Our story
Born in the mountains we guide
A family business from the Cordillera Huayhuash. Three generations of our family have lived and worked in these mountains.
I.
Marino Carrera Zambrano, a pioneer
Marino Carrera Zambrano was one of the first to guide trekkers through the Cordillera Huayhuash, from the 1970s. On those early trips there were no tents or sleeping bags. His groups slept in caves and herders' huts, and cooked over wood, straw or dried cow dung. Marino and a group of comuneros explored the range together and learned its paths, and he taught his children to read the weather, care for the animals and respect the communities along the way.
II.
Rocío Carrera, arriera, cook and guide
Rocío grew up on a farm in the high valleys, among livestock. She started in tourism in June 2003 as an arriera. Her first trek was with two Swiss women who had asked the agency for one donkey and an arriero, and expected a man. Rocío arrived with a donkey and a horse: her father had taught her that a donkey should carry no more than 35 to 40 kg, and she thought the bags would weigh more. The travellers weighed them, and she was right. She is still in touch with them. Rocío went on to cook for expeditions, and today she is a guide and the founder and general manager of Huayhuash Trek Perú.
Rocío raised her son Andy on her own. For years she told the American trekkers she met that one day she would get to the United States, and some reminded her how hard a visa is for many Peruvians. She still plans to go, and hopes one day to speak at the White House for the women and children of the rural Andes.
- Arriera
- Cook
- Guide
- Founder
III.
Andy, the next generation
Rocío's son Andy became a world mathematics champion in July 2024, and Rocío hopes he will go on to study at a university in the United States. Children in rural Andean communities have the same talent as anywhere else, and many need access to education to use it. We want young people here to be able to choose their future without leaving their roots behind.
IV.
Trekking with purpose
Every trek pays local guides, arrieros, cooks and drivers, and the communities whose land the circuit crosses. We want more women and young people from these communities working in tourism and earning their own income. Our treks also help fund education in the region, including Andy's studies.
Local knowledge
We show you the Huayhuash as we know it, including the people, food and traditions of its villages.
An experienced crew
Our guides, cooks and arrieros have worked these trails for years, and know every pass and campsite on the route.
Local hiring
We hire locally, pay the community fees that keep the circuit open, and carry out the rubbish from our camps. Where it's safe, our crew also picks up litter on the trail.
Pulso Verde
Pulso Verde, our restoration project
Pulso Verde is our project to help restore soil and native vegetation in the high Andes, with paid work for local people, and for local women in particular. The first pilot is planned for 2027 at Roquia, on the way into the Huayhuash before the first camp at Rondoy Bado or Cuartel Huain.
Trekkers on compatible routes can join a one-day session there for US$150 per person. You learn about high Andean ecosystems and help prepare or install five biobloques with our team and local workers. The fee pays for the materials, transport, field work and the local workers' wages.
The pilot still needs a technical assessment, agreement with the communities and permits, so its dates depend on those. Natural conditions affect the results, and we will share what we measure. Later we plan regenerative versions of our treks: a 4-day mini trek and private Huayhuash treks of 9 to 12 days.
Plan your trek with Rocío
Tell us your dates and group size. Rocío replies personally, usually within a day.
