This section describes a couple of nice day trip alternatives, close to Huaraz but still at high altitude (and nice for some initial acclimatizing...).

Trips described in this story are walking to the Churup lake and a days excursion to tha Pastorouri glacier...

The most majestic, and the highest non-vulcanic mountain outside the Himalayas, is Huascaran. At 6.768m it is looming over Huaraz and from Hotel Santa Cruz you have a perfect view of it. Every year it is attempted by a number of climbers seeking to reach its summit. Actually, Huascaran has two summits, the north and the south, with the south summit being the highest. But they are both impressive and in the recent year, the north summit has been more accessible than the south and therefore seen more ascents.

Another popular trek is into the Ishinca Valley, often combined with climbing one or more of the peaks easily accessible from the valley; Ishinca, Urus and Tocllaraju. Where the valley ends, the Italian Alpine Club has set up a refugio where you can buy dinner and stay the night. The Iscinca valley offers several very nice camp sites, including the area around the refugio. Most of the trekking agencies in Huaraz, including Hotel Santa Cruz, offers guided tours into the valley and on the mountains.

One of the most popular and beautiful treks in the Cordilleras, is the Santa Cruz trek through the Santa Cruz Valley north of Huaraz. It moves between numerous snow capped mountains with incredible views. It can get kind of crowded in high season, but there is room for a lot of people on the trek. It’s also a perfect way to acclimatize before doing anything higher in the area, as it moves between 3.400 and 4.800m. Most of the trekking companies in Huaraz, as well as Hotel Santa Cruz, can arrange the whole trek, including equipment, food, a cook, mules for transportation

For a trip down memory lane for Huaraz old timers I've taken a look thru the 1. edition of "Peru a travel survival kit" from july 1987.

This edition was used on my first visit to Huaraz in april - may 1989, a six month backpacking and paragliding trip on the "gringo trail" from Rio de Janeiro to Quito. On a one-way ticket to south america I ended up getting a return ticket from the Russian consulate in Quito on Aeroflot - really cheap - but stricktly forbidden to tell anyone about it. The soviets were needing dollars big time in 1989, remember the Berlin wall fell 11-12. november 1989.

A fair warning, this is a trip down memory lane for some, don't expect to find all the places mentioned in the text ....

Came across this story from Huaraz in a Canadian magazine "The Medical Post".

A new doctor gets a first-hand look at altitude sickness in Peru

By Sarah Jane Cook

There's nothing quite like getting high in the Andes. While parts of South America may be known for intoxicants of the plant nature, it is altitude that delivers the most exhilarating high in the central highlands of Peru. But true to the nature of mind-altering experiences, the thrill comes at a price.

The snow-capped peaks, glaciers and spectacular trekking opportunities drew me to Peru for an adventure after finishing medical school. Being a seaside dweller all my life, my body didn't know what it was in for. I had heard about the perils of high altitude, but didn't think much of it as I packed my sleeping bag, hiking boots and budget travellers' guidebook.

My spouse, Matt, and I arrived in the coastal city of Lima early in the morning after a direct overnight flight from Toronto. Eager for our first taste of the Andes, we blearily boarded a bus that would haul us up from the smog-laden city sprawl to a tiny trekking mecca named Huaraz at 3,091 metres.