Santa Cruz Trek Hiking, Peru - Safety and Staying Healthy

Will it rain? What about wind?

These mountains tend to be clear in the morning, cloud up in the afternoons. It could rain every day of your hike — or you could get no rain at all.

On a 2004 trip Punta Union was completely shrouded in cloud — the only photo we got was of the sign.

Be certain your tent is waterproof. Test it in advance.

Bring serious rain gear & proper footwear. We have not had as much success as expected from Goretex clothing.

One of our hikers advocates wearing fleece in the rain. It gets wet immediately — then keeps you comfy, insulated by warm water.

Taullipampa campsite (night 2) is very exposed

Is there puma risk?

The chance of attack by puma (similar to the North American cougar) is miniscule.

The chance to see a puma is miniscule, unfortunately.

We have heard of no encounters on Santa Cruz.

If you are approached by a puma, be aggressive making noise & waving your arms. If attacked, fight back as if your life depends on it. It does.

Storing food safely

At night you should cache food out of reach of animals. On most Andean hikes dogs are the concern — but on Santa Cruz it is cows that are the biggest mooches. We keep food in the tent, but sealed in air tight kayak bags.

Herd animals including horses have been known to damage tents trying to get at food, especially salty food. Alberto (Pony Expeditions) in Caraz first alerted us to this danger.