Santa Cruz – Llanganuco
4 days / 3 nightsLevel: Moderate
- Destination
- Cordillera Blanca
- Start / End
- Cashapampa → Vaquería
- Total distance
- ~52 km
- Cumulative elevation
- +2,100 m / −2,300 m
- Highest pass
- Punta Unión (4,750 m a.s.l.)
- Required level
- Moderate, previous mountain experience recommended
Ideal for: First high-mountain trek
Itinerary
- Day 1 — Caraz → Cashapampa (2,900 m) → LlamacorralPrivate transfer to Cashapampa and start of the hike along the Santa Cruz valley, following the river between mountains and vegetation to Llamacorral. Camp.
- Day 2 — Llamacorral → Taullipampa (4,200 m)Hike toward the Arhuaycocha valley, with a view of the southeast face of Alpamayo (5,947 m) and the Quitaraju glaciers. Camp at Taullipampa, among wild lupines (“taullis”), with the snow-capped Taulliraju, Rinrijirca and Artesonraju in the background.
- Day 3 — Taullipampa → Punta Unión (4,750 m) → HuaripampaCrossing of the highest pass on the route, with a view of the Santa Cruz valley and the Taullicocha and Jatuncocha lakes on one side, and the Llanganuco valley on the other. Descent toward the Llanganuco sector. Camp.
- Day 4 — Huaripampa → Vaquería → CarazVisit to the Llanganuco lakes (3,863 m a.s.l.) on the way to Vaquería, where the trek ends, and transfer back to Caraz.
