In short
Huaraz is the base for the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical range in the world: some twenty summits exceed 6,000 metres, including Huascarán, Peru's high point at 6,768 metres.
The town itself, at about 3,050 metres, has little charm: it was largely destroyed by the 1970 earthquake and rebuilt in concrete. You do not come for it, but for what surrounds it.
Arriving and getting around
The night bus from Lima takes seven to eight hours and remains the normal way in. A small airport exists at Anta, with limited service.
Trailheads are served by colectivos from town or by the agencies, which sell day trips to the lakes.
Acclimatisation is not optional here. Huaraz is already at altitude, and the classic walks climb far higher. Allow two to three days on site before a serious outing.
What it really costs
Huaraz is cheap: accommodation, meals and guides cost a fraction of Cusco rates.
Mountain equipment is hired in town, which saves carrying it.
When to come
May–September is the dry season, and it is the only reliable window for the high mountains. In the rainy season the paths are muddy and the peaks in cloud.
July–August are the busiest months.
What nobody tells you
Laguna 69 is the most heavily sold outing and it is demanding: the lake sits at about 4,600 metres, the climb takes several hours, and sickness is common among those who arrived from Lima two days earlier. It is not a stroll.
The Santa Cruz trek, over three to four days, is the range's reference route and crosses a pass above 4,700 metres.
The Pastoruri glacier is retreating sharply. Local authorities have turned it into a climate-change awareness site, with a marked route showing the former extent of the ice. The approach walk is above 5,000 metres.
Chavín de Huántar, three hours away by road, is a ceremonial site predating the Incas by nearly two millennia, World Heritage listed and little visited.
