Superior Personal Tours in the Peruvian Specialists in: Trekking, Climbing, Camping, Tours & Adventure

Perú Head Office: New Zealand Office: Hisao and Eli Morales Anne Thomson José Olaya #532 104 Lord Rutherford Road Huaraz, ANCASH Brightwater, NELSON NEW ZEALAND

Tele: 0051 (0)43 421864 Tele: 0064 (0)3 5424222 www.peruvianandes.com Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

PERUVIAN ANDES ADVENTURES

LAGUNA 69 & TREK 2019

4 or 5 days trekking Grade: Medium to Hard

Highest Point: 4750m

Combine a trek of the famous Santa Cruz Circuit with a hike up to the pristine high alpine lake of Laguna 69

Punta Union – Santa Cruz Trek

The trek offers some of the most amazing mountain scenery in the - with spectacular views of the beautiful Laguna 69, snow-covered mountains, vertical rock walls, turquoise lakes and the challenging Punta Union pass (4750m), along with the opportunity to meet local villagers and see their traditional farming methods – all condensed into a relatively short trek or 4 or 5 days

Note 1 Grading: We grade the trek as medium to hard as the trekking starts with a steep hike up a zig zag trail to Laguna 69 at 4500m on the first day of the trek. Then there is a 2½ to 3 hour hike to a high pass at 4750m, as well as a long descent from that pass. For those choosing the 4 day option, there is a long hike down the valley of up to 8 hours on the final day of the trek.

The high altitude makes the hiking harder than a similar trek at lower altitude. You do need to be well acclimatised to the altitude and have at least a medium level of fitness to enjoy this trek. To enjoy this trek, you should also have some experience of hill-walking, and be able to hike a 6 to 7 hour day. If you do not have a reasonable level of fitness, you may struggle on this trek

Most trekking options in the Cordillera Blanca should be considered to be physically demanding owing to the altitude (you are above 4000m for the duration of the treks) and the mountainous nature of the terrain. The trail on this trek in a few places is steep – both ascending and descending and can be slippery & uneven in places. If you do not think you can enjoy this type of trekking, let us know and we can suggest some easier options

Note 2: Although the Santa Cruz trek route is located within the Huascaran National Park, local communities retain the traditional rights to graze farm animals that they have had for generations before the National Park was created. There are some farm animals (cattle, sheep, horses) along the trekking route, included surprisingly at the top of the high passes

Itinerary

Day A: Arrive Huaraz (3090m)

Day B & C: Huaraz / Acclimatisation days with day hikes to higher altitudes (two days – 3 nights minimum is highly recommended for acclimatisation)

Day 1: Drive to Llanganuco Lakes, Hike to Laguna 69 and then back to camp by Llanganuco Lakes at Yurakcoral

Travel by our private vehicle car for 2 ½ hours from Huaraz past the beautiful Llanganuco Lakes and then to Cebollapampa (3850m). You start the walk from Cebollapampa by following the valley for some 40 minutes, then climb continuously on a zig zag track for about 2 hour 40 minutes to Laguna 69, a beautiful lake of the most brilliant blue colour (4500m). The lake is surrounded by the mountains Chacrarju and Pisco which leave reflections on the lake. On the return walk you look directly towards the mountains Huascaran, Chopicalqui and Yanapaccha. Return the same way descending all the way to the trail start at Cebollapampa and then walk about 20 minutes more down to a campsite named Yurakcoral (3850m) situated at the head of the LLanganuco Lakes where we camp the night

Approx. 13kms return hike Approx 6 hours hike up and back Highest point 4500m Altitude at camp 3850m Ascent for the day 650m

Hiking to Laguna 69

Laguna 69

Day 2: Drive to Vaqueria & hike up Huaripampa Valley to Paria Drive from Yuracorral Camp upwards to the Portachuelo de Llanganuco road pass (4767m). Here we stop to enjoy views of a number of spectacular high Andean peaks, including Huascarán, Huandoy (6395m) and Chopicalqui (6,345m), as well as the Llanganuco lakes a kilometre below us.

We descend to Vaqueria (3600m), arriving after one hour drive. We meet our donkey drivers, equipment is loaded onto donkeys and we start trekking. We enjoy a relaxed, gradually ascending hike which takes us initially through the agricultural settlements of the Huaripampa valley, where we will encounter many friendly local children and observe the traditional village way of life and its farming methods close-up. We then leave civilization behind and enter the wilderness of the Huascaran National Park to camp in a secluded valley at Paria (3900m).

Approx. 11kms 4 hours Highest point hiking 3900m (drive over 4767m pass) Altitude at camp 3900m Ascent for the day 300m

Portachuelo Pass

Huaripampa Valley *Note, you make like to bring some pens, or other small things to give to the many children that we see on the way when hiking up the Huaripampa Valley.

Day 3: Hike from Paria to Taullipampa via the Punta Union Pass Today is a hard day, with fitness and acclimatisation levels put to the test. Nevertheless, we take our time and have plenty of rest breaks as we undertake a sustained ascent of 3 hours to a narrow notch in a granite wall. This is the pass over the Continental Divide, Punta Union (4750m). The imposing nearby Taulliraju, a jagged snow-capped mountain, dominates the skyline while to the north and northwest, Rinrihirca and Quitaraju loom large, and in the distance to the west we glimpse the blue Jatuncocha lake a long way down the Quebrada Santa Cruz valley. After admiring the views and taking photos, we enjoy an easy zig zag trail down to our camp in a meadow at Taullipampa (4254m).

Approx. 13kms 6 to 7 hours Highest point 4750m Altitude at camp 4254m Ascent for the day 850m

Punta Union Pass

Santa Cruz Valley & Jatuncocha Lake Taullipampa Campsite

4 DAY TREK:

Day 4: Hike via Alpamayo Viewpoint to Cashapampa. Drive to Huaraz A long day. We can take a brief but rewarding detour to a viewpoint up to the Quebrada Arhuaycocha, a hanging valley from which we enjoy sensational close-up views of the famous, and beautiful, Nevado Alpamayo snow peak (once voted the most beautiful mountain in the world), as well as the Nevado Quitaraju and Artesonraju peaks. We then have a long downhill hike on a good trail along the Quebrada Santa Cruz valley to Cashapampa village (2900m). The first part of the hike after descending down to the trail from Quebrada Arhuaycocha we cross an area of barren washout where in the year 2014 an avalanche coming off Artesonraju caused a flash flood that washed out the upper part of the Santa Cruz Valley, destroying the trail and also completely burying the shallow lake named Ichicocha which has now disappeared. We then are on a good trail again, traversing around the Lake Jatuncocha and descending beside a tumbling river until Cashapampa Village.

Approx. 19kms 8 to 9 hours Highest point 4254m Descent for the day 1354m

In Cashapampa our private vehicle will be waiting for us & we return to Huaraz (97kms & 3 hours drive).

Hiking Q. Arhuaycocha towards Alpamayo Laguna Jatuncocha

5 DAY TREK – SPLITS THE LONG FINAL DAY OF 4 DAY TREK INTO TWO SHORTER AND EASY DAYS:

Day 4: Hike via Alpamayo Base Camp to Llamacorral We can hike further up the Quebrada Arhuaycocha (see day 4 above) all the way to Alpamayo Base Camp from where climbers start their ascent of Alpamayo (4300m at Base Camp). There usually are some climbers base camps set up there and sometimes we can see groups of climbers making their way up or descending down from Alpamayo Base Camp. We can take a short 30 minute hike up to Lake Arhuaycocha from Base Camp, before descending back down the valley and hiking past Laguna Jatuncocha to our camp at Llamacorral

Hiking to Alpamayo Base Camp

Approx 13 kms to Base Camp & then to Llamacorral 6 to 7 hours Highest point 4300m Altitude at camp 3750m Ascent for the day 46m

Laguna Arhuaycocha Llamacorral

Day 5: Hike Llamacorral Down to Cashapampa & Drive Back to Huaraz An easy down valley hike on a good trail, following the fast flowing Santa Cruz river to the village of Cashapampa where our private vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Huaraz

Approx 9 kms 4 to 5 hours hike Descent for the day 1400m 97kms and 3 hour drive back to Huaraz

Punta Union Pass – Santa Cruz Trek

Note: Special Interest If you choose to do this trek, you will be helping and contributing to improving the economic situation for the local people of the villages of Colcabamba and Vaqueria at the start of the trek. Because of local politics, the donkey drivers from these villages are not permitted to work on any treks other than those starting from Vaqueria. The work as donkey drivers is a vital source of cash income for the people who live in these villages, and without this work they have very little cash with which to improve their lives and educate their children.

Classic examples are two of our favourite donkey drivers, the brothers Victor and Cirillo Mendez from Vaqueria. These two men are extremely hardworking, honest and loyal ad have used their income to pay for high school education and accommodation for their children in Huaraz

Cirillo Victor Matt & Jolene from Canada who did this trek with Victor said: Donkey driver. - We´ll take Victor anytime!. He´s great

GENERAL INFORMATION & PRICES Below are some general information and trek prices:

Trek Roads: Access roads to and from treks are generally dirt mountain roads (not paved) and in some places can be bumpy. Road travel times are slower than you may expect for the kms travelled.

TREK GRADING AND FITNESS Trek grading and walking times are average estimates only for people of average to good fitness and who are well acclimatised to the altitude.

Some people will be faster and others will find it more difficult and be slower. The effects of altitude do make the trekking much harder than a similar trek closer to sea level and different people adjust to the altitude in a different timeframe.

You need to have average to good fitness and be able to hike a sustained uphill (sometimes steep) for 2 to 3 hours without distress to be able to enjoy this trek.

The Laguna 69 Santa Cruz Trek is a physically hard trek. The first day is a hard hike to high altitude at 4500m at Laguna 69 with an ascent of 650m so good fitness and acclimatisation is necessary before departing for the trek

NOTE that most trekking options in the Cordillera Blanca should be considered to be physically demanding owing to the altitude (you are above 4000m for the duration of the treks) and the mountainous nature of the terrain. Trails are often steep – both ascending and descending and can be slippery & rocky in places. Trails are not formed paths but are in many cases ancient trails used by both animals and people and they are not maintained and tend to be uneven under foot.

If you do not think you can enjoy this type of trekking, let us know and we can suggest some easier options

ACCLIMATISATION All trekking in the Huaraz area is demanding on the body because you are the whole time above 4000m and you go up to high altitudes quickly after you depart from Huaraz. It is important to be well acclimatised to avoid possible altitude related illness.

Altitude symptoms vary but can include headache, nausea or vomiting, breathlessness, lack of appetite, stomach problems, extreme lethargy and lack of energy, inability to sleep from mild to severe in extent. In extreme cases pulmonary or cerebral oedema are possible

We do recommend that you arrive in Huaraz MINIMUM two full days (three nights) before the trek departs to help you become acclimatised to the altitude. It is advisable to do minimum two day hikes to higher altitude to help with acclimatisation before departing for the trek.

We can organise guided day hikes for you or you can choose to do your own day hikes and we can arrange transport

ON TREK You will be accompanied by a qualified & licensed trekking guide, a cook, a donkey driver and donkeys, and assistants for larger groups.

Donkeys carry your main luggage and all the food, tents and equipment. You only carry a day pack with raincoat, warm jacket, hat and gloves, water bottle, snack, camera, sunscreen etc.

For groups of 3 or 4 clients, there is one assistant and with 5 or more clients there are two assistants with the group. If anyone becomes unwell or needs extra assistance there are sufficient staff to manage this while the others in the group can continue to enjoy the trek

TREK DATES We do not have fixed departure dates for our treks but instead we will organise an independent trek for you for any dates that suit your travel plans.

JOIN A GROUP? If you would like to join with other people, we can advertise your treks dates on our website and there may be others who would like to join with you. We can co-ordinate between you to form a group.

We do have good success at forming small groups in this way, although we can never guarantee that we can find others to join with you

MAXIMUM GROUP SIZE When we join people together to forma group, our normal maximum group size is 6 to 8 people. You are also welcome to request a SMALLER GROUP

We are also very happy to organise a PRIVATE TREK for you for any group size

TIMING & WEATHER The best months for trekking are May to September. This is the period when the weather is generally more settled (although we can never guarantee good weather in the mountains & weather can change rapidly).

May and September are shoulder months with fewer other trekkers on the trails than the period June to August. May is at the end of the rainy season, the weather is often improving with often clear skies, everything is fresh and green following the rains and there are lots of wild flowers. September is at the end of the season, often there is very good weather for trekking and it can be more relaxing with fewer large groups around.

NOTE: That weather conditions in the Andes are changing. Whereas in the past there was a defined wet & dry season, this is no not so much situation. There can be periods of unsettled weather with cloud and rain at any time, even in the months so-called the “dry months” of June to August and you do need to be prepared that there may be some bad weather at any time

TREK PRICE Our prices for the trek in 2019 high season (May to end September) are:

*4 day Laguna 69 & Santa Cruz trek: 1 person: $415 per day x 4 days = US$1660 2 people $235 per day each x 4 days = US$940 each 3 people $190 per day each x 4 days = US$760 each 4 people $166 per day each x 4 days = US$664 each 5 people $159 per day each x 4 days = US$636 each 6 people $148 per day each x 4 days = US$592 each 7 people $143 per day each x 4 days = US$572 each 8 people $131 per day each x 4 days = US$524 each

*5 day Laguna 69 & Santa Cruz trek: 1 person: $389 per day x 5 days = US$1945 2 people $220 per day each x 5 days = US$1100 each 3 people $190 per day each x 5 days = US$950 each 4 people $160 per day each x 5 days = US$800 each 5 people $154 per day each x 5 days = US$770 each 6 people $145 per day each x 5 days = US$725 each 7 people $134 per day each x 5 days = US$670 each 8 people $124 per day each x 5 days = US$620 each

*If you join a group, the trek price per person is based on the final number of people who confirm and make full payment for the trek

MAY & SEPTEMBER SPECIAL OFFER For treks within the months of May & September we offer 5% discount from the trek price

ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE: Do you speak any Spanish and would you like an English speaking guide? It is advisable to book early if you need a guide who speaks a good standard of English as there is high demand for their services.

Alternatively, we have some excellent guides who speak just some few basic English words and phrases or only Spanish. If you speak a little Spanish you may enjoy the great company of one of these guides.

NOTE: That although guides speak English, it is their second language and they will not speak English fluently as a native English speaker would. The English speaking guides speak strong solid basic English.

EXTRAS: Day Hikes for acclimatisation Any hire of gear

RESCUE HORSE For 2 or more clients there is a rescue horse included in the price. The horse is available at any time for a client to ride should they feel unwell or have an injury, and also would be used to evacuate any client out of the trek route should it be necessary

*Discount 2 people private group: If there is a two person group and you decide you do not require a rescue horse, discount $ $75 for 4 day trek, $90 for 5 day trek. Please advise at the time of booking

*One person private trek: We can arrange a rescue horse, please advise at the time of booking = extra $75 for 4 day trek, $90 for 5 day trek

Prices are in US$

OUR SERVICE

LEGALITY *Peruvian Andes Adventures is an official Registered Tourist Agency (Ancash region) and is a legal operating company registered with SUNAT (Peruvian Taxation Dept)

Copies of registration certificates are on the trek description

As an official registered tourist agency we pay all required taxes and levies. Many tourist operators in Huaraz offering treks and climbing trips are not officially registered, pay no taxes and are operating illegally.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS is to provide a caring, friendly, professional and above all SAFE trekking and climbing service at a fair price. We specialise in providing exceptional personalised individual service to all our clients with attention to detail and emphasis on quality in all aspects: professional guides and crew, food, equipment, safety, information and logistics.

Following our commitment to provide quality customer focused service, on 4 March 2010 we were successful in complying with all the rigorous requirements of the exhaustive external audit and were successful and proud to be one of only two companies in the entire Ancash region of Peru to be granted ISO 9001:2008 certification.

We provide a complete catered and guided service of the highest quality. We have many years experience organizing and guiding groups in the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Huayhuash and only employ quality & responsible staff who you can trust.

All the guides we use are licensed by the House of Guides and cooks, porters and donkey drivers are accredited by their own respective associations. We do not employ unlicensed or unaccredited guides and staff.

We are a professional agency, and take care for our environment when we are working with groups. We only use gas for cooking, no fires, remove all our rubbish and waste, use a toilet tent and bury toilet waste.

We only use fresh food - vegetables, fruit, chicken and meat and great care is taken with hygiene in order to minimise the risk of illnesses.

We also cater for vegetarian food, gluten or dairy free and other special diet requests.

Tents are top quality international brands in good condition / roomy tents / twin share basis

Single tents available on request (extra fee may apply)

Our guides are trained in mountain first aid and carry a first aid kit.

The guide has an oxygen saturation meter and will check oxygen levels & monitor any client who shows indication of altitude related illness

Each year prior to the commencement of the trekking season, we have training days and instruction for our key guides, cooks and assistants to ensure quality of client service.

We reinvest profits each year into upgrading our tents and equipment to ensure maximum client comfort and safety.

We operate trek with a high staff to client ratio to ensure top quality service and also to enable us to safely evacuate any injured or ill client back to Huaraz with one of our staff in the shortest possible time, without affecting the trekking enjoyment of the other clients in the group.

There will be a rescue horse for two or more people group.

EVACUATION: Our staff take every precaution possible to ensure that clients stay well and safe during their trek. Unfortunately in some rare instances a client may become unwell or suffer an injury and require to be evacuated back to Huaraz.

We have a company Evacuation Procedure which the guides carry which outlines to the guides the actions to be taken, the contact telephone numbers to request help and the nearest evacuation point from different sectors of the various trek routes.

If a client is unwell or injured, they will be taken out of the trek route by horse to the nearest point where there is telephone contact and a road. Our office is called and evacuation organised. Either the client will be taken back to Huaraz by one of our staff either by public transport (If there is suitable transport available) or we send a car to collect them. In extreme cases a rescue team would sent to the area to collect the client. The guide and trek staff would carry out mountain first aid treatment until rescue arrives.

There is no helicopter rescue available in the Huaraz area.

AGENCY When selecting your agency in Huaraz it is important to check: *The agency is an official registered agency *Guides are licensed

OUR TREK PRICE INCLUDES: Qualified & licensed Guide Cook Assistants for larger groups (3 or more clients) Donkeys and donkey drivers Rescue horse (2 or more clients) Meals (breakfast, all snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, large dinner) during the trek *Vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free & other diet requests catered for Client Tents (twin share basis) Single tents available on request (extra fee may apply) Dining tent with table and chairs, kitchen tent and toilet tent, tents for crew Thermorest inflatable + foam sleeping mats (see below note about Thermorest) First Aid Kit Oxygen bottle Oxygen saturation meter & daily client health checks Stretcher for emergency All cooking equipment, plates, cups, utensils etc. Private trek transport in a well maintained vehicle *National Park Entrance US$47 per person Support while in Huaraz

NOTE: THERMOREST INFLATABLE SLEEPING MAT If you have your own good quality Thermorest inflatable sleeping mat, it can be a good idea to bring your own. We can provide a Thermorest sleeping mat (free of charge) but the quality available in Peru to buy is not as reliable as international themorests

NOT INCLUDED: Hotels (Lima and Huaraz) Meals and drinks in the city Sleeping bags (available for hire in Huaraz & we can organise for you) Transfer from Lima: Huaraz: Lima Guide & transport for acclimatization walks extra. Repatriation back to Huaraz if departing trek early for any reason (including additional transport & hotel costs + any medical fees) Extra hotel nights due to program changes Cost associated with Confirmation of flights Cost associated tracking lost luggage with airlines Travel & cancellation insurance Tips

We can also book: *hotels in Lima and Huaraz *bus tickets Lima: Huaraz: Lima *private transfers in Lima if you need help with these.

MORALES GUESTHOUSE B & B HUARAZ We can book accommodation in Hotel Morales Huaraz, which is operated by Hisao Morales of Peruvian Andes Adventures and is very conveniently located only 3 minutes walk from our office. http://www.peruvianandes.com/en/hotel-morales-huaraz/

IMPORTANT NOTE / NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE & GOVERNMENT TAXES Your trek price includes an entrance ticket to the Huascaran National Park

Currently the ticket is priced at 150 soles (US$47) and is valid for a period of 30 days

The National Park reserves the right to change the price of the entrance ticket and the validity period of the ticket at time and without notice. If there is a change in the ticket price or any new additional local or national government fees, we will notify you immediately and there may be an extra payment to make

BOOKING PROCEDURE If you would like to book your trek with our company, please send us an email to [email protected] and we will send you all the booking documents as soon as we can. If you do not receive a reply in the next 2 days please resend us a your email or send us a short message to our watsapp number +51943077736

Copy: This information and photographs have been prepared by and is confidential to Peruvian Andes Adventures. We are aware that several agencies in Huaraz have copied and plagiarised information that we have invested considerable time and financial resources in developing to provide quality information to our clients. If you receive information & photos from other companies that are identical or very similar to this provided by us, it is very likely to have been copied without permission

Testimonials from some recent clients:

Many of our clients have such a great time with us that they come back. You will see from the feedback below that there are several clients who are coming back for a second or even third trip with Peruvian Andes Adventures!

Several clients have indicated that they would be happy to be contacted to give a personal recommendation for our service. If you wish to receive a personal recommendation, let us know and we can send contact information

Lorna / USA / 4 day Santa Cruz Trek June 2018 The trek exceeded expectations: - the tents, sleeping bags etc were of high quality - guide displayed a good understanding of our capabilities and set an appropriate pace with stops – geared to our arriving at camp between 3.30 to 4.00pm every day. Guide also was informative without being intrusive. - scenery and landscape far exceeded my expectation - food was very good an in-line with our requests

Gunter / Switzerland / 5 day Santa Cruz trek August 2018 Trip Advisor Posting: 5-day St. Cruz Trek with 5 star service by an excellent team When going to the high mountains you should choose an excellent team and agency as conditions may change quickly. The Peruvian Andes team was joyful, professional and harmonic. The food, the equipment and the service in general were excellent. The tents remained dry during the one day rain and snowfall (not even having condense water in sub-zero temperatures) and my shoes dried under the cooking range. So we continued without suffering and the sun came out again the next morning.Thank you for having given us such a good time in that fantastic scenery. A client from Switzerland

Sue & Clive / 4 day Santa Cruz trek August 2018 Trip Advisor Posting: 4 day 3 night Santa Cruz Trek, Cordillera Blanca We had a fantastic hike with Elly and crew, everything was superb even the weather. The quinoa pancake made especially for me as I have an intolerance to wheat flour, was very much appreciated, I hadn't eaten pancakes for years!! Elly's vast experience combined with pleasant demeanour and logistical expertise made this an absolutely wonderful experience. He even organised the appearance of a condor when we reached Punta Union.

Karen & Eugene / Germany / Santa Cruz Trek 5 days May 2017 “Looking for an agency to go for a holiday in the Huaraz region you were immediately on the short list. The fast and professional response to our inquiry made us deciding fast for you. All information given was answering our questions and did exactly describe the reality. We felt warmly welcome already at the bus station, thanks a lot. The trek was beautiful, the service provided really great. We will recommend you to our friends and once we will decide for another trek out here it will be with your only. Thank you!”

Ana / Netherlands / 4 day Santa Cruz trek May 2017 “We really appreciated the pace the Nestor took to go up. He kept us really motivated and was a very good company all the time. The meals were incredible. Your chef and his assistant prepared all dishes with much care. We all felt very loved – as one of our trek buddies puts it. All campsites were beautiful and we wishes we could stay longer to appreciate the views. Thank for all your help, work & dedication”

Eric / USA / 5 day Santa Cruz Trek June 2017 - staying at the Morales Guesthouse which is next to the company made it very easy to get hiking / trek information anytime we wanted it. - our guide Nestor did a really good job of being flexible with the trek itinerary to make the best of some cloudy / rainy weather on the trek - the food was excellent. Everything we had was top notch - all the information provided ahead of the trek was very helpful for us to be well prepared and ensuring we had a great time - arrangements made on our behalf went very smoothly (bus tickets, sleeping bag rentals, pickup from bus station) and allowed us not to stress or worry about anything Jane & her Family/ UK / 5 day Santa Cruz Trek June 2017 “we would like to thank the whole team for a fantastic trek, all 3 of us had a fabulous time. The organisation was excellent and we could not have wished for a better guide than Nestor he is wonderful. The food on the trek was outstanding – better than in many restaurants. All that is left to say is a huge thank you Peruvian Andes Adventures”

Emily / UK / 4 day Santa Cruz Trek July 2017 “great experience from the beginning (meeting at station) to very end (drop off to house) Marco was fantastic and paced the hike to suit the group best. Dietary requirements always remembered and met.”

Catherine & Iain / UK / 4 day Santa Cruz trek September 2017 “We had a great time and enjoyed the trek immensely. The whole team took such good care of us, all our needs were met & often exceeded! No negative feedback – everything was perfect. Thank you so much – We’d love to come back & do a longer trek” Catherine and Iain

Mike from the USA / Santa Cruz Trek March 2016 I was very impressed with the entire crew. Their demeanour and efforts were outstanding. The trek start from Cashapampa was the right decision for our older years – coming from the other direction would have killed us! Eli did a good job of managing the small group of very different abilities.

Andrew from South Africa - family with two children / Santa Cruz Ulta Trek 7 days August 2016 The food was excellent! And more than expected. Having Pizza, trout and other great food on the walk was appreciated. being able to have horses for the while time for our children was exactly what we needed to complete the trek and without them we would not have been able to complete the whole trek. Yessica was an excellent choice of guide for our day walks and she was very good with our children on quite tough days. Nestor and team were very good on the trek and kept a very manageable constant pace, but still giving us enough time to enjoy the views while walking and having time to relax at camp. Thanks for a fantastic trip!

Michelle from New Zealand / Santa Cruz Ulta 6 days + Cusco, Machu Picchu & Titicaca Tours September 2016 An exceptional team delivering an amazing adventure! Every need was anticipated and I can’t speak highly enough of this unforgettable experience. The food, the scenery, the people ….. Unfaultable!! Thank you to the Peruvian Andes Team. I would highly recommend this company without reservation.

Lauren from Australia / Santa Cruz Trek August 2016 Great service from the very first inquiry through to the trek itself. All staff went out of their way to help us enjoy the experience. We will definitely be recommending your services!

Megan from USA / Santa Cruz Trek 5 days April 2015 Very personal – especially for a slightly weaker walker needing a slower pace – so kind. Eli was fantastic – set a great pace. Donkeys were happy – completely top quality. Loved my first experience in the Andes. Glamourous + camping = Glamping – I felt like I was on Safari. Distances were good. Eli, Jorge & Richard are a fantastic team

Samantha from USA / Honeymoon Trek Santa Cruz Ulta 6 days April 2015 Everything was fantastic – we had an amazing time. Thank you very much. Eli was a great guide & Mayumi too. Jorge was great cooking – we never were hungry

Roselin from USA / Santa Cruz trek 5 days June 2015 I was extremely satisfied & very surprised of the quality of everything and everybody involved. Knowledge, cake, friendliness, our FOOD. Eli is a fantastic guide & has a great crew

Karsten from Germany / Santa Cruz Trek 5 days June 2015 All services on trek were perfect. The entire trek team delivered an outstanding performance. We will highly recommend

Barrie & Peter from the UK / Santa Cruz Ulta Trek 7 days May 2015 “Extremely well organised, all our needs promptly attended – Excellent!” “I don’t think it could be bettered!”

Kathleen / USA / Santa Cruz Trek 4 days July 2015 This trek exceeded our expectations. Anne always kept us informed. Eli our guide was informative and met all of our needs. He was superb. Tono our cook could be a chef in any restaurant in the USA. My birthday cake was extra special. Our donkey driver also was timely and set up our camp ground quickly…..

Robin / USA / Santa Cruz trek August 2015 People: Our guide, our chef, our donkey drivers were all & each amazing. Their level of concern & personal attention was outstanding. I enjoyed spending meals with them and would trek with the same crew again – hands down! Communication: Anne was awesome. She helped us send $$ when we had problems, she sent us excellent pre-trip information. Thanks to her, we were exceptionally well prepared Convenience: The door-to-door service is reasonable and impeccable. Thank you for covering all parts of our journey. We felt well taken care of and valued (not sold to!)

Denise & Kevin / USA : Santa Cruz Ulta Trek + Ishinca Climbing / May 2014 SECOND TRIP WITH PAA Denise: Everything was outstanding. Rodolfo, Cesar, Iber & Marco were all excellent. A special thanks to Hisao for letting us delay the climb one day to wait for better weather. We will miss you all. Kevin: Everything from first contact to end of trek was handled superbly. Not much to add from previous positive reviews. You run a great operation. Hope to see you soon

Audrey & Janet/ Santa Cruz Ulta / May 2014 – All the staff were great & really cared about our group. When I started getting a cough on day 2 the cooking staff made me a special drink specifically for my cough. I really appreciated the next two nights they made the drink for me. Eli was always good about giving us the plan for the next days trek & I can prepare and sort out my plan for the day. It was nice having the horse as an option. I used it several times as I was having breathing issues. Great resurces to have.

Irene / UK / Santa Cruz trek / June 2014: This is the best trek/walk I have done. I only have positive comments. Eli seemed to find the perfect pace for me and it was a pleasure to have him with us on the trek. The food was great and with the help of Cesar’s “special tea” the stomach bug which I had at the beginning of the trek seemed to disappeared. All the team were cherry and made us feel welcome. The organisation from Lima, day treks, Morales Guesthouse etc has been first class and the advice to take warmer sleeping bags and pole made my trek easier. I would recommend your company to anyone and everyone

Amanda / Canada / Santa Cruz trek / June 2014 We were extremely satisfied with our trekking experience with Peruvian Andes Adventures. From start to finish our needs were met & our expectations exceeded. We appreciated all the pre trip information and felt prepared for our trek. During the trek, the entire crew (guide, cook, & donkey driver) were professional & efficient. Our guide Heimer was excellent. He was knowledgeable of the area & provided assistance & information throughout the trek. The food was plentiful. Cesar kept us well fed with delicious meals. Roger & Richard were friendly & attended to us with great care. Overall we really enjoyed our Santa Cruz trek. Thank you for wonderful memories.

Bob / UK/ Santa Cruz trek / July 2014 Hello Anne, Hisao and Eli, we have been back in England for a few days now and wanted to contact you to express our gratitude and thanks for making our Santa Cruz trek such a great experience. It was clear that every aspect of the organisation and execution of the trek had been carefully examined and refined, the end result of which was a truely most memorable journey. The standard of the equipment was first rate, we particularly liked the four man tent for the two of us and the snug sleeping bags. In our experience with other trekking companies in the Cusco area, this is an area where compromises are made by them to maximise profits. The standard of the food was excellent and a never ending source of amazement to us with what can be done with a solitary gas ring. Mayumi always put a smile on our faces with her happy persona. Eli was always patient, understanding and accomodating when we found the going tough and needed a breather. We never felt rushed or under pressure so were able to fully appreciate the amazing scenery. Our first visit to this part of Peru has most certainly been something to savour. The Morales guest house was also superb. Comfortable and reasonably priced with friendly staff, it was a great place for us to rest both before and after the trek. Special thanks to Eli for suggesting pictures to me that I would have missed otherwise. We will treasure these always and remember you all with fond affection.

Sam & Birdy / USA / Santa Cruz Trek / July 2013 …… Due to the superior quality of your services I will be very pleased to highly recommend Peruvian Andes Adventures to anyone interested in having a wonderful experience ….. The pacing was perfect. We were quite slow but Eli provided sufficient stops, photo ops and plant & bird watching stops. I appreciated Eli’s laid back style , always saying it was ok – I never felt rushed…… . Eli (guide) & Cesar (cook) were very humourous and seemed to enjoy each others company and ours

George / Family of 04 USA / Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu + Santa Cruz Ulta Trek / June 2013 Our special vegan meals requests were graciously and deliciously prepared with fantastic Peruvian flavours. Our guides were outstanding. We also wanted to comment on the inventive style and superb quality of our cooks. Everyone in your organisation was extremely professional & delightful to work with. I wanted to send a special thank you to Anne, Hisao, Eli & Bryan

Mark / USA / Santa Cruz Llanganuco Trek / June 2013 Everything was excellent! Our guide, Heimer, was especially knowledgeable about history, culture, biology & made our experience very enjoyable. Compliments to everyone, including Alfonso (our cook) & Miguel (the donkey driver) for providing excellent food, transport, & hospitality. Hisao gave us an excellent briefing before the trip. I would recommend your company to anyone interested in travelling to this beautiful part of the world. Peruvian Andes Adventures is a company with high regard for the environment , local cultures, and above all encourages responsible tourism.

Fiorenza / Italy / Santa Cruz Trek June 2011 Dear Anne, Eli and Hisao, We just wanted to thank you again for the hospitality we received in Huaraz and the beautiful Santa Cruz trek, of which we enjoyed every minute. The organization was perfect, the food very good and the crew members friendly and very kind….. We would also like to thank Anne for her impeccable booking organization, her patience and her prompt replies.We will certainly ask for your assistance again if we decide to come back to Peru. Best regards.Fiorenzai and Gianluca Fumia

Loie and her family / Santa Cruz trek July 2011 Internet interactions were very personalized to my questions so from the beginning I had trust in PAA. This was outstanding. We loved it. We were awed by the mountains. Our guide keeps a good pace that worked for all us. The food was delicious. Morales Guest House was perfect for the highest before and after the trek. I would recommend Peruvian Andes Adventures anyone coming to Peru.

Kieko from Japan / 8 day Santa Cruz Ulta Trek May 2010 Guide Nestor is a perfect guide! Our success of trekking the high altitude mountain area completely owe to his guide. Food served was very good. We are completely satisfied with all the work and service of Peruvian Andes. They gave each of us a single tent which was very nice. I got a full information & always a quick answer to my questions

Debbie and her family teenageers from the USA / Santa Cruz Trek August 2010 Loved the trek! Everything worked out great. The guide Miguel was fantastic and so was the rest of the help. Good food & great service.

Scott from the USA / Santa Cruz trek June 2010 Great trip, very good food very knowledgeable & experienced guide. Top notch – worth every penny

Will & Debra/ USA / Santa Cruz Trek August 2009 It was a fantastic experience from start (arranging the trek) to finísh. Anne was very helpful in making all our travel and trek arrangements in a timely manner & patiently reminded us to fill out necessary forms. Hisao met us at the guesthouse upon arrival and welcomed us back. He filled us in our trek and helped us obtain our necessary rental equipment. Edita was a skilled trek leader who successfully met the needs of people of varied interests & capabilities. Since we were all interested in photography, she made sure we were up early & to the sites with the best views before the clouds came in. Mayumi & Marcellino were so much fun and excellent at their jobs as were the donkey drivers. Huayhuash was our first trek with Peruvian Andes Adventures and we enjoyed it so much we came back. The caring and efficient staff make us want to come back again. THIS WAS WILL & DEBRA’S SECOND TREK WITH US.

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