Santa Cruz - Ulta trek
Itinerary
Day 1: Huaraz – Cashapampa – Llamacorral
At indicated time pick up in the hotel and transfer in bus to Cashapampa 2900m/ 9 514 ft, it takes around 3.5 hours; Cashapampa village is the starting point, place where the Horseman and his pack animals wait for us. Then we start the trekking among typical Andean trees and we walk through Santa Cruz valley to get to Llamacorral campsite 3760m / 12 335 ft we will get there after to have walked 4 hours.
Day 2: Llamacorral – Taullipampa
At indicated time after the breakfast we start the trekking, this time similar to the last day we will continue through Santa Cruz valley visiting in the way lakes such as Ichiq cocha and Hatun cocha, (small and big lakes respectively); we while walk we have nice views of snow covered peaks and the Andean flora; we get to Taullipampa 4200 m / 13 780 ft, after to walk 5 hours approximately, place that where we will camp.
Day 3: Taullipampa – Punta Union pass – Paria
In the same way as the previous days at indicated time after to have breakfast we start walking, but this time we will go up to Punta Union 4750m / 15584 ft, one of the highest points of the trekking circuit, point where we get after to walk 3 hours approximately; from this point we can see the mounts such as: Taulliraju, Rinrihirka, Paria, Etc. After to take a small rest and take photos we go down to Huaripampa valley 3850m / 12631 ft, where we will camp, we get there after of 3 hours approximately.
Day 4: Paria - Colcabamba – Keshu valley (Molinopampa)
At indicated time after of the breakfast we start walk down for around 2.5 hours to Colcabamba 3300m/10826ft; visiting in the route the Huaripampa village; fromColcabamba we walk up through Keshu valley visiting in the way Chalhua village,also we will meet with local Quechua residents, the opportunities to take photos of their activities as well as of their farms are many, we walk up for 3 hours more to get to Molinopampa 3600m/11811ft, place where we will set up our camping.
Day 5: Molinopampa – Avalancha.
From Molinopampa we head to Avalancha 4500m/14763 ft, the trail is between crops and grasslands of the inhabitants of this part of the Cordillera in the Keshu valley, we always walk this day having the view in front of Contrahierbas mounts, later we reach the camp located below Contrahierbas mounts, after walking approximately 5 hours.
Day 6: Avalancha – Yanayacu pass - Ulta Valley - Huaraz
This day we have breakfast early and then we start our hike to Yanayacu pass 4830m/15846 ft, the last and highest point of the circuit, where we arrive after of 3.5 hours, this is a lookout point, from where can be seen snowy covered peaks such as: Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Contrahierbas, Ulta among others. After a break and corresponding photos, we descend into the Ulta valley 4300m/14107 ft, where we arrive after 3 hours more, where a private car will waint for us to take us to Huaraz, on the way we make a stop to see the typical village of Shilla.
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