Testimonials regarding trips to Peru

About the Cedros trek and ascent on Mont Pisco

We have been very delighted with the great professionalism of Aventures Andines and we can only recommend it to anybody who is looking into trekking and mountaineering in the Cordillera Blanca. Mr. Marc Masconi had already proven himself by calling us personally at home before heading for Peru to give us all the required informations and last minute tips and to certify that our guide Magno would be waiting for us in Huaraz upon arrival. We had been already very surprised by such a professional attitude towards clients and have considered that as an outstanding service which we had never encountered nowhere before and we are people who have been travelling worldwide for many years. It actually turned out to be by far the best trip ever done, it was top class from A to Z whether it was the competence and skill of the guide, cook or porters, the logistic, the quality of the equipment, the ability to please, assist and help the client at any moment and in any situation and to take the proper decisions when required.

This is very important in an hostile environment like the mountains where any mistake or bad decision could jeopardize your safety and even your life and where the slightest mistake can be fatal. You have to trust your guide to make it enjoyable and successful and this was the case of our guide Magno, a highly skilled mountaineer, who made me scaled Mt. Pisco and who enabled my husband to complete our 9 days trekking tour as he got altitude sick the very first day and did not want to continue. Thanks to Magno’s smart decision to get a horse organised and to our porter, Nappo, who went all the way down again to fetch the animal for my husband, he did not need to walk for the next 2 days and was able to relax. The result turned out to be that he managed to recover from altitude sickness very quickly and that enabled him to join us for the entire trek through the magnificent Cordillera Blanca.

Bernardo, our cook, proved himself as being the “Grand Chef ” of the Peruvian Andes. He loves cooking and his meals were so delicious and so varied that you were always wondering how this could be possible in the middle of nowhere with very limited and basic camping equipment. He and Napu were always running up the hills and rushing down the valleys to be early at the camp long before us in order to have everything ready and installed by the time we were collapsing in. These people are so amazing. They also contribute to the well-being of the local communities by offering them food . We were very impressed by such acting.

Even if trekking or mountaineering in the Cordillera Blanca is physically and mentally very hard, we have received their full support and they made our journey through the Andes a great success.

Thank you to all of them. We can only recommend one company in Huaraz and that is Aventures Andines. You will not be disappointed and your experience will be a great one . We can guarantee you that.

Nathalie & Jean-Paul, Luxemburg

About the Santa Cruz-Llanganuco trek and ascent on Mount Pisco

At 8.28 am on May 11, 2006, I summited Mount Pisco at 5752m. Before my trip to Peru I had never been to any serious altitude ! But I made it to the top, that bright sunny morning. I also made it back down into base camp – where celebratory Pisco sour and fried pizzas were waiting. This was all thanks to the team at Aventures Andines. A great bunch of folks with a love of the mountains and a desire to let you experience the best of the Andes.

I took the 7 day Santa Cruz-Llanganuco with Nevado Pisco's tour at the start of the season when things were quiet. For me it was the highlight of an action packed 6 weeks in Peru, which also included Tambopata, the Inca Trail, biking in the Sacred Valley, rafting on the Rio Urubamba, and flying over the Nazca Lines. The Santa Cruz valley is truly pristine wilderness, where condors and eagles soar on the high thermals that rise above majestic snow capped peaks. Walking in such awesome scenery is effortless (in spite of the thin air). The camp sites are fantastic, all with breathtaking views – in every direction. But hiking the Santa Cruz valley is just a foretaste of the real adventure to come. Things get altogether more exciting after crossing the Portachuelo pass into the Llanganuco valley and being given snow boots, crampons and an ice axe in preparation for the ascent of Mount Pisco. All the necessary equipment is provided, along with the instructions of what to do with it. Thanks to guide, Cookie, who had just the right balance of patience and motivation, we made it to the summit. What a view, and what a feeling of achievement. The walk down from the summit off the glacier was the most fantastic hiking I have ever done. I will never forget the feeling of grandeur and spectacular beauty that Mount Pisco purveyed that day. Awesome !

I would recommend Aventures Andines to any fellow travellers in Peru. They have the right ethos. The guide, cook and herder on my expedition were local guys. Warm, friendly and quietly attentive. I had everything required for a fantastic week of hiking. The logistics of the trip were perfectly arranged back at base, so that everything ran smoothly. The organisation, equipment, service, members of the expedition team, and environment were all perfect. 10 out of 10 all round. By the end of the week I felt part of a marvellous circle of friends and a magnificent piece of Peru.

Ross HILL, Great-Britain

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