Santa Cruz Trek
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 29.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 8,107 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 8,970 ft
- Max elevation
- 15,535 ft
- TrailRank
- 24
- Min elevation
- 9,620 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 2 hours 20 minutes
- Coordinates
- 4536
- Uploaded
- December 5, 2018
- Recorded
- October 2016
near Vaquería, Ancash (Peru)
Viewed 223 times, downloaded 6 times
Itinerary description
This trek has one or more fees you have to pay to begin. Find more details on
Hike the Santa Cruz Trek
Guides are optional for this trek so you can start by following the itinerary below.
GETTING TO THE TRAILHEAD
Hostel in Calle Simon Boulivar, Huaraz to Yungay | Cost: 5 PEN
Combis run from along Calle Simon Boulivar throughout the day to Yungay. Once you get there ask one of the locals and they'll happily point you to which one to take.
Yungay to the start of the trail at Valqueria | Cost: 20 PEN
The trip from Yungay to Vaqueria is two hours going by steep and winding roads with some amazing views. If you get on one of the combis, make sure you have a comfortable seat. Wait for another if you have to. You do not want to start the walk with one leg cramped.
This trip also takes you to the Portachuelo pass (4765M), which is higher than the highest point on which you will walk before going down to the village, Vaquería.
THE TREK
The combi will leave you at a little shop in Vaquieria. Accross the road there is a small path that goes downhill for a bit before until you get to Colcabamba where you'll make a left. If you go right you end up on a section of the alpamayo circuit.
From here the trail is pretty well marked and straightforward. If you ever feel like you're a bit lost look for dung. This route is so popular that you won't be able to miss the dung piles left by mules that carry load for guided tours.
The Paria site is well used and frankly not the most hospitable site I've been to. I chose to camp on a level spot that is about 100 metres before the designated camp site. If you do camp there you will find cows coming over at 7am in the morning. It seems to be a popular spot for them to graze.
The second day is the toughest. You'll be going from 3850M to 4760M (Punto Union) before getting to Tuallipampa(4250M).
Before getting to the pass you'll come upon a three way at Tuchu Pampa which was not clearly marked as at Feb 2016. Left goes steeply up the hillside and right is almost level. Go left.
Getting to Llamacorral is pretty easy. It's all downhill from Tuallipampa. The path runs to the right of a huge lake, Laguna Jatuncocha. If you set out early you can stop here for lunch and finish the trek in Cashapampa on the same day. This site is mostly used by persons who do the route in the opposite direction.
If you decide to stop at Llamacorral then on the final day you'll have an easy steadily downhill trek to Cashapampa. The path continues on the right of the huge lake, Laguna Jatuncocha.
More info can be found in the link at the start of this report.
Hike the Santa Cruz Trek
Guides are optional for this trek so you can start by following the itinerary below.
GETTING TO THE TRAILHEAD
Hostel in Calle Simon Boulivar, Huaraz to Yungay | Cost: 5 PEN
Combis run from along Calle Simon Boulivar throughout the day to Yungay. Once you get there ask one of the locals and they'll happily point you to which one to take.
Yungay to the start of the trail at Valqueria | Cost: 20 PEN
The trip from Yungay to Vaqueria is two hours going by steep and winding roads with some amazing views. If you get on one of the combis, make sure you have a comfortable seat. Wait for another if you have to. You do not want to start the walk with one leg cramped.
This trip also takes you to the Portachuelo pass (4765M), which is higher than the highest point on which you will walk before going down to the village, Vaquería.
THE TREK
The combi will leave you at a little shop in Vaquieria. Accross the road there is a small path that goes downhill for a bit before until you get to Colcabamba where you'll make a left. If you go right you end up on a section of the alpamayo circuit.
From here the trail is pretty well marked and straightforward. If you ever feel like you're a bit lost look for dung. This route is so popular that you won't be able to miss the dung piles left by mules that carry load for guided tours.
The Paria site is well used and frankly not the most hospitable site I've been to. I chose to camp on a level spot that is about 100 metres before the designated camp site. If you do camp there you will find cows coming over at 7am in the morning. It seems to be a popular spot for them to graze.
The second day is the toughest. You'll be going from 3850M to 4760M (Punto Union) before getting to Tuallipampa(4250M).
Before getting to the pass you'll come upon a three way at Tuchu Pampa which was not clearly marked as at Feb 2016. Left goes steeply up the hillside and right is almost level. Go left.
Getting to Llamacorral is pretty easy. It's all downhill from Tuallipampa. The path runs to the right of a huge lake, Laguna Jatuncocha. If you set out early you can stop here for lunch and finish the trek in Cashapampa on the same day. This site is mostly used by persons who do the route in the opposite direction.
If you decide to stop at Llamacorral then on the final day you'll have an easy steadily downhill trek to Cashapampa. The path continues on the right of the huge lake, Laguna Jatuncocha.
More info can be found in the link at the start of this report.
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