Discover Huaraz

Heading high into the Andes to the mountain towns of Huaraz and Caraz, we'll be sandwiched between the mountain ranges of the Cordillera Blanca and Negra. With it's glaciated peaks ranging from 14,000 to 21,000 ft in height, the beauty and remoteness of this area is why it’s our longest trip on offer with Ride Local.

Each day we will get shuttled up to 13,000 to 15,000ft and descend raw rocky trails averaging 4,500ft of vertical per lap. Lodging in the town of Huaraz for the first portion, we can explore the local breweries and eat lomo saltado pizza. From Huaraz we will ride off the Cordillera Negra which serves up fast Incan singletrack with amazing views of the Cordillera Blanca.

For the second half of the trip we head to our bungalows in the small town of Caraz. This gives us a good launch point for our ventures into the high peaks of the Cordillera Blanca, where we’ll ride some of the rockiest and steepest trails of the trip. Engulfed by the massive peaks of the White Range, high alpine trails await with up to 7,000 vertical feet of descending, mostly littered with rocks and steep switchbacks. By this point bikes and bodies will hopefully have had their fill of rock gardens, ready for the drive back to Lima and departures the next day.

Day One:

Arriving into Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport your guides will be waiting for you to help take you to the hotel in Lima. Get the bikes built and depending on your time of arrival, go on a shake down ride to the beach. That evening eat dinner in one of Lima’s delicious restaurants and talk about the journey ahead.

Day Two:

For the first full day of riding we’ll pedal from our hotel to Lima’s most famous local trail system, El Morro Solar. El Morro Solar overlooks the city of Lima and the Pacific Ocean. A chill warm up day to wake up the legs and make sure the bikes are shred ready for the rest of the trip.

Total Distance: 9mi/14km
Vertical Gain: 1,800ft/545m
Vertical Loss: 1,800ft/545m
Max Elevation: 950ft/290m

Day Three:

Load the van, stash the gear and head out early for our road trip from Lima to Huaraz. Travelling along the Peruvian coast for several hours before we turn inland and start to ascend the Andes. Today’s journey in van is about 8 hours. We’ll take the evening to ride around this fun city and to acclimate to the elevation of 10,015ft/3,035m.

Day Four:

Exploring the backyard rides of the locals, the first day riding takes us above the city of Huaraz to the Black Range, La Cordillera Negra. Where the trails offer unreal views of Huaraz and the White Range, La Cordillera Blanca.

Total Distance: 23mi/37km
Vertical Gain: 1,100ft/333m '
Vertical Loss: 10,775ft/3,265m
Max Elevation: 14,460ft/4,380m

Day Five:

Riding some of our Black Range favorites, prepare for lots of shuttles today. Climbing into the Black Range three times for some ridiculously fast descents, followed by an afternoon shuttle down a local treasure that finishes on the doorstep of our lodge. In the evening, for those interested, go out to explore Huaraz’s top breweries.

Total Distance: 14mi/22km
Vertical Gain: 280ft/85m
Vertical Loss: 9,965ft/3,020m
Max Elevation: 12,745ft/3,860m

Day Six:

Starting the day with a visit to a pristine glacial lake at the foot of La Cordillera Blanca, LLaca Lake. Our first descent will redefine the term rock-gardens! Later, shuttle two more local favorites that blend culture, scenery and technical descents. Finish the day with a secret singletrack descent to local thermal baths, where we’ll enjoy a soak before returning to our lodge.

Total Distance: 16mi/25km
Vertical Gain: 540ft/165m
Vertical Loss: 7,280ft/2,205m
Max Elevation: 14,740ft/4,385m

Day Seven:

In the morning we’ll move down the Huaraz Valley to Caraz. If seriously technical rock gardens coupled with tight switchbacks is your idea of a good time, today’s ride lineup is for you. These are seriously challenging descents from start to finish. We’ll descend each of these trails once to start and later pick our favorite to repeat – we’re confident you’ll want to!

Total Distance: 11mi/17km
Vertical Gain: 200ft/60m
Vertical Loss: 8,700ft/2,635m
Max Elevation: 10,875ft/3,295m

Day Eight:

One ride for today but it is a big one! Starting from over 4,700 meters, we’ll descend with two goals: 1) adrenaline overdose and ….2) find oxygen! From within Huascarán National Park, the trail passes through native forests, the famous Llanganuco lakes and sections of unbeatable singletrack. Pack your sledgehammers, it gets rocky! If at the end of the day, we still want more, we’ll shuttle to the Black Range for a bonus drop.

Total Distance: 22mi/35km
Vertical Gain: 800ft/242m
Vertical Loss: 10,090ft/3,060m
Max Elevation: 15,500ft/4,695m

Day Nine:

Relentless exploration sometimes yields a hidden gem, and this is it! If 7,000 feet of vertical drop in one trail doesn’t push your stoke level off the chart, this trip maybe isn’t for you. Technical switchbacks, monster rock gardens and incredible views sum up our last day of rides. A fitting close to an epic week. In the evening, we’ll say farewell to Caraz with a proper barbecue at the bungalows.

Total Distance: 18mi/29km
Vertical Gain: 775ft/235m
Vertical Loss: 14,125ft/4,280m
Max Elevation: 14,630ft/4,430m

Day Ten:

Head out of the Anchash region and the beautiful mountain of the Cordillera Blanca to begin our journey back to Lima. Snoozing is not only permitted, but highly encouraged! Upon arrival to Lima, your guides will be around to lend a hand disassembling bikes. For the last evening walk around the beautiful city of Lima to collect last minute souvenirs and gifts while enjoying amazing seafood that Lima is known for.

Day Eleven:

Shuttles to the airport will be available all day. Your guides will be around to assist with additional trip logistics if you plan on extending your trip beyond the riding.

Trip Totals:

Distance: 113mi/181km
Vertical Gain: 5,495ft/1,665m
Vertical Loss: 62,735ft/18,901m

What to Expect:

The mountains of the Cordillera Blanca and Negra is a very unexplored area by mountain bikes. Ride Local is privileged to offer the first guided bike trips into these incredible mountains. Due to the remoteness of this area, along with the high altitude and technical nature of the trails, we recommend that only advanced riders whom are used to high altitude technical riding to join us.

Expect 7-8 days of riding days with 1-4 shuttle rides a day to altitudes up to 15,000ft. Followed by long technical descents with some climbing in between. The trails are raw and rocky with lots of fall line riding and steep hair pin switchbacks. Plan to be out riding 5-7 hours a day.

Trip Dates and Duration:

Offering two trips next year 2021. Over the course of 11 days & 10 nights.

First Trip May 9th - June 8th
Second Trip November 20th - 30th

Meeting point:

Lima, Peru

Fitness and Skill Level:

Fitness Level 3 - Fitness Level Chart
Skill Level D - Skill Grade Chart

Trip Costs:

$2,750 USD / person.
Ask about our single rider best price guarantee.

Group Pricing:

Our trips are designed with groups in mind, we highly encourage you to invite your friends and family to take advantage of our discounted group pricing.

$2,600 USD / person for groups of 4-5 people
$2,150 USD / person for groups of 6-10 people

4 person minimum / 10 person max.

Click here for information on Custom and Private trips to Peru.

What's Included:

Airport pick-up and drop-off.
Lodging for 10 nights.
Breakfast and lunch for the trip duration.
Dinner for 3 of the nights.
7-8 days of riding with 2-3 experienced guides.
Ride snacks and water for every day of riding.
Vehicle for transportation and shuttles, plus a driver for the trip duration.

What's Not Included:

Dinner for 7 of the nights and all beverages, minus water for rides.
Airfare and baggage fees. Ride Local uses momondo.com for finding cheap and reliable airfare.
Price does not include a bike, but rental bikes are available for our trips to Peru. Please see "Add-On Costs" below for information on rental bike pricing.
Single Room lodging. Most rooms will accommodate 2-3 people. Please see "Add-On Costs" below for information on single room pricing.
Travel and medical insurance. Ride Local partners with World Nomads for all our insurance needs.

Add-On Costs:

Rental Bike Pricing:

You can add-on a rental bike to majority of our trips at an extended price. For our trips to Peru we have Scott Ransoms available to rent.

$480 USD / 11 Day Trip

Single Room Lodging Upgrade:
Room arrangements usually have 2-3 people per room with its own bathroom. We do this in order to keep the costs down, but understand this cannot apply to everyone. For people wanting single room lodging that is no problem at all but is an extra charge.