A Fast & Soiled Information to the Cordillera Blanca Traverse

• Located within the Ancash area of Peru, the Cordillera Blanca is a sub-range of the Andes mountains. It’s roughly 13 miles huge (21 km) and 124 miles (200 km) lengthy because the condor flies.

• The Cordillera Blanca accommodates a dozen peaks which are greater than 20,000 ft (6,096 m), with an additional twenty-four topping 18,000 ft (5,486 m).

• There are estimated to be 722 particular person glaciers throughout the Cordillera Blanca vary, which is the most important focus of tropical-zone glaciers on the planet. Because the 1970’s they’ve retreated greater than 15%. A staggering discount, particularly contemplating their hydrological significance to a rising Peruvian inhabitants.

• In 1970, the Cordillera Blanca was rocked by an earthquake (7.9 on the Richter scale) that worn out 95% of Huaraz (the regional capital), utterly destroyed the city of Yungay, and was liable for the deaths of as much as 70,000 folks. It was the worst pure catastrophe in Peru’s historical past, and the ensuing avalanche is taken into account the deadliest in world historical past.

For the needs of resupply, I cut up the CBT into 4 levels (click on on the hyperlinks under for journal entries from 2014). Every of the stage trailheads is accessible by public transport, which means that people that aren’t desirous about thru-hiking the CBT may probably do a number of of the levels as stand-alone hikes (Notice: Distances have been up to date as of 2022, and can range relying on route decisions):

The CBT takes place in Parque Nacional Huascarán. For any multi-day hike within the park, you’ll have to acquire a trekking allow from their workplace in Huaraz (-9.53203, -77.52984) earlier than setting out.

• Might to September is the dry season within the Peruvian Andes. Technically talking, that is late autumn/winter within the southern hemisphere, nevertheless, as a result of the truth that the Cordillera Blanca is located so near the equator, temperature fluctuations are comparatively minor all year long. I hiked from late August to early September and had fantastic climate all through a lot of the 16 days. Temperatures ranged between highs round 20°C and lows of -10°C (Notice: The latter was skilled when tenting slightly below 5,000m).

• What’s too early? What’s too late?:  Clearly, circumstances will range from 12 months to 12 months, however given common annual snow ranges, I wouldn’t suggest beginning the route earlier than early June or later than the tip of September. A living proof is Austin Lillywhite’s Might 2017 hike, the place he was unable to go over Stage 3’s Cashan Cross due to snow circumstances.

• My CBT Expertise: I took 16 days to finish the CBT. A few of these days had been spent route discovering, visiting archeological websites, and usually testing different factors of curiosity alongside the way in which. I took one full “zero-day” (relaxation day) in Huaraz and one other “nero” (nearly a zero) in Chavin. Pushing just a little bit more durable and with out the diversions, route-finding, and relaxation day, I think I’d have taken round 13 days to finish the hike.

• Common Length: This can be a route that ought to solely be undertaken by skilled long-distance hikers who start the path effectively and really acclimatized. If you happen to tick these bins, together with turning up in fine condition and carrying a lightish pack, I’d estimate the common time wanted for the CBT could be between 16 and 22 days (together with a relaxation day or two).

After the preliminary climb out of Hualcallan, nearly all the CBT takes place above 4000 m (13,123 ft). I can’t emphasize strongly sufficient that it is a hike for which you could be well-acclimatized earlier than setting out.

• Northern Terminus: Hualcallan Village. I took a collectivo (minibus) from the city of Caraz to the village of Cashapampa, from which I walked 9 kilometers to Hualcallan. If you wish to go on to Hualcallan, non-public transport/taxi will be organized from Caraz.

• Southern Terminus: Pastoruri Glacier is a well-liked vacation spot for day-trippers from Huaraz. If you happen to arrive earlier than late afternoon, there ought to be no points getting a spot on one of many buses that repeatedly ply the path to and from the regional capital. 

• Water: Considerable all through a lot of the hike. Usually talking, I handled with Aquamira within the low-lying areas and/or wherever there was livestock or human settlement. Within the greater reaches, the place water was coming immediately off the glaciers, I drank straight from the supply. I had no intestinal points on this or every other hike I’ve completed throughout my journeys to Peru.

• Resupply: From north to south, the primary resupply factors are Huallin, Chacas, Pitec (Huaraz), and Chavin de Huantar (see Transport above). The regional hub of Huaraz has a variety of “conventional backpacking” meals out there, similar to dried fruit and nuts, cereals, pasta, tuna, powdered milk, chocolate, and so on. Selections are rather more restricted within the villages alongside the way in which. On the cooking entrance, you’ll be capable of choose up a fuel canister or denatured alcohol in your range in Huaraz.

On the route itself, you may wild camp just about wherever you want. That mentioned, I’d keep away from establishing too near villages or shepherd encampments (which can be patrolled by territorial guard canine).

There’s one full-service mountain hut alongside the route – Refugio Ishinca. Located within the shadows of  Toclarraju (6,032m) and Polcaraju (6,110m) peaks, Refugio Ishinca was an surprising bonus. Half anticipating a semi-dilapidated backcountry outpost, what I received as a substitute was cozy beds, good meals, useful employees, and even a solar-powered bathe!

In City: The regional capital of Huaraz has a large number of choices to swimsuit all budgets. Throughout my time on the town, I stayed on the Lodge Churup, which I can extremely suggest. Juan Quiros Romero and his household had been glorious hosts, the breakfasts had been first-rate, the rooms snug, and so they saved my further baggage after I was out within the boonies. Double thumbs up.

Concerning the opposite cities alongside the route, in Chacas, I arrived late and ended up staying at a dodgy place whose solely redeeming characteristic was that it was centrally situated. As for Chavin de Huantar, I stayed on the characterful Hostal La Casona on the Plaza de Armas. I’m 99% sure that this was the identical place I stayed at in 1996, and for the sake of nostalgia, I couldn’t resist returning 18 years later. On the distant probability that they’re studying this submit, shout-out to my 1996 touring/mountain climbing companions, Sylvia, Fleischy, and Dave.

I put collectively the CBT route in 2014 with the assistance of the below-listed topo maps, Google Earth, and Jim Bartles’s traditional Cordillera Blanca textual content (see under). When mountain climbing the route, I used mentioned maps and a Suunto M-2 compass for navigation. I additionally took alongside a Garmin Foretrex, with which I took waypoints of notable spots alongside the route. 

The collective crux of the CBT are the passes. Relying on route decisions, there are between twenty-one and twenty-three in whole, ranging between 4,347 m and 5,201 m. By any standards, it’s a rollercoaster of a visit, with a lung-busting, knee-wobbling whole elevation achieve and lack of round 50,000 m (164,000 ft).

When placing the route collectively, nearly all of the passes had been marked on the above-mentioned topo maps. Nonetheless, through the southern half of the journey, there have been a handful that weren’t, and a few of these represented essentially the most difficult side of the planning part. The passes for which I had no data on the time included Urus/Akilpo (5,040m), Ishinca/Palcaraju (5,201m), Shallap (5,001m), Cashan (5,157m), Rurec (4,350 m), Pucaraju (4,583 m), Maraytaca (4,611 m), Landslide (4,951 m), and Huarapasca (4,930 m). Please be aware that almost all of those names merely replicate adjoining peaks, valleys, or within the case of “Landslide”, a comparatively latest geological occasion, and is probably not the names utilized by locals for a similar excessive factors.

Right here’s the listing of passes (from North to South), with their respective elevations in parentheses. Stage 1 passes are in black font, Stage 2 in blue, Stage 3 in pink, and Stage 4 in inexperienced:

1. 1. Osoruri Cross (4,848 m/15,906 ft) 
   2. Vientunan Cross (4,760 m/15,617 ft)  
   3. Gara Gara Cross (4,840 m/15,879 ft)  
   4. Mesapata cross (4,450 m/14,600 ft)  
   5. Yanacon Cross (4,601 m/15,095 ft)  
   6. Tupatupa Cross (4,347 m/14,262 ft)  
   7. Alto de Pucaraju (4,615 m/15,141 ft)  
   8. Punta Yanayuca (4,790 m/15,715 ft)  
   9. Punta Olimpica (4,909 m/16,106 ft) 
   10. Portachuelo de Honda (4,763 m/15,551 ft) (Different possibility out there) 
   11. Urus Cross (5,040 m/16,535 ft) 
   12.  Ishinca/Palcaraju Cross (5,201 m/17,064 ft) (Different possibility out there)
   13.  Choco/Huapi Cross (5,073 m/16,644 ft)
   14.  Shallap Cross (5,001 m/16,407 ft) (Different possibility out there, although not really useful)
   15.  Cashan Cross (5,157 m/16,919 ft) 
   16.  Rurec Cross (4,350 m/14,272 ft)
   17.  Pucaraju Cross (4,583 m/15,037 ft)
   18.  Maraytaca Cross (4,611 m/15,128 ft)
   19.  Punta Raria (4,801 m/15,751 ft)
   20.  Landslide Cross (4,951 m/16,243 ft) (Different possibility out there)
   21.  Huarapasca Cross (4,930 m/16,175 ft)

In placing collectively this Q&D Information, I plugged all the information I had into Gaia GPS, created a route, and got here out with the next up to date figures for distance and whole elevation. For these doing the hike sooner or later, relying on route decisions, remaining totals will range as much as 10 p.c.

Distance: 152 km (94.4 mi)

Whole Ascent: 10,517 m (34,504 ft)

Max. Elevation: 4,911 m (16,112 ft)

Min. Elevation: 3132 m (10,276 ft)

Notes: 

• The primary stage of the CBT was totally on established trails. The preliminary couple of days coincided with the Alpamayo Base Camp Trek, and later the route intersected briefly with the area’s hottest multi-day hike, the Santa Cruz Trek.

• Throughout stage 1, the route goes up and over 9 passes, all of that are marked on the topo mapsets listed above.

• Other than the beginning and ending villages, you could possibly complement your provisions within the blink-and-you-miss-them hamlets of Huaripampa, Colcabamba, and Yanama.

• Other than a one-mile (1.6 km) stretch between levels 3 and 4, the one time you’ll stroll on a paved street through the CBT is on the finish of Stage 1, from the Punta Olimpica tunnel to the villages of Huallin and Pompey. Each earlier than and after the tunnel, a lot of the street part will be prevented by following (typically) faint and sometimes steepish trails that bypass the various switchbacks on both aspect of the cross. These paths had been utilized by locals within the days earlier than the street was constructed.

Distance: 108 km (67.1 mi)

Whole Ascent:  5,978 m (19,613 ft)

Max. Elevation:  5,201 m (17,064 ft)

Min. Elevation:  3,416 m (11,207 ft)

Notes:

• The primary cross of Stage 2 – Portachuela de Honda (4,763 m) – is bookended by filth street walks in Juitush and Honda Valleys. At Portachuela de Honda, there are a few completely different excessive factors from which to decide on; each DM in 2018 and myself in 2014 took the blue route, which is shorter, steeper, and (maybe) much less well-defined than the pink route (not less than from what I can collect on the topo maps).

• It’s price noting that the jap finish of Quebrada Honda has a mining presence, and you’ll presumably see automobiles touring to and from the mines when you attain the filth street that runs alongside the valley flooring. Neither I nor DM encountered any points with these people; quite the opposite, they had been uniformly pleasant and nobody appeared bothered by our presence. This was the state of affairs in 2014 and 2018, I can’t say if the temper has modified within the ensuing years.

• If I needed to choose my favourite part of the whole CBT, it might be the roughly 50-55 km (31-34 mi) stretch between the western finish of Quebrado Akilpo and the northeastern reaches of Quebrada Quilcayhuanca. Starting with the “enchanted forest”, the route goes up and over three 5,000 m plus passes – Urus/Akilpo, Ishinca/Palcaraju, and Choco/Huapi. The primary two of those excessive factors had been among the many group for which I didn’t have any pre-trip information, and although I used to be pretty certain each would go, I used to be over the moon after they really did. All that zooming out and in from completely different angles on Google Earth wasn’t for nothing………. I could have even completed a celebratory jig! (Notice: Each passes had small cairns at or close to the highest, so locals acquainted with this a part of the Cordillera Blanca undoubtedly knew of their existence, even when I didn’t). For anybody studying this submit who’s desirous about doing a piece of the CBT slightly than the entire trek, that is the stage I’d suggest. It’s difficult, however the rewards greater than compensate. For my cash, one of many most interesting stretches of high-altitude mountain climbing in the whole Andes vary.

• It’s normally doable to catch a journey right down to Huaraz from the tiny village of Pitec on the finish of the stage. Pitec is the beginning/ending level for one of many space’s hottest day hikes – the path to Laguna Churup (4,480 m). If nothing’s out there once you arrive in Pitec, stroll for 4.5 km right down to the neighboring village of Llupa, the place common collectivos run up and down the mountain to Huaraz.

Distance: 65 km (40.4 mi)

Whole Ascent:  4,520 m (14,829 ft)

Max. Elevation:  5,157 m (16,919 ft)

Min. Elevation:  3,747 m (12,293 ft)

Notes:

• The third stage traverses 4 passes, specifically Shallap (5,001m), Cashan (5,157m), Rurec (4,350m), and Pucaraju (4,583m).

• Cashan is the final and presumably essentially the most difficult of all of the passes. As talked about above, anybody making an attempt the CBT earlier than mid to late June in a mean snow 12 months is prone to encounter fairly a little bit of snow/ice on the northern aspect and appreciably extra on the even-steeper southern aspect. If you happen to’re adamant about doing the hike early season, make sure you take microspikes and an ice axe. Perhaps a rabbit’s foot as effectively.

• Descending into Quebrada Rurec after Cashan cross, the panorama transitions from rock and ice to pastoral. The next cross, which I unimaginatively known as “Rurec”, is mainly only a lengthy grassy slope (see photograph under). The identical goes for “Pucaraju” close to the tip of the stage (-9.68107, -77.34529).

• In the course of the remaining few kilometers of the third stage, you’ll attain Laguna Querococha, the most important lake on the route. Each DM and I skirted the lake’s northern shore earlier than making a beeline to the street to Chavin. A greater possibility could be to observe the lake’s western aspect after which swing round its southern finish to affix the street at a lookout (-9.72753, -77.33123). This may reduce just a few kilometers of street strolling off the start of the fourth and remaining stage.

Distance:  72 km (44.7 mi)

Whole Ascent: 4,402 m (14,442 ft)

Max. Elevation:  5,040 m (16,535 ft)

Min. Elevation:  3,865 m (12,680 ft)

Notes:

• Ranging from the Lago Querococha viewpoint, hike for a mile (1.6 km) down the street to the place it passes over the lake’s outlet stream. Depart the street right here, and start descending WSW alongside the watercourse’s true left aspect.