Wilcahuain: a first trek in Huaraz

Wilcahuain (or Willkawain, Huilcahuaín, Willkahuain, Willcahuain, Wilcahuain) is a short hike of 14 km starting from Huaraz (Andes Mountains, Peru) to visit an archaeological site in 2 parts. This tour was recommended to us to acclimatize and prepare ourselves for tougher treks in the Cordillera Blanca...

they said...

they added!

Is Wilcahuain worth it? You can find all practical information at the end of the article.

If there is one thing not to take lightly in the Andes, it is altitude! Arrived 2 days earlier, having passed the first headaches (thanks, altitude sickness), we wanted to test our acclimatization to over 3000 meters. A travel agency recommended the Wilcahuain trek for this, featuring the tombs of the Huari civilization (or Wari, 550 A.D. to 1200 A.D.).

The walk is said to be easy (>), with Huaraz at 3100m and Wilcahuain at 3400m. The man from the agency even provided us with a hand-drawn map for free. He reassured us: since we speak Spanish, we should manage just fine>we won't get lost.

When we asked >, we were told:

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We were advised to take a repellent for the various treks, so we bought some the day before. In the end, we didn't need it. However, don't forget your sunscreen; it's essential. The sun in the mountains is treacherous!

The El Niño phenomenon is hitting Peru hard this year, so we brought our jackets. Even though we are not yet in the rainy season, the sky is quite cloudy this morning!

It's 8 AM, and we're leaving the Plaza de Armas with a map in hand.

The beginning of the adventure turns out to be quite easy and monotonous: walking straight for more than 20 minutes to get out of the city of Huaraz.

Upon reaching the first junction, we are reassured: a large sign indicates the direction to Wilcahuain! And 20 meters further, here comes another junction, another sign. The mini-trek promises to be a piece of cake. Almost too easy...

I turn the map every which way:

Here on the map, the road curves, and there should be a shortcut...

We need to cut across to join this same road a bit further on, but without taking a long detour. A shortcut that makes us tumble down the hill and climb back up the other side... Without hesitation, we take a small dirt path and find ourselves in a small village, with pigs, dogs, sheep, and chickens blocking our way! After stepping over this mini-zoo, we finally reach the main road.

We continue to an intersection; we've been walking for over an hour already. No signs, and three options in front of us: the road to the right, the road to the left, or a semblance of a path through the fields. From another field, locals are waving at us:

To the right!

A minibus passes by at that moment: to the right!

Yes, but... The map doesn't align with the roads, and according to it, it's shorter through the fields. Given the success of the first shortcut, we decide to keep going on the little path.

We meet a Peruvian woman in traditional dress who greets us warmly. And see in the distance a soccer practice and farmers working the land.

Upon arriving at a new intersection, we have 3 choices again: we pull out the map... This intersection shouldn't exist! What to do?

When there are no signs, you must go straight...

So we continue on this little path that is looking less like a trail. This time, we are completely lost!

We head back in search of a main road and find a young man resting in his minibus, facing a church. He points us to a road that will eventually lead us back, but with the advantage of a sign indicating Wilcahuain.

Hooray, we're saved!

We pass some loggers and a half-naked Peruvian woman returning from her wash in the river. Finally, an intersection. On the wall of a house, a community text answers our questions: we are at the beginning of the village of Paria. We don't understand how we got here, but it's what we were looking for; we finally reorient ourselves on our map!

An old lady starts a conversation:

• Wilcahuain? - Yes, that's where we want to go! - Take the path here, it's straight ahead, and in 25 minutes, you'll be there.

Yes, but... The last time we took a path like that, we got lost for nearly an hour! The sun is starting to beat down, and thirst is setting in. Decision?

We follow the route on the map!

Nearly 40 minutes later, we arrive out of breath, tired, and thirsty at the first site of Wilcahuain. A few minibuses are parked, waiting for tourists visiting the site. The entrance fee is 5 soles. The ticket man laughed heartily when I asked him:

Is there a discount for the brave visitors who came by foot?

Apparently not... It's noteworthy that it took us 3 hours for a supposed 6.5 km trek.

The site is very small: a kind of large house (about 7x12 m) and a small museum (barely bigger than the house) are the only points of interest. This house is not really a house: it is a tomb where the Huari > their relatives.

After a quick tour of the site, we head back on the road to the Ichti Wilcahuain site. In just 10 minutes, we arrive at the second site. No museum this time, but several tombs and traces of dwellings.

A high school class arrives... Armed with their cameras, the flashes are popping. But it's not the ruins they are photographing... It's us!

Hello! Do you speak English?... Hablan Frances? (Hello, do you speak English? French?)

It must be said that very few foreigners visit this site, and even fewer during the off-tourist season. Was it because of our skin color? Our height? Our technical clothing that gave us an extraterrestrial look? We will never know, but we had a good laugh!

Once out of the site, we see a sign indicating: trek to Huaraz, 4.5 km. The path is on the map; it wasn't our planned return route, but what a shortcut! Not to mention that the return is downhill. We are full of energy and enthusiasm:

In less than an hour, we'll be there!

Yes, but... here we are at a first branch... with no indication! We go left (which was the right option), only to hit a second branch a few dozen meters later, again with no indication (that goes without saying).

We try our best to figure out which way to take from the map; we choose the downward path and...

That was the wrong option.

We realize this when we reach the end of the trail, after being threatened by several stray dogs. We are disgusted: do you remember on the way there, the branch where the old lady had pointed out a shortcut?... Here we are, having arrived there!

Darn, we took quite a detour; we started our descent nearly 2 km ago, and from that junction, the safest route to avoid getting lost again is nearly 6 km long.

We will finally arrive in Huaraz, 5 hours and 30 minutes after our early departure, for a trek announced to take 3 to 4 hours, with 19 km under our feet instead of the planned 14 km. Fortunately, we arrive just in time for lunch!

It's best not to rely too much on signs to indicate the way to follow, as their existence is too random. A map is a good start, but a compass (there is often an app on your smartphone for that), or even a GPS, seems necessary, especially if you don't speak Spanish.

Ultimately, we saw beautiful landscapes, no dogs bit us (even though we had a few scares), and our altitude hiking trial was a success. What more could we ask for?

In practice:

Length: 14 km, about 4 hours Difficulty: easy (watch out for shortcuts that save time but are more strenuous) Negative point: very few indication signs Archaeological sites: Wilcahuain and Ichti Wilcahuain, Huari civilization What to bring: a map, water, protection from the sun (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses), good shoes ... and if possible a GPS or compass A plus: speaking Spanish! Otherwise, the locals know you are looking for either Wilcahuain or Huaraz: just say your destination while pointing, and you should get by just fine!