version adding a 4800m pass towards the Cojup valley. It is also a fine acclimatisation trek for a climbing trip.
Essential Trekking Notes & Rules
Flexible Options
We offer several versions: an easy 3-day valley/camping trip (ideal for families with small children), an easy/medium 3 days, a medium-to-hard 3 days adding a 4800m pass towards the Cojup valley, and a 4-day option. The itinerary below is the medium 3-day version.
Access Roads
Access roads to and from the trek are generally unpaved mountain roads and can be bumpy, so road travel times are slower than the distance suggests.
High Altitude Tactical Itinerary
Review the route day by day: altitudes, distances and acclimatisation.
Day hike to Laguna Churup, camp at Pitec
Distance
~7 kmWalking time
5 hoursHighest point
4450mAscent / descent
+700m / -700mA 1½ hour drive from Huaraz to Pitec, where we set up camp (3750m). We then climb steadily up a ridge to the beautiful Laguna Churup (4450m), beneath Nevado Churup (5495m); the final 50m is a steep but safe scramble up a rock gully. We return to camp at Pitec.
Plan Your Journey
Ready to Conquer the Andes?
Contact our operations base in Huaraz: we sort out the prerequisites and secure your place on the expedition.
You'll talk directly to the people who run the trip.
Related routes
More routes in the same spirit — the same range or the same kind of trip. Tap any one for the full itinerary, or write to us and we will tailor your own.
4750m
Moderate
Santa Cruz – Llanganuco Classic Trek — 4 or 5 Days
Duration
4 or 5 Days trekkingBest Season
May - Sept
5100m
Hard
Quebrada Quillqueyhuanca to Cojup High Alpine Trek — 4 Days
Duration
4 Days (3 if already well acclimatised)Best Season
May - SeptFrequently Asked Questions: Quebrada Quillqueyhuanca & Laguna Churup — 3 Days
Essential answers about this high-altitude route.
Yes. It is well suited to families with children and to anyone wanting an easier option, with an easy valley/camping version available for those with small children.
Yes. A medium-to-hard version adds a climb to a 4800m pass with views into the Cojup valley, and the trek can be run over 3 or 4 days. It also works well as acclimatisation for a climb.
The brilliant Laguna Churup (4450m) beneath Nevado Churup, and the glacier-fed Laguna Tullpacocha (4350m) below Tullparaju.
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