Andean Trails  
 

The Clockhouse, Bonnington Mill Business Centre,
72 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh Scotland EH6 5QG
44 (0)131 467 7086
,   info@andeantrails.co.uk

 
 
   
 
Strenuous, Itin.2 (Pisco)  

Cordillera Blanca high passes with Pisco climb - small group trek, Peru (CB)
12 days/11 nights: Start/End Lima

  Peru CB
 
Peru CB

This small group trekking and mountaineering tour takes in the northern Peruvian Andes.

Our rewarding trek and Pisco climb, in the Cordillera Blanca, offers some of the most stunning mountain panoramas in the Americas.

This can be followed by our extension to Cusco, which allows us to experience the fascinating cultural and architectural legacy of the Incas, culminating in a journey to Machu Picchu.

Please contact the office if you are interested in trekking the Inca Trail (daily departures throughout the year) while on your visit to Cusco.

  Peru CB

Joining the tour

On booking, you will be sent the following information: name and address of Lima hotel, advice on how to get there, time of rendezvous with tour leader.

Itinerary Details

Note: If circumstances dictate, certain details, such as overnight stops, may vary from those shown in the day-by-day itinerary below.

Day 1

Join tour in Lima. (1 night hotel)

Day 2

We leave Lima early by public bus for a fascinating journey of contrasts that will end amid the towering high Andes at the small highland city of Huaraz. We head north through the coastal desert as far as Pativilca, then turn inland and begin our climb northeastward into the Andes.

We follow the Fortaleza valley, the fertile cultivated river banks contrasting dramatically with the barren mountain sides. Cacti gradually give way to denser vegetation and then puna grassland as we ascend to the highest point on our journey, Conococha (4050 metres).

We turn north into the Callejon de Huaylas and enter a different world, the huge snowpeaks of the Cordillera Blanca dominating the landscape. We arrive in Huaraz (3090 metres) late afternoon and check into our hotel. (3 nights hotel)

Day 3-4

A bustling town of 80,000 inhabitants, Huaraz lies amid the scenic splendour of the Callejon de Huaylas and is the ideal base from which to explore the region. Callejon de Huaylas is the name given to the Santa valley, which separates the Cordillera Blanca from the Cordillera Negra, and rates as one of the finest areas of South America for its superb mountain panoramas. The Callejon is bordered to the east by the Cordillera Blanca, the mountain range with the greatest number of peaks over 6000 metres outside the Himalayas.

From Huaraz itself one is awestruck by the breathtaking vista of Mounts Vallunaraju (5686m), Tocllaraju (6034 metres) and Ranrapalca (6162 metres) towering over the city and, to the north, the gigantic forms of Huascarán (6768 metres) and Huandoy (6395 metres).

Over the next two days, while acclimatising to the altitude before our trek, we will have the opportunity to discover the wonders of this fascinating region. Besides its magnificent scenery, the area is renowned for its traditional villages with their lively markets (easily reached by public bus or mountain bike), its thermal springs, and pre-Inca history. One of the oldest and most remarkable archaeological sites in all the Andes, the remote 3000 year old cult centre of Chavin de Huantar, can be reached by bus. The Huari-Tiahuanaco (pre-Inca) site of Wilkawain is not far from Huaraz.

Day 5-8

Today we embark on our trek and climb. The drive to the trailhead takes us north through some magical landscapes. Leaving the Santa valley at Caraz (2290 metres) we continue to Cashapampa (2900 metres) where we start the trek.

We begin with a gradual ascent of the Santa Cruz valley. By mid-afternoon the valley levels out and, at Llamacorral, we set up our camp.

The second day we pass the lakes of Laguna Chica and Laguna Grande and begin our ascent towards the first pass, the magnificent peak of Taulliraju (5830 metres) looming large up ahead. We camp at Taullipampa surrounded by spectacular mountain views.

We continue the ascent, with a steep zig-zagging climb across moranic screes, fringing the shores of the turquoise lake of Taullicocha. The panorama that unfolds as we approach the pass at Punta Union (4750 metres) is magnificent; the nearby peaks of Chacraraju (6112 metres), Artesonraju (6025 metres) and Piramide (5885 metres) as well as Alpamayo (5947 metres), Santa Cruz (6259 metres) and Huandoy (6395 metres) fill the view. We descend into the Huaripampa valley passing many tarns, to camp at Huaripampa.

Today we continue our descent towards Vaqueria (3700 metres), with the possibility of a side trip up the Quebrada Paria to the remote glacial lakes of the surrounding high peaks.

 

Pisco

We take a vehicle up to the Portachuelo then drop to the Llanganuco valley, a thousand metres. We spend the night in a broad grassy valley with superb views up to Pisco.

Day 9

Today we trek up to our night stop at Pisco morriane camp (4900m).

Day 10

Today sees us continuing to the summit of Pisco (5750m). Setting off early, we reach the snow line and don crampons for the ascent of the glacier. At the col separating Pisco from Huandoy to the north, we start to negotiate the northern slopes of Pisco. Late morning should see us on the summit for some of the most spectacular panoramas in the range. Our descent takes us back to the base camp and a deserved rest.

Day 11

We descend to the main valley and rendezvous with our vehicle for the return to Huaraz.

Day 12

We return to the Pacific coast and Lima, by bus.


Cusco Extension

Today we fly to Cuzco (3400 metres).

According to legend, Cuzco was founded by Manco Capac, sent to earth by his father, Inti (the Sun God) to civilize humanity. The absence of a written language makes it difficult to separate myth from history, but it is likely that Manco arrived from the south about 800 years ago and founded what would become the capital of the Inca Empire. Major expansion began several centuries later with Pachacutec. Under his successors the Empire reached its zenith, stretching from Colombia in the north to central Chile in the south. Cuzco (Q'osqo) became a very important city. But in 1532, a band of Spaniards arrived and within a year the largest empire in the Western Hemisphere was theirs. These were Pizarro's Conquistadores, and under their auspices Cuzco's transformation began.

Today, the blend of finely engineered Inca walls and Spanish colonial architecture give Cuzco its special character. It's a great city to wander around. Beyond its whitewashed streets are some outstanding examples of sacred Inca architecture; notably, the monumental temple-fortress of Sacsayhuaman (accessible on foot), made up of precisely interlocking stones, many weighing 200 tons plus. A little further afield is the stunning Sacred Valley. Well worth visiting are Pisac, with its craft and produce market and mountain-top citadel, and the indian town of Chincheros. At night Cuzco offers a superb selection of live Andean folk music.

Day 14

Free in Cuzco, for shopping, exploring or simply relaxing. Alternatively, you may fancy white-water rafting on the Urubamba (optional).

Day 15

Early this morning, we take a train to Machu Picchu, Lost City of the Incas. A short bus journey, amid these beautiful forested mountains, takes us to the site, perched dramatically on a ridge 400 metres above the Urubamba river.

Machu Picchu's remoteness protected it from the plundering Spanish colony and when, early this century, it was rediscovered and cleared from encroaching forest, its structures were in surprisingly good condition. Since then, the enigmatic site has posed many questions and provided few answers. The ruins are extensive and we have all day to explore the temples and palaces whose purpose still baffles archaeologists. Late in the afternoon, we descend to our night stop, Aguas Calientes.(1 night hotel)

Day 16

Today you can return to Machu Picchu (optional) and enjoy the morning tranquillity, while further exploring the site, or climb Huayna Picchu mountain. In the afternoon, we take the train back to Cuzco.(1 night hotel)

Day 17

We take an early flight down to Lima, the City of Kings. Tour ends Lima.

You could extend your trip by trekking the Inca Trail or visiting the Amazon.

Check out our Peru group trips, or our many tailor made Peru options. You can always contact the office for more information on tailor made and group options.

Check our Books and Maps section where you will find a range of literature to help you get the most out of your South American adventure.