• Getting there
• Huascarán National Park
• Climate
• Travel Tips

Getting There (return to top)

Your starting point will most likely be Perú’s capital, Lima. The city of over nine million inhabitants is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Buses are available both night and day to take you to Huaraz, a mountain city that serves as a base for visits to Humacchuco. The bus ride from Lima to Huaraz takes about seven to eight hours. Taking the bus during the day provides for some spectacular scenery as you climb up the foothills of the Andes.

Once in Huaraz, lodging is plentiful and fairly cheap, but be warned; in winter (June through September) the city is filled to the brim with tourists so it is advised to make arrangements ahead of time. It is also possible to forgo the stay in Huaraz and head directly to Humacchuco. It is advisable, but not necessary, to adjust to the altitude in Huaraz before heading to the village.

From Huaraz it is about an hour’s by collectivo (public transport) or taxi to Yungay, the town at the base of Huascarán. From Yungay it is a 45 minute taxi or collectivo ride to get to Humacchuco. In total, the trip to Humacchuco from Huaraz takes about 2 hours.

Huascarán National Park (return to top)

Huascarán National Park (PNH) covers an area of 340,000 hectares and includes almost all of the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain range in the world. It is crowned with Mount Huascarán (left photo) at an altitude of 6,768 meters. The park was established in 1975, later was declared the Huascarán Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1977 (including a buffer zone), and in 1985 became known as a World Natural Heritage Site.

The Cordillera Blanca harbors a great richness of flora and fauna which in turn creates a cultural richness in the people who live in the park and outside the limits to the east. In addition, the beautiful scenery that surrounds the mountain peaks and lakes, has made this region an international attraction for various outdoor activities.

Climate (return to top)

Technically speaking, Peru does have a summer and winter. The problem is that temperature and precipitation levels vary from region to region depending on change in altitude, relation to the coast, etc… In Humacchuco and in the rest of the Cordillera Blanca there is a wet and a dry season. The wet season (summer) is from October through May, the most rainy and gray time being from January through the end of March. The Cordillera Blanca is still enjoyable during these times, just expect damp afternoons and plan accordingly. The dry season (winter) lasts from June through September. The dry season is sunny but cooler at night - in Humacchuco it often gets below zero degrees Celsius at night. During the day sunscreen is mandatory for everyone as Peru is located in the tropics and Humacchuco at high altitudes!

Travel Tips (return to top)

What to Bring

Be prepared for hot and cold, dampness and dryness. This means that even an overnight stay might require a short sleeve shirt, short pants, sunglasses, and sunscreen as well as long pants, rain jacket, sweater, and a warm hat. Hiking boots are a must as the trails you will be taking require good ankle support. A daypack with drinking water helps for longer hikes because often water is not readily available. Iodine tablets or a water filter replace the need to bring in your own water or have the locals boil water for you. If you do bring your own water please pack out the plastic water bottles. Other items to consider: a camera with lots of film, coins for transportation, flashlight, towel, extra socks, toilet paper, medical kit, and bug repellent (in some areas mosquitoes are a nuisance but never too much of a problem).

Health

The families that prepare your food and drink know that many visitors can get sick very easily from water that is not sufficiently boiled. At high altitude, water boils at a much lower temperature than at sea level, therefore the locals always boil water for at least seven to eight minutes. Stomach problems can still occur due to elevation gain and change of diet. Most of the time over-the-counter medication serves to quickly remedy such problems but it is also wise to travel with prescription antibiotics as giardia and dysentery need to be treated. In Huaraz visits to doctors are inexpensive and medication is readily available.

Bugs here are more annoying than dangerous to your health. Africanized bees (or killer bees) exist in Peru but not in the region around the Cordillera Blanca. There are other types of bees so people with allergies be aware that the danger does exist. Mosquito bites tend to be harsher here than in other parts of the world, the area around the bites sometimes swells and itches for quite a while. No poisonous insects are found in this area.

Altitude sickness can be a real danger. Consider the following when planning your trip to Humacchuco or Vicos: from 3,000-4,500 meters altitude sickness can begin to occur. For each 1,000 meters of elevation gain, it is recommended that you spend two to three nights acclimating. Lima is at sea level and Huaraz is at 3,091 meters. Humacchuco is located at about 3,300 meters and the top of some trails reach over 4,620 meters. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of altitude sickness before traveling in the Andes. Hydrate yourself continuously and descend immediately if you start to feel ill.