My friend and I are looking for other people who are interested in trekking the Santa Cruz trail in the Cordillera Blanca. It´s a 4 day trek that is listed as moderate to difficult, but I´ve been told it´s fairly easy as long as you are in decent shape and are acclimatized to the elevation. The trek does also include a high pass of around 4,700 meters, so being acclimatized to the elevation is a definite must. We can either go guided or unguided, we have a contact here that can set us up either way....but the more the merrier and of course, cheaper. We´re in Huaraz right now and we´re hoping to leave this Tuesday (June 19th), but can be flexible. I know it´s really short notice, but I thought I would at least try through this forum. This is supposed to be a spectacular trek, so it´s not to be missed.
Thanks,
Tina
Hi Tina,
I'm interested. I'm flying into Lima tomorrow, and will be arriving very early on the morning of the 19th (1:55am). I'll stay the day in Lima, and I'll be leaving for Huaraz on the morning of the 20th. So if you're willing to wait a couple of days from your suggested start date, I could join you. I'm a lone traveller, 23-year-old male, in good shape, but I will need the 20th to acclimatize since I had a terrible bout of altitude sickness in Colorado.
Let me know what you think. You can reach me at s _ s h a f f i e @ y a h o o . c o m
Also, please tell me the following:
- For the region, is a 0degree sleeping bag sufficient.
- Hiking boots or trail runners?
- How cold does it get at night?
Tina,
If you cannot wait, I would also consider taking the overnight Huaraz bus on the same day that I arrive. I could leave on the night of the 19th at 10pm and arrive sometime in the middle of the night. Then I would take a day to acclimatize and we could set off. The only difficulty I see with this is: what the hell do I do in Huaraz at 4 in the morning? As far as your knowledge goes, are there a few hostels still available to easily book up?
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