FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)Can I fish Santa Cruz?Surprisingly, no. Actually, you can fish but (reportedly) will catch nothing. One guide said you might catch trout but only very close to Cashapampa. Too bad. The fishing in the nearby Huayhuash range is excellent in places. Can I buy food on the Trail?No, not really. The trend seen near Machu Picchu of farmers putting up shacks to sell soft drinks & snacks to hikers has not yet come to Santa Cruz. At the Llamacorral campsite expensive beer & coke were available . Carry enough food to get you through. You can buy basics & set meals when you get to Vaqueria. Are there toilets on Santa Cruz?Yes, campsites have pit toilets — though they may be missing a door. They may not have been cleaned for months so you may not want to use them. Remember — as is the norm in South America — carry your own toilet paper. Showers? Hot Springs?No showers anywhere en route. We washed up in glacial creeks!
At the start near Cashapampa you might take advantage of the hot springs Banos Huancarhuas (US$.60) though it is not directly on the hiking route. What animals will I see?Perhaps we have been unlucky, but we saw only domestic animals on Santa Cruz. Horses, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens & disappointingly only 5 llamas. Others report seeing Andean foxes & viscachas. Birds were the highlight for us — we did see one condor. The smaller raptor the mountain caracara is common. You might see falcons & other raptors, Andean geese & ducks, hawks, hummingbirds, American kestrels, & Andean swifts. Wildflowers are a highlight, especially En route to Alpamayo base camp. Buttercups, ranunculus, lupins, bromeliads & orchids were spotted by Lonely Planet. Our favourites are the lovely red quenua trees.
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