Peruvian Switzerland

CORDILLERA BLANCA - Edge of the Unknown

Peruvian Switzerland means Mountains and Lake for outdoor, camping, trekking, claimbing and mountaineering courses.

The Peruvian Switzerland area is 340,000 hectares cover 11 provinces and the greater part of White Mountain Range. Its objective is to conserve the region’s flora (such as Puya raimondi, the plant with the largest flower) and fauna (such as the spectacled bear, the north Andean deer, and the Andean condor-all endangered species), as well as to protect archaeological discoveries. The Area houses 663 glaciers, the most outstanding being the Huascarán (6meters), the Huandoy (6395 meters) and the Alpamayo (5947 meters) The thawing of the glaciers feeds 434 lagoons, such as the Parón, Llanganuco and 69 Lake.

HUARAZ, knowed as Peruvian Switzerland (Huaraz – Suiza Peruana) is a town ubicated under the Cordillera Blanca (Andes Range) with more than 120km, 70 mountains over 5000 m, and thousend of lakes. This is a paradise. Take this destination previos Nepal. Alpamayo, Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Yanapaccha, Pisco, Vallunaraju, Mateo, Mountains that you can climbing until the summit.

Located high in the Andes mountains, Huaraz is blessed with the most attractive surroundings in Peru and is a “must see” for anyone interested in the great outdoors. Its proximity to the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash make it one of the premiere climbing and trekking destinations in the world. Huaraz boasts a wide variety of international restaurants, hip coffee houses and lively nightclubs, making it the ideal location to begin acclimatizing.

Good to Know

Country

Perú, Suth America

Visa Requirements

Visa in not needed.

Languages spoken

Spanish

Currency used

Peruvian Sol. S/.

Area (km2)

3,740

WHAT TO DO?

Climbing on Ice, climbing mountains, Mountaineering expeditions. Courses.
Mt. Alpamayo.
Mt Huascaran.
Mt Vallunaraju.
Mt. Pisco.
Mt. Mateo.

ICE CLIMBING

World famous for dozens of snow-capped mountains, the Cordillera Blanca and the

Cordillera Huayhuash offer ice year round for those willing to try. A big advantage is

easy access to the base camps with some previous acclimatization. The routes have varying levels of difficulty to challenge all types of climbers. Among the most well-known peaks are Huascarán South (6,768 m) and North (6,654 m) peaks, Alpamayo, which has the famous Ferrari route, and Chacraraju, one of the most difficult. The Ishinca Valley provides several options for acclimatization climbing on Urus, Ishinca and Tocllaraju peaks. In the Llanganuco Valley, Pisco is popular for acclimatization as well.

The Mountain Guides Association (AGOEMA) is a good place to get recent reports about climbing and to find guides, porters, donkey drivers and cooks. They can also help with logistics. The price for guide service is around US $80-200 per day, depending on the level of difficulty; donkey driver US $25 per day; donkey rental US $15 per day; and porter charges US $50 per day.

For greater guarantee, ask to see the official ssociation credential of your tour guide, porter, cook or donkey driver.

ROCK CLIMBING

Rock climbing is growing rapidly and iswide open to exploration and new routes.

There are several local climbers willing to point out established areas and plenty of

new areas to explore and develop. World-class rock walls are available for first

ascents. Among the most frequented places are the wall of Los Olivos, the walls

of Monterrey, the rocks in the Rurec Valley and the well-known Torre de Parón, also

known as the Sphinx. Very popular for all level climbers is Hatun Machay located at km 131 in the way to Conococha – south of Huaraz. Other options are the rocks around to Antacocha lake in Recuay, Shupluy in Tingua and Los Pinos 3A near to the hot springs of Chancos or LOs Olvivos around Huaraz city.

OTHER OPTIONS: