4850m
Hard
Santa Cruz & Quebrada Ulta Trek — 6 Days
Duration
6 Days trekking (with 7-day option)Best Season
May - Sept
Santa Cruz – Llanganuco Classic Trek — 4 or 5 Days
A classic of the Cordillera Blanca, the Santa Cruz – Llanganuco trek packs spectacular mountain views, vivid blue lakes and the challenging Punta Unión pass (4750m) into just four or five days.
It is justly one of the most popular treks in Peru: an extraordinary variety of scenery in a short, achievable circuit.
Blue lakes and the Punta Unión pass
- Grade: Medium
- Duration: 4 or 5 days
- Highest point: Punta Unión 4750m
- Above 4000m for most of the route
- Family-friendly classic
Although graded medium, the altitude makes the hiking harder than a comparable trek at lower elevation — there is a 2½ to 3 hour climb to the high pass and a long descent. With reasonable fitness and good acclimatisation it is hugely rewarding, and gentle enough to share with active families.
Essential Trekking Notes & Rules
Grading
We grade the trek as medium, but altitude makes it harder than a similar walk at lower elevation. You should be well acclimatised, have at least a medium level of fitness and some hill-walking experience, and be able to manage a 6 to 7 hour day. Most Cordillera Blanca treks are physically demanding because you are above 4000m throughout and the terrain is steep and uneven in places.
A Note for Families
You may like to bring some pens or other small gifts for the many local children you meet around Huaripampa on the lower part of the trek.
Access Roads
Access roads to and from treks 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.
Drive to Cashapampa, hike up the Santa Cruz Valley to Llamacorral
Distance
8.5 kmWalking time
5 hoursHighest point
3750mAscent
+850m
Worth knowing
A demanding first day for those short on fitness or acclimatisation.
We drive the broad Callejón de Huaylas to Caraz and up to Cashapampa (2900m), with a first view of pyramidal Nevado Santa Cruz. A steady ascent follows a tumbling river through a steep, hot gorge for the first two hours before the valley levels out onto cooler puna grassland and camp at Llamacorral (3750m).
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.
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Duration
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Quebrada Quillqueyhuanca to Cojup High Alpine Trek — 4 Days
Duration
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May - SeptFrequently Asked Questions: Santa Cruz – Llanganuco Classic Trek — 4 or 5 Days
Essential answers about this high-altitude route.
It is graded medium, but the altitude makes it harder than a lower trek. You should be well acclimatised, reasonably fit, and able to manage a 6 to 7 hour day including a 2½ to 3 hour climb to the Punta Unión pass and a long descent.
The Punta Unión pass at 4750m on the continental divide, with views of Rinrijirca, Pucajirca, Artesonraju and Taulliraju.
Yes. It is one of the more accessible Cordillera Blanca classics and a good choice for active families with reasonable fitness and acclimatisation. You meet many local children on the lower valley, and small gifts such as pens are welcome.
The five-day version adds an extra night, typically at Taullipampa, allowing a side trip towards Alpamayo Base Camp and Laguna Arhuaycocha or simply a relaxed day amid the scenery.
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