Peru 4U

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Huancayo Peru tours

Archaeological tour ruins of Warivilca, Mantaro Valley. 1 day.

From Huancayo Peru you can visit the ruins of warivilca; the main archaeological complex of the Mantaro Valley. It displays splendid architecture considering the time of construction. Next is the town of chupaca (Ciudad Heróica, where the battle of Carato took place, during the war with Chile). Then on to Ahuac, where you will visit the beautiful Lagoon of Ñahuimpuquio. From here we will go to the Archaeological remains of Arwaturo, which were used as colcas, or storage deposits during historic times. Next we go to Jauja, The first Capital of Peru. This area has a pleasant climate. We conclude our journey at the Lagoon of Paca, where you can enjoy a delicious trout plate and a boat ride.

Artisan tour. Hualhuas, San Jeronimo, The Ocopa Monastery. 1 day.

Today we do a artisan circuit. Our first stop will be a surprising little spot "Parque de la Identidad", a nice Stone-Crafted Park. Here we enjoy the legends and traditions of the Mantaro Valley. Next stop is Hualhuas, a town of weavers, where you can see the different kinds of tapestries, blankets and sweaters. Leaving Hualhuas we will travel to San Jeronimo, where Silver art is the specialty; another skillful demonstration of Peruvian craftsmanship. After lunch we visit The Ocopa Monastery, the starting point of the missions to the jungle by the Franciscan Monks, commencing in 1725. Here is your chance to understand how religion has influenced our culture, leaving a deep mark in our history. We leave Ocopa, making our way back to Huancayo, ending our circuit at La Cabaña.

Trekking Huaytapallana. 1 day.

We will begin our drive along Shullcas River. As we climb the winding road to Acopalca, located at 3500 meters above sea level, we’ll take note of the change in ecology. Here the ichu grass, trees and other vegetation are replaced by curious cactus and bromeliads hanging from the rocky crag of the mountain. We'll get a taste for the Andean way of life with our Andean friends in the town of Rondapampa. Next we'll continue on the starting point of our trek. The initial portion of our hike is a bit steep. It can take up to an hour to make this climb but we'll be sure to stop intermittently along the way to rest. After a rest at the first pass we'll trek around the lakes, just enjoying the views. Within two hours we'll have made our way to Cochas Grande, an emerald lake of glacial water. From here we'll climb to the rock walls of Huaytapallana Glacier. It's a steep and challenging climb but not dangerous. Once we reach the glacier line we'll pay our respects to Apu and absorb the view. As we make our way down the mountain to the trail we'll stop for a snack, continue trekking around the lakes and finally traversing a few hills to make our way back to the starting point.

Trekking Huaytapallana. 2 days.

Day 1:
We leave Huancayo following the Shullcas River. The windy road displays the ecological changes as we go up higher and higher. At 3500 m, the ichugrass, trees and vegetation have disappeared. Just after we leave the last village, Acopalca, we find some curious cactus and bromeliads hanging from the rocky mountains. You will get a taste of the Andean way of life with our Andean friends in the town of Rondapampa. We continue further up and arrive at the starting point of our trek. As you hike downhill, you will immediately notice one of the glacial lakes. When we arrive at the lake a beautiful surprise will be in front of us: the whole range of snowy peaks will be right there reflected in the lake! Now we take our time to trek around the lake. At the end of the hike we will stop for a snack at the shepherds’ hut. Back on the trail we walk up towards the second lake, Cochas Grande, which cannot be seen until you are in front of it. We set up the tents to camp here. After diner we go up to the mountain, a trek up the steep rocky walls until we reach the glacier point. Here you can enjoy the magnificent panorama of the overwhelming Andes.

Day 2:
Wake up early, pack and start trekking again towards the highest pass at 4800 m. This pass is a big aim. As you go up you will see a number of lakes, birds and possibly the famous Viscachas. You will have convenient stops and good chocolate for energy will be provided. Yes we all make it to the pass and there you can enjoy your lunch. The view to both sides is just amazing! We have to take care trekking down hill, taking the next 2 hours to climb down, hard on the muscles, but the always-comforting feeling of making it pushes you on. Once we have reached our destination, we will take our transport back to Huancayo.

Trekking Huaytapallana. 3 days.

Day 1:
We leave Huancayo at 6:00 AM, our car climbs up and up until our arrival at Acopalca, a mountain town, about one hour later. During our drive we stop for some photos, but specially to learn about the different ecological floors - from Huancayo, in a valley at 3,240 mts above sea level to the eastern glacier and snowy mountains of the Huaytapallana. Acopalca is 3,800 mts high and the starting point of our trek, the pass over Rondapampa, is 4,200 mts. It is here that we get ready for our walk down and up and around to the glacial lakes. We stop for lunch and camp at Yanauccha Lake with the impressive view of our sacred mountains. After lunch we climb to the ice point, where you will learn about our old Indian religion ... not a tourist show but a real feeling of inner peace. Back at our camp we will enjoy our warm drinks and sleep cosily under the shooting stars !!

Day 2:
We start at 7: 00 AM, A breakfast with such a view is a luxury! After packing we climb up slowly to 4,500 mts, 4,800 mts, and to just over 5,000 mts. Our lungs are working hard but our eyes and souls are jumping and happy. At the summit we have a good lunch and relax. During our journey we might see some famous rodents (vizcachas) of fine fur - sorry no hunting! After our long trek down we arrive at a group of huts of my good friends to enjoy their hospitality and way of living. They are llama shepherds who live in straw huts, apparently poor but richer than most as they don´t need more than they have and even have extra to share. Our night is spent in these huts, again surrounded by mountains, llamas and stars.

Day 3:
At about 8:00 am we join in the morning routine of our new friends, milking their cows, herding the llamas out into the countryside, making cheese - just everyday work, but for us a good chance to learn directly how a day starts in Andean life ... After breakfast we pack and walk for a while up and down hills, covered with tussock grass, our legs are happy as it is almost all down hill! Next to a singing stream, we stop at some old shepherd caves for lunch. A little bit more beautiful walking will bring us to the point where we get our transportation ... back to Huancayo, a good sauna with soothing eucalyptus, and a well deserved dinner will be served at La Cabaña with our classic Calientito.

High jungle tour. 5 days.

Day 1:
We leave Huancayo early in the morning. Going up to 4,200 mtrs, we pass over the high areas of the Andean mountains, drop down to Tarma, then continue driving down to La Merced, where we will already be in the High Jungle at only 700 mtrs. The humidity and greenery combined with comfortable warmth gives the impression that you are already deep in the jungle. From La Merced we take a car to Puente Paucartambo, take a little stop for lunch, then we drive up to the green mountains on track to the farm. After a long but beautiful drive, we will have a friendly welcome dinner and a well deserved rest.

Day 2:
After a good breakfast the first walk gets rid of the dust of the day before as we walk to a beautiful waterfall. This is a really nice place to have a shower, surrounded by butterflies and beautiful plants. A pleasant start for a first day hike! After the shower we walk to visit some of the neighbors, this is an occasion to get some fruit, coffee and roots to supplement our good meals for the next few days. Then back to the hut for lunch. For the afternoon there is a nice little hike to get some exercise, a bit of rock climbing, a bit of forest and lots of fun. Good training for tomorrow´s river side walk. Back at the hut we can get some dinner, play cards or enjoy jungle noises and the stars.

Day 3:
After breakfast we start a bit of a long hike, but well trained legs will take us down to the Peña Plaza River. On the way birds, butterflies and occasional squirrels can be seen. The way down to the river is picturesque but challenging, there are several beautiful waterfalls and pools in which you can shower and bathe, if you choose. Heading out of the river the trail passes by some farms with lots of coffee, avocados, bananas and other plantations. A small snack will be served at the river but the main meal is back at the hut.

Day 4:
This is a big one, as we go down to the river by a steeper, more adventurous route. Very carefully, using a rope, we climb down and up during some 4-5 hours, passing waterfalls, canyons, lots of beautiful spots and ending with a steep climb through the bush. I bet you will enjoy it, even if you end up covered in dirt and vegetation! A well deserved dinner will be served back at home, and during the day, a small snack lunch .

Day 5:
Today we get up early at 5:00am, to return to La Merced and then Huancayo. There are really beautiful views in the morning - all the clouds down in the valley look like rivers of mist and as we go down we meet with the mist as it lifts - a lovely feeling! A walk to the suspension bridge is a pleasant and easy one. From La Merced to Huancayo you will experience a scenic 5 hour drive and we will complete our journey with dinner and a good calientito at “ LA CABAÑA “.