Olleros to Chavin trek in Cordillera Blanca

The Olleros to Chavin Trek

This is a special trek, which traces the pre-Inca pilgrimage route to Chavin. The peasant farmers of the area came up with the idea in hopes to preserve some of their Andean heritage. The entire hike is done using llamas and over the 4 day walk there will be art, music, and medicinal plants offered by the locals. The route starts in Olleros, which is 18 miles from Huarez, and ends at Chavin, the oldest archeological sight in the Americas. The altitude ranges from the highest at the Yanashallash Pass (4700m) to Chavin, which is the lowest at 3050m.

Day 1: The first day is a pretty steady hike from Olleros to Sacracancha, where you will camp for the night. The trail is really lovely, with snowy white peaks filling the horizon. After several hours of hiking trekkers will reach the campsite Tzacracancha (3800m). This is the easiest day.

Day 2: Today the trail continues up through the narrow valley towards the Yanashallash Pass at 4700m, which takes about 4 hours. From here trekkers will eventually reach the occidental side of Cordillera Blanca. The rest of the hike has beautiful views as the descent is made to the campsite at Shongo (3850m).).

Day 3: In the morning the trail descends down to the villages of Chichucancha, Hatu, and Nunupata where there are places to eat. From there the trek continues to the Huantsan Mountain at 6395m and the archeological site of Chavin that lies halfway up the mountain at 3050m. On the drive back to Huarez you'll pass through the Kawish Tunnel, which is the center of the continental divide.