Lares Trek: 4 Days of Adorable Llamas and Breathtaking Scenery

Henry, our guide from Alpaca Expeditions, meets us at our hotel in Cusco the night before for a briefing on the Lares trek. It’s a private trek with only the two of us. The trek is not to Machu Picchu, so we will do the typical Lares trek in reverse. This way, the trek ends at the Hot Springs in Lares. We visited Machu Picchu and Lares 10 years ago, but it was Lares that brought us back to Peru. Lares is off the beaten path. The culture, scenery and serenity cannot be compared to the crowded Machu Picchu trek. Henry gives us a map and explains our route and routine. He tells us how far and at what altitude the trek will be over the next three days. His talk about snowy peaks, turquoise lakes and llamas makes us excited, and later we can’t sleep!

Day 1—Cancha

The trek begins in the village of Huaran, situated at an elevation of 2,700 metres. Here, we meet the rest of our team from Alpaca Expeditions. Wilbur, our cook and his assistant, Samuel, shop at the market for fresh fruit and vegetables for the trek. We buy books, pens, and coloured pencils for the schoolchildren and bread for the families who live along the Lares Trek.

Wilbur and Samuel prepare our first delicious breakfast as everyone gets ready. Horses and colourfully decorated llamas wait patiently, awaiting the light bundles to be packed. Pablo, our horseman, and Leandro, our llama herder, come from the Quiswarani village. They travelled with their horses and llamas all through the night to join us. Among the horses is Tornado, the emergency horse who carries oxygen and stays with the trekkers at all times. The original plan was for us to have four llamas, but they get upset when separated from their herd. To our delight, the entire herd turns up!

The team carries our gear and we also employ two porters, Adolpha and Stanis Lo, from the local village, to carry our camera bags and water. This enables us to focus on the trek and also provides employment opportunities for the local community.

We trek 9 km alongside the Cancha Cancha River, steadily making our way uphill to our first camp in the village of Cancha Cancha, located at an altitude of 3,750 metres. Henry, Adolpha and Stanis Lo walk at our pace, and the rest of the team goes ahead. Upon arrival at the village in the afternoon, our tent and flush toilet are set up, coca tea is prepared and warm water is available for washing and refreshing.

Over dinner, Henry chats to us about the day’s events and tomorrow’s 14 km trek. It will take us over Condor Pass; at 4680 metres, it’s the highest pass on our trek. Henry reassures us that we will take it slow and steady. The meals are flavoursome and beautifully prepared, and there is no way we can finish the huge portions. Before we retire to our tent for the night, Samuel brews mugs of piping-hot chocolate that keep us warm and hydrated.

It’s cold here, and at less than -4°C, it’s the coldest camp on our trek. When snuggled in my sleeping bag, I keep my gloves and beanie on as it’s so cold. The snow starts falling as we drift off to sleep, too exhausted to even think about tomorrow’s trek over the high pass.

Day 2—Condor Pass

Warm water for washing and hot cocoa arrive at our tent at 6 am. In the dining tent, a variety of breakfast options are served, including scrambled eggs, toast, fresh fruit, tea and coffee. Within half an hour after breakfast, the team, horses and llamas are all packed up and ready.

As we walk through the village of thatched stone houses, we hand out books and pens to the children and bread to the adults. Wrapped up in our thermals, boots, gloves and beanies, we notice the children’s feet are in thin, open sandals. It’s a beautiful but harsh landscape and life is tough here. These authentic villages preserve the Inca way of life and speak Quechua, the language of the Incas.

It becomes challenging about halfway to the pass. We start to feel the effects of the altitude. The path is steep, snowy and muddy. My heart thumps loudly and I hear Ray’s breathing behind me. Henry tells us we are doing great and encourages us to stop regularly for a rest and sips of water. Ray has a watch that displays the altitude. I ask him how high we are. I am pathetically disillusioned when he replies that we are only at 4100 metres. That means there are still 580 metres to go. I am hopeful that the watch is malfunctioning.

We overtake the only other trekkers on the path, which gives us more confidence and a burst of energy as the snowy peak beckons us. It’s not long before we celebrate and share the highest point, overlooking the majestic Mount Pitusiray, which stands at 5,700 metres and boasts one of the most spectacular, serene, and heavenly views in the Andean Mountains.

On a high after our achievement, we make our way down to the waiting team, who have set the dining tent up near a blue lagoon. It amazes us how Wilbur and Samual can cook up a storm in the little sectioned-off space in the dining tent. They cook with only a gas burner, a few local ingredients and a couple of pots and pans! Breakfast options include eggs, pancakes, bread, quinoa, yogurt and fresh fruits such as bananas and pineapples. Lunch and dinner are always four courses, starting with a fresh, creamy vegetable soup. Not to mention crackling hot popcorn for happy hour in the afternoons. On our last night, they baked us a delectable carrot cake!

After lunch, we have time to rest and relax before beginning a short trek to Quiswarani village, where we will spend the night at our camp. For the second night in a row, we retire to our tent in sheer exhaustion.

Day 3—Quiswarani Pass

Today’s walk is 12 km and takes us over the Quiswarani Pass at 4,350 metres. Rosy-cheeked children walk the paths near the village on their way to school and we meet locals from the village who care for and herd their goats, sheep, llamas and alpacas.

Because we’ve acclimatised to the altitude, we make the pass in good time today. It’s nowhere near as challenging as the trek to the Condor Pass on the previous day, though it did require a lot of effort!

The contrast between the snowy mountain peaks, blue lakes, waterfalls and the harsh brown landscape is dreamlike. The llamas and horses need to move quickly because the path is narrow. The slightest misstep could cause a fall.

The views of Lares Valley on the way down are spectacular. From the path, we see some of the team who have gone ahead to set up the dining tent in the distance near another blue lake. Our stomachs grumble and we can’t wait to get there!

Lares Trek—The Final Stretch

After lunch, Henry tells us that because we’ve made such good time, we can do a few extra kilometres and camp at the hot springs in Lares for the night. This is tempting to everyone, as the itinerary has us camping in the village of Cucani and trekking to the hot springs in the morning. Soaking in the hot springs for the night makes us all excited and everyone quickens their pace.

We trek the extra 8 km, following the river valley and arrive at the open-air thermal springs just as it gets dark. On arrival, we shower and relax in the hot springs. Stepping from the icy air into the warm, steaming water is pure ecstasy. Muscle aches feel instant relief. Later, the aroma of Wilbur’s cooking drifts down and entices us out. It’s a celebration and we all enjoy a few beers.

Lares Trek Information

We did the Lares trek privately with Alpaca Expeditions, a local company that gives back to the community. Their numerous social projects in Peru include improving the living conditions of residents and children in the villages along the Lares trek. They treat their porters and the rest of their staff exceptionally well in Peru, providing them with the right equipment, fair wages and comprehensive medical insurance.

Their guides are the best. Henry kept our spirits high when the trek got challenging and showed nothing but patience, support and a sense of humour. He was very perceptive of what we wanted from the trip. He explained the local customs and treated everyone on the trek with respect. Thank you, Henry!

Craving a taste of Peru’s magic? Explore our other blogs below to fuel your curiosity and discover hidden gems for your next unforgettable journey.

An Enchanting Cusco Stopover
Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu
3 Days in the Amazon: Embracing the Wild
Peru: 100 Essential Tips to Make the Most of Your Visit