Peru Cordillera Blanca backpacking: Quebrada Ulta - Punta Yanayacu. Huascarán National Park

Peru Cordillera Blanca backpacking - Quebrada Ulta trek: Quebrada Ulta, Laguna Yanacocha, Punta Yanayacu, "Avalanche" camp, Laguna de Contrahierbas, Laguna Ichic Ulta, Molinopampa.

Huascarán National Park - Ancash region, Peru

May 2025


Itinerary:
This video covers the first day and the morning of the second day of a four day backpacking trip including the Quebrada Ulta and the Santa Cruz trekking from Vaqueria.

Day 1: Quebrada Ulta to Punta Yanayacu to "Avalanche" camp.

Day 2: "Avalanche" camp to Molinopampa and road to Vaqueria

16.8 mi Approx. 3,800 ft elevation gain.

AllTrails Map:
https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/explo...


Hike / Trek Notes:
The hike through Quebrada Ulta up to Punta Yanayacu and down to the "Avalanche" camp is truly impressive as it traverses a superb landscape with many noticeable land marks.
Quebrada Ulta (Ulta valley) is wild, surrounded by mountains with hanging glaciers and features the towering Nevado Ulta and Nevado Chugllaraju as a back drop. Once you ascent to the top of the ridge the mighty Huascaran and Chopicalqui Nevados come into sight. Particularly close is Chopicalqui with Laguna Yanacocha at the bottom of the upper part of the Quebrada. From there the hike to Punta Yanayacu (15,880 ft - 4840 m) is not too far. At the Punta Yanayacu pass views are amazing on both sides. The drop towards Laguna de Contrahierbas and Laguna Ichic Ulta is very scenic with the glacier of Nevado Contrahierbas in full display across the valley. At the top, the trail wanders down through an expose ridge. Although the trail is very good and sufficiently wide at all times.
One great treat of this itinerary was the opportunity of spending an entire afternoon watching the avalanches discharging from the glacier of Nevado Contrahierbas from a beautiful balcony of the "Avalanche" camp site right across the valley from the glacier. Also, a great landscape feature was the multiple water streams dropping down from the glacier through the large and colorful rock face on the other side of the valley.
From the camp, the hike down to the Laguna de Contrahierbas and and Laguna Ichic Ulta is pretty short. From there the hike becomes easy and not particularly scenic to reach Molinopampa and the main road that connects Yanama to Chalhua and Vaqueria where the Santa Cruz trek starts. Overall, amazing Cordillera Blanca backpacking. Would do it again in a heartbeat.


Music:
Endless by Helmut Schenker
Licensed by Epidemic Sound.


#cordillerablanca #trekking #hiking #backpacking #quebradaulta #puntayanayacu


CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Trip Highlights
04:37 - Day 1: Quebrada Ulta, Punta Yunayacu, Avalanche Camp
14:11 - Day 2: Avalanche Camp to Molinopampa and road to Vaqueria