Callán Pass to Huaraz

This pure downhill route begins with a combi ride to the high pass above Huaraz at 4,225 meters and makes for a good acclimatization day for climbers and trekkers. If you don’t mind improvising your route a bit, this route can even be done without a guide.

A network of footpaths and mule tracks leads downhill through russet fields of grains and potatoes, though the best route takes you through the villages of Culcururi and Atipallán. The bizarre rock formations along the way have earned the area the moniker Little Moab, and the route finishes down steep, hair-raising shortcuts through the hillside suburbs above Huaraz.

Shecta to Huaraz

This route begins at 4,050 meters in the village of Shecta near Huaraz and follows a long traverse to the settlement of Huáscar before plunging 1,000 meters on dodgy single-track back to Huaraz. This strenuous, daylong route is best for the well acclimatized.

Summit to Sea

This phenomenal route leads not west to the Río Santa but east toward the Pacific Ocean and includes a mind-boggling descent through remote countryside. A truck from Catac, a village north of Huaraz, takes you up to the start of the route at Huancapeti Pass (4,680 meters).

From here, nearly 40 kilometers of stone paths and steep single-track lead to the mountain village of Aija, where prearranged transport should await you for the ride back to Huaraz. The adventurous can continue another 80 kilometers all the way to the town of Huarmey on the coast.