Santa Cruz Trek in Cordillera Blanca, Huascarán National Park, Peru

Your Experience

Trek the 48 km Santa Cruz route in Cordillera Blanca with round-trip transfers, an expert Spanish-speaking guide, and full pension support.

Getting started

Begin your Santa Cruz Trek with round-trip transfers that take you from town to the trailhead and back at the end of the route between Vaqueria and Cashapampa. After you meet your expert Spanish-speaking trekking guide, you set off onto the high-Andean trail that will unfold over several days. Your camping gear and supplies are handled for you, so you can focus on the hike.

What to expect

Santa Cruz Trek, Cordillera Blanca

This multi-day Santa Cruz Trek follows a 48 km, or 31 mile, route through Peru's Cordillera Blanca, typically walked from Vaqueria to Cashapampa. Over several stages, you climb along glacial creeks to Punta Union pass at 4,750 m, or 15,580 ft, then descend through valleys framed by snow-capped peaks and deep green lakes.

Features

• Walk a trail surrounded by snow-capped mountains and deep green lakes while you pass the base of Alpamayo, often described as one of the most distinctive peaks in the Cordillera Blanca. Along the way, you see Artesonraju, whose silhouette matches the Paramount Pictures logo mountain, and take in views of Taulliraju and Huascarán, the tallest mountain in Peru and the tropics.

• The route follows glacial creeks up to the high point at Punta Union pass at 4,750 m, where the panorama opens across several major peaks before you continue toward Cashapampa for easier transportation back to Huaraz. Terrain and altitude change steadily, giving you a mix of valley walking and high-pass crossing.

• Throughout the trek, you are accompanied by an expert Spanish-speaking trekking guide who leads the route, sets the pace, and helps you manage the effects of altitude and changing weather conditions in the Cordillera Blanca.

• Logistical support for the camping side of the trek includes a group tent for cooking where camp meals are prepared, sleeping tents for overnight stays, and a sleeping mattress provided for each traveler, so you do not need to carry bulky gear on your back.

• Your full pension is covered, with 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners included during the trek, and boiled water is provided at camp so you can safely refill your bottles at the start and end of hiking days without treatment tablets.

• Donkeys and horses are used for camping supplies, with a dedicated horseman managing the animals and load, which keeps the weight off your shoulders and allows you to hike the 48 km trail with a lighter daypack instead of a full expedition backpack.

• Round-trip transfers are part of the package, so your transportation to the start near Vaqueria and back from Cashapampa is already arranged, removing the need to organize local transport in remote parts of the Cordillera Blanca.

Wrapping up

At the end of the Santa Cruz Trek, your round-trip transfers take you from Cashapampa back toward Huaraz so you can rest after completing the 48 km route between major Cordillera Blanca peaks.