col de Cullicocha (Peru)

For mountain lovers, a trek around the high terrain of the Ancash region when visiting Peru is pretty much obligatory. With several mountain ranges located in the area, there is a large number of hiking trails, summits and glaciers to explore.

One option is the Alpamayo trek, which gives you the chance to explore the northern part of the Cordillera Blanca (white mountain range). The route takes you on a tour around the mountain with which it shares its name, which some say is the most beautiful in the world. This high mountain trek, with turquoise coloured lakes at various points along the way, is quite magical. My starting point was Hualcayan, which meant I traversed the wonderful Cullicocha pass the second day (allow eight to ten days to complete the trip, depending on your itinerary). At the beginning you'll pass along the side of a lake of the same name, from where you'll be able to enjoy a fantastic view of Santa Cruz. So that's the trip off to a rather good start then, and you even have the option of finishing it off with an ascension of the summit of Nevado Pisco (as long as you arrange it beforehand with your tour operator). I "settled" for the basic tour and was lucky enough to have fine weather; suffice to say, I had a really great time!

Quick tip: in theory it's prohibited to do the walk without a guide. However, the forest rangers are normally quite relaxed about this.