Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit
By: Adrian Gostelow, Boston, USA
The Faraona hotel, Lima was very comfortable, the staff helpful and welcoming. It is in a very pleasant area of Peru (Miraflores).Similarly, the Hostal Columbo, Huraaz was a great place to stay with friendly staff, a great breakfast and a comfortable rooms. The transport arrangements were good and timely. The standard of driving was excellent given the nature of some of the roads we travelled.The local guide and crew were friendly, helpful and well organised. Val is a very professional, hard working and extremely knowledgeable guide. There is nothing she does not know about the Cordillera Huayhuash and indeed other mountain regions of the world!Val has a great empathy with the local indigenous population, which gave us the opportunity to have an insight into their way of life. She is an absolute gem! The Cordillera Huayhuash is a spectacular area to trek with many of the camp sites situated close to some of the highest peaks in Peru in fantastic locations. The diversity of the landscape, flora and fauna and the interaction with the local population makes this an interesting trek from start to finish.The trip notes provide an accurate summary of what to expect! I enjoyed everything about the whole trip from the flights with the friendly KLM staff, to comfortable and friendly hotel accommodation in Lima and Huaraz, to the amazing scenery in the Cordillera Huayhuash.Everything went to plan!
By: Julie Lennon, Manchester
Val was a fantastic guide. She had a great knowledge on the area; it’s wildlife and flora. It was great to be on a trip with a guide who also cared a lot about the area and had a great rapport with the local people.This was a brilliant, and demanding trek. The deviations from the normal circuit really made the trip. It was really enjoyable to go off the main route and be the only ones camping in some fantastic locations and see sights that we would not have seen had we stuck to the main paths.Better then my expectations.
By: Lois Rice, California, USA
This was the best run trek I have ever participated in. An exceptional crew! Val Pitkethly is extraordinary. The best of the best!
By: Marion Hughes, Denbighshire, England
An amazing trek that was everything I'd hoped for and more. Good company, excellent leader and support staff, fine weather and unbelievable mountains and views at every turn- the itinerary is spot on with a nice mix of high passes and snow capped mountain views, very quiet campsites and good peruvian food to keep you going.Val is an excellent leader taking everyone's health and fitness levels on board from the start of the trek and is integral at keeping the group together and motivated to keep on to the very top of every small hill! She manages to keep everyone entertained with her tales from previous treks and encourages the group to gel by talking about themselves. She also introduces you to the people, language and culture which makes the trek a richer experience for all concerned. Her knowledge, love and feel for the country is apparent in every aspect of the arrangements made and makes for a rewarding experience for all concerned.
By: Fred Peters, Arizona, USA
Val was the reason I choose this trek, knowing she was an expert in the region and that she would attend to our (my) health and well being. I was not disappointed.
By: Peter Dover, Kent, UK
Val was amazing! Very professional, always concerned about our health, she managed the acclimatisation very professionally, the routes were excellent, the pace of walking was very well judged to suit the group, her campsites were excellent, she was very knowledgeable about the area, the people, the flora and fauna - she must be the best candidate for guide of the year!! Best trek I have ever done!
