We do not inherit the mountains from our ancestors, we borrow them from our children.
Los Amigos de Huayhuash is a family run tour company that leads multi-day hikes in the Cordillera Hauyhuash. We aim to provide our guests with an experience of a lifetime with an emphasis on leave no trace trekking.
Siblings, Anamin, Abner, Alcides, Alec, and Adolfo Valdez and their families have been living in the Ancash region of Peru for generations. Their family home is in Chiquian, a small town in the Peruvian Andes which is the trekking trailhead for the stunning Cordillera Huayhuash.
For many years, members of the Valdez had worked for Huaraz based agencies as guides, mule-drivers and cooks, expertly leading numerous groups around the various treks possible in Huayhuash. However, large, city-based agencies tend to charge tourists far too much and far too little of that money filters down to the local guides who do all of the hard work in the mountains.
In 2006, with the support of many happy past clients, the Valdez family formed Los Amigos de Huayhuash in order to work directly with their guests while leveraging their many years of experience.
Working directly with local companies like Los Amigos, travelers can rest assured that they will have a low impact on the environment, and their tourism dollars will stay in the local communities.
Today, Anamin spends much of her time in Huraz coordinating the logistics and communicating with clients while her brothers lead the treks in the mountains.
Los Amigos de Huayhuash is a registered business with the Peruvian authorities. The family speaks English, Spanish, and German.
Meet the Valdez family
- AnaminLogistics, planning and your first point of contact
- AbnerHuayhuash guide
- AdolfoHuayhuash trek leader
- AlcidesMountain guide
- AlecTrekking guide
- TypiOur hiking horse in Llamac
Why a local, family-run company matters
When you book with Los Amigos you deal directly with the people who will walk with you. There is no agency in between, so your money stays in Chiquián and Llamac, with the families who have looked after these mountains for generations.