Crossing the moraine below Mount Huascarán’s north face

A startled vicuña gazes at the photographer below Nevado Chopicalqui

Alta Via or ‘High Route’

A unique route around Huascarán where few others have ventured

 8 days / 7 nights

Be among the first to experience this unique trip, which winds its way around Huascarán, Peru’s highest peak! This high altitude trek will take you through wild and awe-inspiring landscapes in the heart of Huascarán National Park.

Find your way through tall clumps of bunchgrass, crawl under quenoal tree branches, cross nearly virgin passes at an elevation of almost 5 000 meters, feel the shivers go down your spine as you hear glaciers cracking all around you, camp on small ledges next to colourful glacial lakes. You are likely to spot vicuñas (the lama’s wild cousin). And in these high mountain reaches –which are also home to pumas, bears and Andean deer– you will experience the thrill of adventure!

This exceptional trek is best experienced with small sized groups. Participants should be of an adventurous spirit, prepared for a certain degree of flexibility, and in excellent physical condition. Although we will be rappelling down a few short sections of rock, no technical mountaineering skills are required.

The first half of the trip is porter supported. Food supplies will be brought to us at certain strategic spots, allowing us to travel with minimal equipment in order to fully enjoy the incredible views of Huasacarán, Huandoy, Chacraraju and Chopicalqui, some of the Cordillera Blanca’s most mythical peaks! During the second part of our trek, we will use donkeys as pack animals.