Peru beyond Machu Picchu

[balzaccom]

We've done the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, and loved it. Now we're interested in going back to Peru for more hiking/trekking.
Does anyone have any suggested trips, regions or companies we should consider? Looking at Huaraz, Arequipa...

 

[slc_dan]

We've done the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, and loved it. Now we're interested in going back to Peru for more hiking/trekking.
Does anyone have any suggested trips, regions or companies we should consider? Looking at Huaraz, Arequipa...

I'm headed to hike the Inca Trail, and Machu Piccu on the 25th!

I'm curious of answers to your question though.

 

[TannerT]

I went through the Mayuc Company based out of Cuzco for a Apurimac and Urubamba river trips. I loved the apurimac!
I know of a few places that are pretty sweet and you should check out. I'll break it down by region.

North: The northern most tip is where Hemingway stayed, a lot, and got inspiration for some of his stories. The waves come across the coast in the opposite of normal direction, and in one area you can catch a wave for something like a mile. In the city of Trujillo (The city of eternal spring as the locals call it) there is a lot of culture from the Incas. You can get to Huaraz, and soak in treks and views of the Cordillera Blanca section of the Andes. For a pic of some of the more well known peaks http://www.summitpost.org/siula-grande-and-yerupaj/923380.

Lima: There is a lot to check out as far as Incan culture and history. The city itself is very, very dirty. A little further south you can go down and hike close to the Nazca Lines, or do a fly over.

Cuzco: There is the Salkantay trail, something like 5 or 6 days that takes you into Cuzco. There are so many other trails that you can trek and get to Machu Picchu the back way. There is a ton of cultural sites to see in and around Cuzco as well. If you go down the train tracks in Aguas Calientes, which is at the base of Machu Picchu, you can climb the trail to the top of Putukusi. It's a cool view of the old city and you get there by hand made ladders and a moderately tough trail. (when I did it, it was just me a one other person.) I would suggest to anyone going to Machu Picchu to visit twice. The first time take the tour and get the history and the whole story then you can wonder around through the city. Then go and hike Huayna Picchu which is a relatively exposed trail, much like Angel's Landing, to the best view of the old city. My favorite view of the city and the surrounding mountains is from the top of mount Machu Picchu. The trail is old and not maintained and totally awesome.

South: Colca Canyon outside of Arequipa is awesome. You can climb Mount Misti or any number of old volcanoes. Lake Titicaca is beautiful and you can take a tour with the Uru people who live on reed islands and float around on a boat made of reeds.

Jungle: Go to Iquitos, the head of the Amazon river and take a boat tour, or get back into the jungle. I'm not sure if they do this or not anymore but swinging on vines is not overrated. Take a tour into the Manu National rain forest and spend days with Macaws and other jungle life.

I don't know of any other travel agencies or the like. I made things up as I was there. I served a mission in the jungle and then spent over a month in and around cuzco doing research. I am jealous and excited for you. I hope this is helpful.

Salud!

 

[TannerT]

There is this TR of the Salkantay Trail. http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/the-salakantay-trek-peru.496/
Enjoy

 

[balzaccom]

Thanks Tanner. We've spent a few days exploring around Cuzco, and we really enjoyed it. But we want to try something new this time.

Cordillera Blanca seems like our best bet. Any suggestions for route or local guides? We are fully bi-lingual, so English isn't an issue.

 

[TannerT]

Thanks Tanner. We've spent a few days exploring around Cuzco, and we really enjoyed it. But we want to try something new this time.

Cordillera Blanca seems like our best bet. Any suggestions for route or local guides? We are fully bi-lingual, so English isn't an issue.

I wish I did have a contact there, but huayhuash.com is a great place to start. When are you going? I haven't had the opportunity to trek in the northern end of Peru...yet! You'll have to let me know what you find. Suerte, y ojala, tendras un buen viaje!!!

Salud!

 

[JackBurns]

Did a humanitarian trip to Peru a few years ago. flew into Lima then on to Iquitos. From Iquitos we traveled by boat 2 hours down the Amazon.
We spent a ten days building a health clinic, sidewalk and teaching in a small village.
We did not stay I the village but stayed at a lodge a few miles away. Nice place. The owner of the lodge also owns hotels in Iquitos and Lima. He donates a lot to the villages near the lodge. Very good guy.
Here is a link to the lodge.
http://heliconialodge.com.pe/web/
There were several groups that came through while we were there. We were there in June. It was hot but not terrible.
On our way home my son and I detoured to Cuzco and Machu Picchu for the Winter solstice. Machu Picchu is one of my favorite places in the world.
Jack

 

[LarryBoy]

Two things come to mind -

1) Colca Canyon. I spent several days down in the canyon(don't remember how long to be honest). No guide, just a trail map and a friendly disposition. Stayed with a random family I met in San Juan de Chuccho. Definitely an unforgettable experience.

2) The Cordillera Blanca. If you're a hiking expert, you can always try a variation of a route that Swami put together last year. Personally, I think that looks like the coolest trip every done by a human.

http://www.thehikinglife.com/journal/tag/cordillera-blanca-traverse/page/2/

 

[balzaccom]

We've now done three trips to Peru. The first, noted here, was to Machu Picchu. We went back two years later to do the Santa Crus trek in the Cordillera Blanca. Here's a report on that: https://sites.google.com/site/backp...e-inca-trail/huaraz-and-the-cordillera-blanca

And then earlier this year we just did some day hiking and excursions out of Cusco. Here's a photo log of that trip, which included Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru--Peru is at the end if you want to skip the rest:

Google Photos

Home for all your photos and videos, automatically organized and easy to share.

photos.google.com

 

[TrailScot]

I spent a few weeks hiking in Peru in May/June this year.

The first trek I did was a 3 week organised trip to the Cordillera Huayhuash region, which definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful treks in the world. This hike is quite expensive to do as part of a organised group; however although cheaper to consider doing independently, the logistics of transport, food, etc are apparently quite challenging.

The 2nd trek I did was the 1 week Ausangate Circuit, which I’d highly recommend. It’s super easy to organise independently from Cusco by catching a local bus, and the mountain scenery is gorgeous for the entire route.

 

[ben_s]

I did the full Huayhuash circuit (9-11 days) without any group last year. Logistics aren't too bad, but the real challenge is hauling days worth of food at 15-16000 feet. If you're looking for something a bit longer, I would highly recommend. Views are absolutely outstanding.

 

[wsp_scott]

I did the full Huayhuash circuit (9-11 days) without any group last year. Logistics aren't too bad, but the real challenge is hauling days worth of food at 15-16000 feet. If you're looking for something a bit longer, I would highly recommend. Views are absolutely outstanding.

Need to see a trip report, ideally one with tons of photos

 

[ben_s]

Need to see a trip report, ideally one with tons of photos

Oh man, not sure I can muster up a full trip report as its been quite a while... but I do have a bunch of photos

 

[balzaccom]

Yep. It is a stunning area! And Peru an amazing country with five thousand years of archeology, the most interesting cuisine on the planet.

Oh yeah. The hiking is superb.

 

[fossana]

I did a section of the Huayhuash Circuit back in 2009 self-supported. Some observations:

• The guiding companies left their trash along the route in fire pits and on the trail, which was appalling. We ended up collecting their plastic water bottles on our last day to throw away in town. If you are going with a guiding service, ask about their trash policy.
• The alpine meadows double as pastures, so expect to see livestock and herding dogs.
• We had read that the local herders/ranchers would ask for money along the route "por la protección". It happened once.
• There's a lot of mining in the area. If I were planning a trip now I would do look into what is being mined where and what contaminants might be present in the water if you plan to drink filtered water.

 

[balzaccom]

We did not have any issues with the team that guided us, but I agree that the quality and character of those companies varies wildly. One group we met told us that their guide had insisted that they complete a promised four-day hike in three days so that he and they could go spend the fourth day soaking in a hot tub. Some of them were furious.

We noticed our guide often took the lead in directing others in how they should behave, both hikers and guides. We were lucky, I guess.