Alpamayo Trek hiking, Peru - FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How many days are needed to hike Alpamayo?

Our recommended route is 6 nights in the tent, 1 night in Pomabamba town: eight days, seven nights total.

Plan on a minimum of 5 nights, 6 days for any hike here.

Altitude may slow your pace. We were really sucking wind, especially near the beginning of the hike.

Even better would be to bring food for an extra day — just in case you want to add another side trip. There are some very tempting options!

Does Peru have internet access?

It certainly does. Inexpensive, convenient & reasonably high speed service is available almost everywhere — even tiny mountain towns.

Hikers are spending more time on-line in recent years, uploading digital pictures to services like Yahoo photos & Ofoto.com

What guidebooks do you recommend?

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Central Andes. LP is our favourite hiking guide. Be sure to get the most recent edition.

Consider too Lonely Planet Healthy Travel Central & South America.

We strongly recommend you use this book to plan your trip and carry it for details on flora, fauna, history, etc.

You also need a general travel guide — check our details page for recommendations.

Other recommended books?

There are a number of books on Cordillera Blanca & Peru. Our favourites are closer to the top of the list:

Trekking and Climbing in the Andes: 26 Adventure Treks in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Equador, Peru and Venezuela, 2002 — including Inca Trail, Ausangate, Huayhuash, Santa Cruz & Alpamayo. Colourful, with elevation profiles. (Globetrotter Adventure Guide) by Pitkethly & Harper.

Peru & Bolivia. The Bradt Trekking Guide, by Bradt & Jarvis, 2002 — information on the Cuzco area, Huayhuash & Cordillera Blanca, Arequipa hikes, and more. Be sure to get the most recent Bradt guide as they are frequently updated. Contains more background information than Lonely Planet, is more personal, but less well organized.

Note that all 4 adventurous authors above are female.

Classic Climbs of the Cordillera Blanca, Perú, 2005, by Brad Johnson. Gorgeous photos & background information from one who loves these mountains.

The Andes, A Trekking Guide, 2001, by John & Cathy Biggar. Colourful brief overview of the hikes in South America. Includes Inca Trail, Ausangate, Colca Canyon, Misti, Huayhuash, Santa Cruz & Alpamayo. Great photos, Flora & Fauna section. This guidebook includes more difficult, adventurous hikes than any other.

Insight Guides Peru. Best guide to people, culture, society.

White Rock, by Hugh Thompson. Explorer’s adventures seeking Inca sites, particularly Llactapata. Historical overview.

Cordillera Blanca, North Trail guide, by Jim Bartle. Out of print. Limited availability.

Cordillera Blanca, Central Trail guide, by Jim Bartle. Out of print. Limited availability.

Trails of the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash of Peru, by Jim Bartle, 1981. Out of print. Limited availability.

Peruvian Andes: Cordillera Blanca, by P. Beaud, 1988. Out of print. Limited availability. Climbing book.

Climbs of the Cordillera Blanca, by David Sharman, 1988

The Lost City of the Incas, by Hiram Bingham who rediscoverd the ruins.

The Inca Trail, Cuzco & Machu Picchu, by Richard Danbury. Even those not hiking the Inca Trail appreciate this compact guide.

Monuments of the Incas, by John Hemming & Edward Raney. Black & white photos.

Adventuring in the Andes, by C. Frazier, 1985, Sierra Club travel guide. Outdated but still useful.

Journey Along the Spine of the Andes, by Portway, 1984. Trekking Cuzco to Quito.

Realm of the Incas, by Max Milligan, 2001. A lovely coffee table book with excellent supporting text.

Exploring South America, by Loren McIntyre, 1990. A gorgeous coffee table book by a man who has done it all.

Very readable travellogues for your backpack:

Eight Feet in the Andes, by Dervla Murphy. Hiking Pizarro’s route with a mule & her 9-year-old daughter.

Cut Stones & Crossroads, by Ronald Wright.

The Cloud Forest, by Peter Matthieson.

Inca-kola: A Traveller’s Tale of Peru, Matthew Parris.

You may be able to track down some of the rare books in Peru. Check the South American Explorers libraries.

E-mail recommendations for other useful books.

What are the best Alpamayo websites?

There are surprisingly few useful websites on the Alpamayo trek.

We’ve linked to various sites throughout our site, listing the best under Links.

What is the best map?

Alpenvereinskarte, Cordilleras Blanca Nord Peru was the best map in 2004.

More information and a listing of on-line maps on our Map page.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

Yes, really you do.

The two official languages of Peru are Spanish & Quechua (the Inca language).

Quechua people of the mountains speak Spanish, but not English.

If you do not speak conversational Spanish hire an English speaking guide. These cost more but it is money well spent.

Local information is critical in these remote mountains. What would happen if you have an injury & need to negotiate for help with people who cannot understand what you are talking about?

A few essential Spanish words for hikers:

Arriero = mule driver

Caballo = horse

Campesino = “peasant” (we avoid using this word)

Colectivo = taxi van, or shared car

Cordillera = mountain chain

Nevado = mountain with permanent snow

Pampa = large, flat area

Quebrada = usually a ravine, with or without a river

Quechua = indigenous people of the Central Andes

Yareta = hard, brigh green cushion plants

Do not confuse: