15 kg
Maximum porter load
We cap what our porters carry and give them waterproof tents and plenty of good food — the very same meals our clients eat at camp.
Responsible tourism
Leaving the Andes better than we found them
We are fortunate to live and work in mountains as beautiful as the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash — and we know how fragile they are, with glaciers receding fast and water growing scarce. We owe a real debt to the staff and communities who make our treks possible, and we try to repay it on every departure.
Litter tolerance on every trek
Local guides, cooks and arrieros
Loads kept within safe limits
Community fund running since
Supporting local people
We are a Huaraz company through and through. Our guides, cooks, porters and arrieros all come from the Ancash region — most from the small villages we walk through — and the work is very much a family affair, with spouses, brothers and sisters often on the crew too.
The community projects fund: since 2004 we have set aside a share of our trekking profits each year for the communities we pass through — school supplies, equipment and clothing for those who need them. We have also built two toilets in the Cordillera Huayhuash, at Laguna Jahuacocha and Quartelhuain.
Respect for our crew
40 kg
Maximum donkey load
We expect arrieros to keep their donkeys and horses well fed and in good condition, and never to load more than 40kg, evenly distributed.
100 %
Local trek crew
By hiring local people and buying local food, we keep the income our treks generate in the mountain communities where it belongs.
“We were especially pleased to see that Victor, our donkey driver, was treated with the same dignity and respect accorded to us as clients.”
Mike & Pam (USA)
Santa Cruz Trek
Our environmental care code
We operate on a zero-litter tolerance policy, and we go over these four practices with the whole crew at our pre-season training each year. We are one of only a handful of Huaraz agencies to take this seriously in the field.
01
Zero litter tolerance
We separate rubbish into organic (left with local families for animal feed) and inorganic, which we carry back to Huaraz for proper disposal. When there is room, we also pick up litter other groups have left behind.
02
Protecting the water
We use only biodegradable detergents and carry small washing bowls, so soapy water is always emptied well away from the lakes and rivers — never poured straight into them.
03
Sanitation in the field
Where there are no public toilets, we set up a toilet tent and bury the waste at least 50m from any water source. On the high glaciers we carry it out using poo tubes.
04
Caring for plants and animals
We treat all plants, birds and animals with care — many of them are rare and found nowhere else. Our guides ask every group to do the same across these fragile high-altitude landscapes.
Trek responsibly
Walk with an agency that gives back
Choose a team that looks after the mountains and the communities that make your adventure possible — and travels lightly through them. Have a look at where we can take you.