Safari to Huascaran

the second highest mountain range in the world

Set high in the mountains around 250 km north of Lima, the city of Huaraz is primarily of interest as a base for mountain hiking and trekking.

The Cordillera Blanca range is said to the be the second highest mountain range in the world after the Himalayas, with a remarkable 84 peaks over 5000m (16400’), with the summit of Huascarán itself reaching an impressive 6768m (22205’) (which is only 200m less than Aconcagua, the continent’s highest peak, 3000 km south in Argentina).

Much of this range is contained within the Huascarán National Park, which covers an impressive 3400 square kilometres and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

The reserve contains a rich biodiversity, with plant species including the Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii), which reaches up to 15 metres in height.

Animals include colocolos, Andean mountain cats, spectacled bears, taruca deer, vicuñas, white-tailed deer, pumas, northern viscachas, long-tailed weasels, hog-nosed skunks, Andean foxes and Andean condors.

The area is perhaps best known for its famously cerulean and turquoise coloured lakes, which sit like jewels in the incredibly impressive mountain landscapes, serving as key destinations for various hikes and treks. The remote Laguna Parón famously has a handful of small boats which trekkers can (sometimes) use to head out on to the water and get great photos.

Hikes range from 4-10 hours and access various high altitude lakes and valleys, whilst treks can be arranged for anything from two nights up to a massive eleven night circuit.

There are also options for mountain biking, skiing and mountaineering.

Huascaran is very remote and awkward to get to. The nearest airport is at Trujillo, from where it is about 8 hours by road through the mountains. The drive from Lima is about 10 hours.

It is possible to combine Huascaran into a private-guided overland safari around the north of Peru, but it is highly unusual, since those trips tend to focus mainly on archaeology, which rarely mixed with hardcore trekking.

an inaccessible centre for hardcore trekking