3 DAY SANTA CRUZ CLASSIC TREK – CORDILLERA BLANCA
Santa Cruz Classic Trek, is one of the most popular and famous trekking circuits in the Cordillera Blanca Mountain Range – Huascaran National Park and it can be covered in three days. It heads up the spectacular Quebrada Huaripampa Valley through little native Quenual forest, crosses the Punta Union Pass at 4750m, below stunning peaks of the Cordillera Blanca such as Taulliraju, Alpamayo, Quitaraju, Santa Cruz and Artesonraju mountains and skirting turquoise glacial lakes.
The valleys are great places to observe native Andean alpine flora, especially the many wildflowers that bloom during the trekking season, including buttercups, ranunculus, lupines and several species of orchids. Many encrustations of deep-red bromeliads can be seen along the track, sprouting from boulders and on rock faces.
Fauna includes few llamas, mountain caracaras, falcons, Andean geese and ducks, hawks, hummingbirds, American kestrels, puna ibis, Andean swifts, Andean foxes and mountain vizcachas.
Acclimatization
We highly recommend that you arrive in Huaraz at least two days before the trek departs and spend time doing day hikes to higher altitude, this will help with acclimatization to the new altitude. We can help organize day hikes for you.
Length: 2 nights and 3 days trek
Grade: Moderate / Up to 5-8 hours physical activity each day
Start/Finish: Huaraz
Distance: 40km
Maximum Altitude: 4750m
Season: All year round but best time from April to November
TREKKING ITINERARY
Lets Go! Vamos!
You are picked up at your accommodation and begin the journey with a spectacular scenic drive along the Callejon de Huaylas Valley and then into the Huascaran National Park, past the turquoise Llanganuco Lakes and over Portachuelo de Llanganuco Pass 4785m and then down to Vaqueria (3700m) which is the starting point of the trek 4 hours drive. There are opportunities for photo stops along the way. From Vaqueria our equipment is loaded onto the donkeys and we have a 5 hours hike on a gradually rising path to our campsite in the Paria Valley 3890m. Today we will have the opportunity to see local shepherds and farmers working on the fields using traditional methods.
Today is a demanding day. We ascend gradually for about 4 hours and then we make a steep ascent for one hour to the pass Punta Union at 4750m. From the pass, we have very close views of the big mountains of the Cordillera Blanca such as Nevado Taulliraju, Pucajirca, Rinrijirca, Quitaraju, Artesonraju and many others and fantastic views down into the Santa Cruz Valley. From the pass, we descend to our camp at Taullipampa 4250m. 7 to 8 hours walk.
