Thinking of doing the Santa Cruz trek in a few days. Has anyone done it lately? If so, how was the weather? Can anyone recommend a good guide or trekking agency based in Huaraz?
1
cupofcoffee
Done that "lately", meaning 3 months ago.
Will highly recommend Quechuandes:
http://www.quechuandes.com
Departed 15th of July with a group of 8. A fabulous experience.
Their forthcoming open-departures for the Santa Cruz trek are listed here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.977092129014074.1073741875.137929449597017
2
mbabroad
I did the Santa Cruz trek maybe six weeks ago without a guide. There are lots of places in Hauraz that rent gear. Heavier going but worth the independence. The weather was great during the day and a bit cold at night, but with a good sleeping bag that's a non-issue.
3
andrewk81
3 months ago, and went without a guide. We also had our own gear, so no need to rent. Was very easy to organize transport to Vaqueria and back from Cashapampa. Nights got very cold (basically, it was instantly freezing the second the sun had set), but it was quite alright in our sleeping bags.
Do not underestimate the added difficulty of a heavy backpack over taking mules. It was actually quite a bit harder than we expected it to be (my gf and I are both fit, and had been hiking all throughout Bolivia and Peru, but not a lot with multi-day packs). But it is also very nice to be able to continue on and camp further out, do side trips that tickle your fancy, which is not often possible in a group (obviously is with a private guide, but you pay for that). The trail is very easy to follow, although you should obviously take the proper navigation gear (and know how to use it) for situations where weather and circumstance make the trail harder to find.
4
Thorn Tree
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