Quick Guide to Santa Cruz Trek

Backpackers guide to Santa Cruz Trek with Ganesa Explorer Tours

Welcome to Travel the Gap’s quick guide to the Santa Cruz Trek in Huascaran National Park that has everything you need to know based on our experience with the cheapest tour company we could find, Ganesa Explorer Tours

Magnificent mountain and laguna views in Huascaran National Park

Basic Information

Address: Huascaran National Park , Santa Cruz Trek
Entrance Fee (Huascaran National Park): 60 PEN / ~$26 AUD (One month pass is available for 150 PEN / $65 AUD)
Tour Cost (Ganesa Explorer): 350 PEN / ~$153 AUD (4 days / 3 nights)
Travelled: September 2019 (Days 376, 377, 378 and 379)

How to get to Santa Cruz Trek

If you want to go solo, you will need to get a Collectivo or Bus to Yungay and then another collectivo to Vaqueria. From Vaqueria, you can follow the occasional signs towards the Punta Union or Santa Cruz trek. To leave the Santa Cruz Trek, you will need to find a collectivo or bus from Cashapampa to Caraz. From Caraz take another collectivo to Huaraz.

We never did any of this, as we booked an all inclusive tour with Ganesa Explorer (http://www.andenoviaggio.com/santa-cruz.htm), which included return transport from our hotel in Huaraz.

Trekking Days

Notes:

Traditionally the tours are supposed to be done over 4 days, but we had one guy in our group who had booked a 3 day tour. He was told by his hostel, that there will be two guides, and on the 3rd day he would leave with one guide to combine days 3 and 4. This was not the case. Everyone decided to do the hike in 3 days. This is not typical.
Even though the tour was booked through Ganesa Explorer, the tour was actually performed by Galaxia Expeditions (http://galaxia-expeditions.com/index.php/santa-cruz-trek). All the companies just pool together the tourists to get bigger group numbers. We had 8 people. We were told that the minimum is 6.
I recommend that you spend a few days doing other hikes to acclimatise to the high altitude.

Day 1

Hotel pick up at 5am
3 hour drive to Yungay for breakfast, not included in the tour. A basic combo costs around 10 to 12 PEN.
Short drive to Huascaran National Park ticket office, where we purchased tickets for 60 PEN, which is also not included.
Another short drive to Vagueria (3,600m above sea level)
Hiked for 5 hours / ~12km to Huaripampa Camp Site (easy-moderate day)

Day 2

Breakfast at 6:30am
Start hiking at 7:00am
From Huaripampa Camp Site to Punta Union (4,750m above sea level) down to Laguna Jatuncocha
Hiked for 8 hours / ~17km (hard day)

Day 3

Breakfast at 6:30am
Start hiking at 7:00am
Laguna Jatuncocha down to Cashapampa (2,900m above sea level)
Hiked for 6.5 hours / ~17km (easy day)
Said goodbye to 3 day hike guy, who had to take his own transport back (Cashapampa to Caraz, and then Caraz to Huaraz)
We went to some hot springs (additional cost) called Comunidad Campesina – Sol de Oro Huancarhuaz – Aguas Termales

Day 4

Breakfast at 8am
Packed our bags
Picked up at 10am and back in Huaraz at 12.30pm

For further details on the above map, please click the button on top left corner. To view the map in Google Maps click the button in the top right corner.

What to expect with this tour

This was actually the cheapest tour we could find, with more reputable companies having more than double the price ($60 USD per day). If we were to do the Santa Cruz Trek again, we would still do it with Ganesa Explorer / Galaxia Expeditions.

The only difference is, we would bring our own tent. One of the tents had a hole in it, which we didn’t get. If it rains, it can be horrible.

We had our own Sleeping bag with a comfort limit of 0 degrees and limit of -5 degrees. We were okay with thermals, sleeping bag liner and several layers of clothing. Everyone else used the company rented sleeping bags and they didn’t complain much, but they did layer up too.

All meals except the first days breakfast and last days dinner should be included. Since we only did a 3 day tour due to circumstance, our last day’s lunch was not included too. Snacks are provided, even though the tour company tells us to bring them. We were left with excess snacks at the end of the tour.

The meals are basic, but tasty. Obviously, they need to bring all the food with them. A cook prepares all the meals. The quantity was enough for us, but after lots of travel I think our stomachs have shrunk. Most people may need to bring more snacks.

A toilet tent was set up at each camp site, which was alright to use.

Bring a water bottle for the first day (2L recommend). The cook takes the bottle every night and fills it with boiled water in the morning.

Everyone else paid 450 PEN instead of the 350 PEN we paid. Ask around for the best price!

Our guide didn’t speak much English with the group. We believe he understood us, but he always spoke in Spanish (besides a sentence or two). We were lucky as a Spanish born person was doing the tour with us, who was happy to translate.

Quick Facts

The highest point is the Punta Union at 4,750m above sea level
The total distance of the Santa Cruz is 47 km
The lowest point is Cashapampa at 2,900m above sea level (Mount Kosciuszko is only 2,228m)

Other attractions near Santa Cruz Trek

If possible, I would try to include either Laguna 69 or Laguna Paron into the tour, but they are also very good acclimatisation day hikes from Huaraz. Laguna Wilcacocha is also another great acclimatisation day hike.

Comunidad Campesina is a decent hot spring in Cashapampa.