Ancash · Hiking

Ishinca Southwest Ridge

An out-and-back trail, 1.9 miles each way (3.8 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

1.9 mi
round trip
2,713 ft
climb
17,988 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Ishinca Southwest Ridge is an out-and-back trail, 1.9 miles each way (3.8 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru, inside Parque Nacional Huascarán. It runs between about 16,200 ft and 17,990 ft above sea level, with roughly 500 ft of climbing one way. It is demanding alpine terrain with scrambling on exposed ground; it is for experienced, well-equipped hikers. Most of the way is dirt. The nearest town is Urus, about 8.9 miles east of the trailhead. Peaks within about 3 miles include Ishinca, Ranrapalca and Palcaraju Oeste. For camping, Campamento and Campamento Base Ishinca are within about 6 miles. There are 5 other mapped trails within about 3 miles, so you can combine or extend the outing. Distances, elevations and the route shape here come from OpenStreetMap and the Copernicus 90 m elevation model. Trails, access rules and conditions change, so check locally before you go.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Sendero María JosefaPhoto: User:TiagoLubiana, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sendero María Josefa

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An out-and-back trail, 1.8 miles each way (3.6 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Ishinca Northwest Slopes

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Laguna Trail

~3 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 1.2 miles each way (2.4 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

A Tuquipayoc

~15 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 0.6 miles each way (1.1 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Camino Rural a Recuay

~35 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 0.3 miles each way (0.7 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Tuquipayoc

~16 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 0.5 miles each way (1.0 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Ascenso_huascarán

~41 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 2.5 miles each way (4.9 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Urus Trail

~4 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 1.0 miles each way (2.0 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Lag. Shallap Trek

~17 min drive

A 9.5-mile point-to-point route in Ancash, Peru.

Circuito De Miradores Bajo

~57 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 0.4 miles each way (0.8 miles round trip) in Ancash, Peru.

Conditions and forecast

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at Ishinca Southwest Ridge for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors