Huayhuash Circuit: Know Before You Go
HIKING
When to Go
The best time to go is in the dry season, mid-May to end of September. We completed the hike in early June, and we had a mix of sun, rain, and even a quick bout of hail!
When it's dry, it's also VERY cold at night. So come well prepared - check out my packing list below!
What to Pack:
The most important thing to keep in mind when packing is just how cold it gets at night. I would even wear a balaclava to bed, something I had never done before (and I can assure you, it wasn't a great look on me!).
Also if you are going self-guided, you need to bring at least eight days worth of food. You can do a top up of food in the small village of Huayllapa on the 8th day, but keep in mind there are very limited supplies there. We bought a couple of packets of pasta, pasta sauce and parmesan, as well as some instant noodles and chocolates to keep us going.
Check out my list below of everything I packed:
Should I Hike This Circuit?
This is a challenging hike, particularly if you are hiking the Alpine route. With our packs on and hiking the circuit self-guided, we decided against the additional challenge and stuck to the standard route.
The toughest thing about this hike is the altitude - so make sure you spend a few days in Huaraz beforehand to acclimatize.
Keeping that in mind, if you are in good fitness and are up to the challenge, it is a beautiful hike and worth every moment!
Navigation
We downloaded the offline map for the circuit on AllTrails, on three phones! Given it was such a long hike, we wanted to be sure that we always had at least one phone with enough battery to guide us (we also had a couple of portable battery packs).
We didn't need to rely on AllTrails too much, as the path was pretty clear and there were multiple tour groups on the trail. The key times we needed to use it were when there were splits in the path or different trails leading out from the campsites, which take you to the Alpine route.
Cost
All up, we spent (per person):
Transfers (private transfer there, bus back): PEN150/AUD$60.50/USD$24.10
National Park Entry: PEN50/AUD$20.20/USD$13.40
Village Entries: PEN250/AUD$98.60/USD$66.70
Accommodation Huayllapa (one night): PEN25/AUD$9.90/USD$6.70
Dinner Huayllapa: PEN20/AUD$8.05/USD$5.35
Getting There and Back
It takes just under four hours from Huaraz, getting there on your own can be quite tricky!
I would highly recommend going to see the team at Andean Kingdom who can book you on a group transfer for a low cost. There only ended up being three of us on our group transfer, and we still got the discounted rate!
Otherwise, your hostel should be able to help you booking transfers. Don't stress about booking this too far in advance - we booked the day before with no issues! Note, the transfers leave early - between 5:30am and 7am.
On the way back, you can get the bus from Llamac which leaves every morning at 10am. There are small guesthouses in Llamac so if you get there in the afternoon, you can stay the night before the bus leaves.
Final Tips
Backpacking food can be hard to find in Huaraz, so if possible, bring some dehydrated meals from your home country. We hadn't done this, so we got creative with our pasta combinations!
Water is easily found along the trail, you can refill your bottles at any of the multiple streams you will pass each day. Note however that you will need to use a LifeStraw (or similar) or water purification tablets, as the water is not safe to drink.
Don't forget to reapply sunblock through the day - even though the temperatures are relatively low (5-13 degrees Celsius) the sun is strong when you are so high up!
Bring some cocoa leaves to chew if you start feeling altitude sickness, or medicine prescribed before you leave home. Take it slow and don't rush, and make sure you camp at lower altitudes!
Read my blog on Huaraz to plan help plan your stay here!
