The traditional route from Huayhuash to Huanacpatay is hiking to Laguna Viconga and over Punta Cuyoc in two days. We opted for a different route over Trapecio Punta (5020 m/16,470 ft) and camping at what we called Cuyoc instead of going further to Huanacpatay. This route was fantastic; we had nice views from the pass and it was interesting scenery on our hike down to the campsite. The terrain we crossed through was different from our previous days. It reminded us of Death Valley or the Badlands (minus the big mountains). Also a plus is that it was a relatively shorter day so we had ample time at camp to relax and enjoy ourselves (including making friends with our new dog friend Huayhuash).

We had a gradual climb out of the valley from Huayhuash and at the end of the valley turned west to make our ascent to Trapecio Punta. Along the way we spotted vicuñas, a relative of the llama and similar to the guanacos we saw in Patagonia. As we climbed higher we had increasingly better views of Trapecio (5653 m/18,550 ft) and the surrounding snow fields and to our surprise spotted a cow high up near the snow. It was another windy pass and we didn’t stay there long, but rather enjoyed the views as we picked our way down the rocks to the valley below. We really liked the view of the lakes; all a different shape and hue. The landscape at the bottom of our descent was striking and dominated with views of the Nevados Puscanturpas, including Cuyoc at 5550 m/18,210 ft. At the end of our “badlands” hike we returned to a grassy trail and it was a short hike down to our campsite in the Cuyoc Valley. We took our tea outside to enjoy the views and met the dog that had followed Miguel and the donkey train from the Huayhuash campsite. We named him Huayhuash and started to win his affections by feeding him bits and pieces of food. Adorable dog and we were happy when Victor told us Miguel would take Huayhuash home to live with a neighboring farmer. A great day was capped by a great sunset. We’re over halfway done with the citcuit!

675 m/2215 ft ascent
720 m/2360 ft descent
High Point: Trapecio Punta 5020 m/16,470 ft
Camp at Cuyoc 4300 m/14110 ft