Huascarán National Park to host the Ande Trail Race Next Week
This year, one of the most beautiful and diverse protected areas in Peru celebrated its 40th anniversary, Huascarán National Park. We’ve talked about the park before, when the Santa Cruz Trek in Huascarán was included on National Geographic’s The World’s Most Epic Hikes list. Huascarán contains all of the strikingly beautiful glacial peaks of the Cordillera Blanca as well as pristine turquoise lakes and rivers, red quenua forests, eucalyptus groves, waterfalls, rock spires, and flowering bushes. It’s popular mainly for hiking and camping, but is also good for mountain climbing, skiing and biking.
Next week, on August 24th, the park will host the first ever Ande Trail Race as part of an initiative to support sustainable development in the park´s surrounding communities and to promote conservation. Competitors will run through either 2, 8, or 40 kilometers of the reserve, depending on the race they choose. The races will take place in different parts of Shilla, beginning in Conga, Bosque de Yauyo and Refugio Peru, respectively. Runners will be treated to much of the park’s spectacular views, which makes it worth the effort!
The Peruvian department which manages 
national parks and natural reserves, Sernanp (the National Service of Protected Natural Areas by the State) will not just be hosting the event, they will also be participating, as two park rangers have volunteered to take part in the 40k race.
April through September are considered the best months to visit Huascarán, as it’s the dry season. It’s also wintertime in the southern hemisphere, however, so it can get quite cold. Visitors must buy a trekking permit to enter the ark, which costs almost US$30 per person. Those who are interested in seeing the park for themselves can arrive from Lima by 8-10hsr bus trip, or can purchase a flight.
If you’d like to do a longer hike, complete with guide, cook, mules, etc, Pirwa Travel Service can assist. Our agency can also help arrange transportation.
