This past August I travelled to Peru on a mission to hike the Cordillera Huayhuash. I can’t remember where and when I first learned about the existence of this place but I remember thinking to myself, “how did I not know about it before this?!”

The Cordillera Huayhuash is a small-ish mountain range in the middle of Peru that forms part of the Andes. Its peaks are so precipitous that many of them are the stuff of mountaineering legend (like the dramatic adventure the author of the book “Touching the Void” had on the Siula Grande). For the rest of us mere mortals, it would suffice to gaze at these wondrous sights from a safe distance below.

(Me posing in front of the famous 3 lakes of Huayhuash)

The Huayhuash Circuit is a trail that goes around the Cordillera Huayhuash. I walked it in 10 days but it can be done in in 5 – 12 days, depending on your pace. Unlike its bigger Cousin, the Cordillera Blanca, the Cordillera Huayhuash is not a national park. Instead, its trails and campsites are maintained by the local villagers (who have even built flush toilets in the wilderness!) for a small fee.

The main trail is also used by donkeys and their drivers, who carry in supplies for hikers. Is the trail independently do-able, you ask? Yes – with a GPS, good sense of direction (or just following the donkeys and their poop) and a willingness to carry 10 days of supplies, it can be done. But why do that when there is a better option? There are many alternative routes that veer off the main route and lead to more scenic spots that are difficult to find on your own. That’s when a guide will come in handy. It also doesn’t hurt to have pack animals carry all your gear and food. Most of the trek is above 4000m so it might be wise to take some load off and focus all your energy on walking and breathing. I went with the company, Eco-Ice Peru, that operates out of the nearest “big” town, Huaraz, and it was perfect.

Many intrepid hikers have heard of the Huayhuash Ciruit. I know because it is a topic that comes up now and then on the hiking Facebook groups that I’m a part of. But it never ceases to amaze me how the general population has never heard of this place. It’s not even on Nat Geo’s top 5 places to visit in Peru for crying out loud! Machu Picchu and Cusco may be impressive and must be visited on a trip to Peru. But they are man-made wonders, which in my definition, cannot be compared to the timeless quality and enchantment of the Cordillera Huayhuash.