Скачать или смотреть 5 Day HuayHuash Solo Trek. Full rundown in the description

The Lazy & Cheap 4/5-Day HuayHuash trek

If you want to reach the most Instagrammable locations cheap and efficiently, then I recommend following my instructions.

In total I had spent ~$285 on my 5 day trek, and you could probably do it for as low as $200. Cost breakdown:
$100 equipment rental
$20 gas
~$20 food. 15 packs of ramen, 5 cans of tuna, 5 packs of oatmeal + many snacks.
$40 indulging on a donkey service for 4 days.
$25 for a 5hr ride to the starting point
~$15 for 3 buses Huayllapa-Huaraz
~$40 in entrance fees to villages/camp sites. Most people pay ~$70, but my route went through less villages.
$25 tip to the group that provided the donkey service. Not only did they provide a donkey for me, but they allowed me to use their common spaces when it rained. They also offered to help me with my tent and backpack a few times.

Getting there: Normally, solo trekkers have to take a bus to Chiquian + taxi and ~8hrs to get to the start from Huaraz. However, if you find a tour then you may negotiate a ride with them if there's space. I paid $25 and it took ~5hrs.

Day 1: Quartelhuain - Janca (7.1km, 498m elev)
If you planned ahead with a donkey service, or you're just a lot better with packing bags than I am, then you can skip ahead to day 2. Though it is a pretty sunrise from the campsite, it's not a must-see. I contemplated continuing to the next camp with all of my gear, but it started hailing so I saw this as a sign to just set up camp.

Day 2: Janca - Carhuacocha (9.3km, 458m elev)
Since I had overpacked my bag, I decided to indulge in a $10/day donkey service that I negotiated with the tour group that drove me there. The only con to this is that I had to follow their route.

Day 3: Carhuacocha - Mirador Tres Lagunas - HuayHuash (13km, 672m elev)
For many, this is the most Instagrammable part of the trek. For me, having decided to trek this at the start of the rain season, it was a very gloomy day.

Day 4: HuayHuash - Trapecio Pass + bonus hikes - Campamento Elephante - (bonus) Paso San Antonio - Campamento Elephante. Without bonuses: 10km, 682 elev. With bonuses: ~17km, 1200elev.

You can spend an extra day going to the Viconga hotsprings and skipping Trapecio Pass. However, I recommend Trapecio Pass because it is one of the most photogenic parts of the trail. I also recommend putting your backpack down, and hiking to the 2 viewpoints next to the pass. It should take less than 30 minutes, and you'll get a great perspective from the viewpoints.

Also if the weather is good and you have the energy, then you might want to get San Antonio Pass out of the way 1 day early. In my opinion, this is the most Instagrammable part of the trail. Also, for those who are fans of survival documentaries, you'll be able to overlook where "Touching the Void" took place. So you really don't want to miss it.

Day 5: Campamento Elephante - (bonus) Paso San Antonio - Huayllapa. 13-18km distance, 0-500km elevation gain, 1-1.5km elevation down, depending on your route.

Though uncommon, you could spend 1-3 extra days to see Grand Siula Base Camp. You can cross Paso Santo Rosa to Cutatambo and spend the next day walking in the same footsteps as Joe Simpson (for "Touching the Void" fans) but I personally opted out because:
I would have to forfeit my donkey
I didn't meet a single other person taking this route
I didn't want to spend more days

Now anyways, I had already visited Paso San Antonio the day before. But the weather was terrible, so I felt the need to revisit. After you reach the pass, I recommend (carefully) finding your way to the top of the cliff on the left. You'll get the best view from there.

After you do this, I recommend walking back down and turning right onwards to Huayllapa. However, I didn't do that. The quicker route is to go directly through the pass. No tour groups do this for liability reasons, and they all say that it's too dangerous. But I decided to do it anyways. If you lose the trail (like me) then you'll find yourself walking along a bunch of cliffs and thinking "how do I get down from here safely?". It took me around 3 hours, climbing up and down various cliffs, until I was able to overlook a safe way down.

At the bottom of the pass, the rest of the hike to Huayllapa surely felt rewarding. It was an off-the-beaten path trail, completely filled with wild cows and not a single person in sight. It's a beautiful valley, flourishing with fresh water rapids and waterfalls.

However, I still do not recommend crossing Paso San Antonio because it is dangerous!

My next pro tip is to just leave from Huayllapa. Leave at 7am, and it'll take at least 8hrs and 3 bus rides. If you do decide to go to Llamac, then there's another pass and a few lakes on the way. But IMO it's not worth an extra 2-3 days to see these extra things.

Music Credit:
Ice Tea, Over N Over, Quiet Star, and Vertigo ~ Not The King.
Remember & Views ~ Ikson

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