Hiking 30 miles on the Santa Cruz Trek in Peru
Kraig AdamsNov 2019 · Solo
- Days
- 3 days
- Cost
- The park ticket: S/60 for 2 to 3 days, S/150 for 4 to 30 days
- Lodging
- Tent
South America · Peru
Santa Cruz Trek
Cordillera Blanca, Peru
- Distance
- 31 mi49.9 km
- Days
- 3 days
- Elevation gain
- 5,505 ft1,678 m
- High point
- 15,584 ft4,750 m
- Season
- The dry season, May to October
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / South America / Santa Cruz Trek
In November 2019 I flew to Peru and hiked the Santa Cruz Trek alone: three days and about 30 miles through the Cordillera Blanca, from Vaquería over the Punta Unión pass to Cashapampa, with a tent and no stove. It's the trip from my film Hiking 30 miles on the Santa Cruz Trek in Peru.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Hard · about 10 mi (17 km) and 1,835 ft (559 m) of climbing a day over 3 days, up to 15,584 ft (4,750 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation9,629–15,528 ft31.0 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
The film
Watch it first
Hiking 30 miles on the Santa Cruz Trek in Peru
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Vaquería, on the road from Yungay to Yanama, 12,060 ft (3,676 m)
- Finish
- Cashapampa, at the end of the road from Caraz, 9,630 ft (2,935 m)
- Usual difficulty
- A clear path, but high: two nights above 12,000 ft and a pass near 15,600 ft
- Best time
- The dry season, May to October. I walked November 12 to 14, 2019
- Permits
- Huascarán National Park ticket: S/60 for 2 to 3 days, S/150 for 4 to 30 days (2026, foreign visitors)
- Getting there
- What I did. I flew from New York to Lima. One thing to know: you may need a confirmed return. Before I could board, the airline asked for that information. I'd booked a one-way to Peru, so right before I got to the check-in desk, I bought a refundable one-way ticket from Lima to somewhere. I arrived in Lima super late and took a taxi to a hostel I'd stayed at before.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What Kraig carried
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest · ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 1 tent · NEMO Siren 45 sleeping bag · Outdoor Vitals Sleeping Bag Liner · OutdoorsmanLab Ultralight Sleeping Pad · Klymit Pillow X · Platypus Platy 2L bottle · Sawyer Squeeze filter and 29 more.
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency numbers (2026). Police 105, fire service 116, SAMU ambulance 106 (listed for Ancash). Mountain rescue (police), from the park's visitor page: 966 831 206 or 984 382 234. The Casa de Guías in Huaraz (the mountain guides' association): 043-427545 or 043-421811. Don't count on phone signal on the trail; a satellite messenger is the real backup.
Phone signal
- Don't count on it.
- Download everything before you leave Huaraz, and consider a satellite messenger.
Insurance
- Plan to walk out, and get travel insurance that covers trekking at this height, rescue and medical evacuation: the US State Department says first responders can't reach areas outside the big cities.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Vaquería to Huaripampa. Walk back down the valley to Huaripampa village and up to the road at Vaquería. The park's control post is on the way, at mile 3.6.
- Day 2, Huaripampa over Punta Unión to Taullipampa. Before the pass, go back down the Huaripampa valley to the control post and Vaquería. After the pass, keep going down: Taullipampa, then the Santa Cruz valley to Cashapampa. If you feel really unwell with the altitude, go down, whichever side is closer.
- Day 3, Taullipampa to Cashapampa. Keep going down: Cashapampa and the road are the way out. Llamacorral is the last big campsite if you need to stop.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 3 days, tent.
Hiking 30 miles on the Santa Cruz Trek in Peru
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Typical: 3 days (the hike's facts).
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Santa Cruz Trek?
I did it alone in 3 days, 31 miles from Vaquería to Cashapampa, with 2 nights in my tent. The park calls it 3 to 4 days, and four is the easier plan. Add at least two days in Huaraz first to acclimatize.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Santa Cruz Trek cost?
In 2026 the general rate is S/60 for a ticket valid 2 to 3 days and S/150 for 4 to 30 days. You can pay at the start or the end of the trail. Bring cash in soles.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Santa Cruz Trek?
The dry season, May to October; the park lists October to April as the rainy season. I went November 12 to 14, 2019, and the weather was great, with some rain and hail at night.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How high is the Santa Cruz Trek?
The high point is the Punta Unión pass, usually given as 4,750 m (15,580 ft); my GPS read 4,735 m. My camps were at 3,680 m and 4,185 m (13,730 ft), and Huaraz, where you start from, is at about 3,050 m.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a guide for the Santa Cruz Trek?
I walked it alone with no agency in 2019. In 2026 the park's visitor page says visits must use SERNANP-authorized operators, while its January 2026 notice kept direct ticket sales at the control posts except at Laguna 69 and Nevado Pisco. Ask the park office in Huaraz before you plan it on your own.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you get to the start of the Santa Cruz Trek?
Bus from Lima to Huaraz (7 to 8 hours), a colectivo to Yungay (about an hour and a half), then a minibus toward Yanama to Vaquería (my ride took 2 hours). From Cashapampa at the end, taxis and colectivos go down to Caraz and back to Huaraz.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.