English
  French
 
 
 
   
   
Trip Duration   4 days
Trip Type   Trekking Adventure
Grading   Moderate
Starting Point of Trek   Vaqueria
Finishing Point of Trek   Cashapampa
Highest Point   Punta Union Pass 4750m
Distance   Approx. 50km

 
The famous 4-day Santa Cruz trek takes you through the northern section of the Cordillera Blanca, or ‘White Range’, so called because of its numerous perennially ice-capped peaks and glaciers, and also because it is made up of white granite rock. The 180km-long Cordillera Blanca is the highest tropical mountain range in the world and has the greatest number of summits over 6000m outside the Himalayas, including Peru’s highest peak, Huascaran (6768m), which can be fully admired on the drive to the trailhead.
This trek allows you to witness a variety of dramatic mountain panoramas, with breathtaking views of towering glaciered white peaks, including Mount Artesonraju (6025m) – noteworthy for being depicted on the logo of Paramount Pictures, Taulliraju (5830m), and the renowned Alpamayo (5947m). Add to these wonders pristine azure lakes and deep green valleys rich with exotic tropical plants, and you have one of the most magnificent parts of South America.
Despite including a 4750m high pass, this stunning trek is suitable for amateur hikers and in a short space of time offers a fantastic collection of gleaming mountain peaks and jewelled glacial lakes.
       
 
 
DAY 1 Drive to Vaqueria (3700m), via Yungay, the Llanganuco Lakes (3870m) and the Portachuelo Pass (4767m). Trek to Paria (3870m).
Approx. 5 hours driving, 4 hours trekking


DAY 2 Trek to Taullipampa (4250m), via Punta Union Pass (4750m)
Approx. 7 hours trekking


DAY 3 Trek to Llamacorral (3760m), via Alpamayo Base Camp (4330m) and Lake Arhuaycocha (4420m)
Approx. 7 hours trekking


DAY 4 Trek to Cashapampa (2900m). Drive to Huaraz, via Caraz
Approx 3 hours trekking, 3 hours driving