Peru Guide
Around Arequipa
El Misti
If you feel compelled to climb EL MISTI, 20km northeast of Arequipa, bear in mind that it's considerably further away and higher (5821m) than it looks from Arequipa. That said, it's a perfectly feasible hike, allowing just two days for the ascent with another day to get back down. Buses (marked "Chiguata"; 1hr; $2.50) leave Avenida Sepulveda and will drop you at the trailhead, from where there's a seven- to eight-hour hike to base camp. To spend the night here you'll need at the very least food, drink, warm clothing, boots and a good sleeping bag. Your main enemies will be the altitude and the cold night air, and during the day you'll need to wear some kind of hat or sun block as the sunlight is particularly strong. Note that the climate is changeable and that water is scarce. From the base camp it's another breathless seven hours to the summit, with its excellent panoramic views across the whole range of accompanying volcanoes. Any of the tour companies, listed can drop walkers off at a higher starting point than Chiguata, cutting off a few hours of the first day.
Covering some 300,000 hectares of plateau behind El Misti is the Reserva Nacional de Aguada Blanca, the largest protected area in this region, located at 4000m above sea level. A cold and dry puna (highland Andes, above the treeline), it's home to vicuñas, guanacos and viscachas, while its reservoirs of El Farile and Aguada Blanca are known for their excellent trout fishing.