Hi there

ill be in Huaraz in 3 weeks time and Ill be climbing ishinca and toclaraju with a guide. the airlines are very expensive when it comes to weight so Im considering hiring stuff when i get there. Any ideas how much ice axe/ plastic boots/ harness and helmet would cost for the week? and any good recomandations for a hire shop?

also anyone got some good recomandations for a hotel? me and girlfriend will be looking for a double room in a decent palce but not mad expensive either.

also any ideas for us to go on day trips out of huaraz on our own on our days off mountaineering? any easily accesable thermal springs nearby? nice low level hikes?

any help would be appreciated
cheers

steve

I've always done a package deal that included all of that along with the guide, etc.

There are loads of gear hire places in Huaraz. If you have a look around the main street and the square beside the Casa d'Guias you'll be able to find what you're looking for. The quality can vary even in the one shop so it's probably best to have a scout about different shops and pick the gear that you're after. I'd take my own harness though as it's not a heavy item. Can't remember the prices but generally the stuff isn't too expensive.
I've always stayed at Hotel de Valle which is right in the centre of town(less than 2 mins to the main square). It's always spotless and the rooms have bathrooms/showers with hot water. It's nothing fancy and certainly not a place to go if want to meet other people and have the craic but it's safe, not too expensive and I've never had any complaints about the place. The double rooms on the top floor have a nice view to the mountains.
All the agencies in town offer the normal day trips to sites such as Chavin, Llanganuco, Churup etc. Andean Kingdom organise taxis to Hatun Machay for (bolted) rock climbing, it's a nice place to visit even if you don't bother climbing. There are a few places round town that hire bikes too.
There are hot springs in Monterray about 5/10 mins from the town centre. I've never been so I don't know what they're like.

Despite the weight restrictions, I managed to get almost 40 kg of stuff to Huaraz. My carry on was waaayyy to heavy, but they never weighed it, I had stuffed all my pockets with all sorts of heavy items, and I carried a plastic bag with mostly food, claiming to eat all the food before boarding, and with that I got a free second carry on, basically. Mind you I did eat quite a bit of that food before boarding, but not all.

As for agencies in Huaraz, there are loads of them, but I heard real good things about Galaxia. So far, I´ve only used them to get to the trail heads, but I plan to use their guiding services as soon as I go climb more difficult or dangerous mountains, like the two Huascaran peaks.

While I´ve heard that there are plenty of touristic things to do hear, I´m not into that, so all I can advise is that, if you want to take it a bit easier, you can do day walks in the Cordillera Negra. There are some climbing and scrambling opportunities as well out there. In fact, next time I´ll bring a rope myself, because yesterday I found myself down climbing where I had expected only to be walking.

The Cordillera Negra costs almost nothing, as there are cheap colectivos and taxis that can quickly bring you up there (e.g. the colectivo to Callan Punta a few days ago cost me 10 soles). The walking is easy, your body gets a kick to make more red blood cells, and if the weather is fine, you´ll get great views of most of the Cordillera Blanca.

I think Skyline Adventure rents gear in addition to guiding; I'd check there.

For day trips there are tons of hikes near villages around Huaraz. You can also rent mountain bikes at a reasonable price for a day and then get a taxi to take you way up into the Cordillera Negra and ride down.

Another place you could check out is The Way Inn. I stayed there a couple nights on a guided trip a couple years ago. You can camp there for next to nothing or get anything from bunk beds to a suite with bathroom and fireplace. I'm pretty sure they have a website with a fair amount of info.

A nice place to stay is Hostal Carolina. I stayed there about quite a lomg time. It`s basic, but a nice family & good breakfast. taxidrivers know it.

I've stayed at Olaza's, which I like. It's up toward Soledad so I get a bit of exercize walking down to the Plaza de Armas and back; it's a great place and the view from the roof terrace is fantastic. Zamora's is right across the street from Olaza's and is also supposed to be very good. Both are quite reasonable. I've also stayed out at the Way Inn; it's out in the countryside near Laguna Churup and a good bit higher up than Huaraz so staying there will improve the acclimatization a bit. I wasn't that thrilled with the food at the Way Inn, although the coffee was great, and there are no other dining choices if you are staying there.

Thanks for the replies everybody, huge help, cheers