Editorial - Huayhuash Land Management
In this space, I share my own personal views on land management in the Huayhuash.
Disagreement as a form of Respect. I acknowledge and respect the rights of the communities of the Huayhuash to decide how they manage their land. The Peruvian government grants them near-total authority and I support that. While it is entirely within their rights to decide what to do with their land, it is entirely within my rights to express my thoughts, most of which are, regrettably, at variance with the decisions the communities are making. Treating the Huayhuash communities as legitimate, sovereign actors means holding them to the same standard of accountability as any other governing body. I offer this critique not out of a lack of respect, but because I view them as capable peers who are currently choosing a path that will ultimately harm their own people and the land they protect.
The Mechanics of Frustration: Why Fees Go Unpaid. My Huaraz contacts have been in direct contact with the communities and have passed along some information about their thought processes. I understand that a major concern is that some Huayhuash travellers are not paying entrance fees and that they are causing environmental damage. Part of the fee-skipping problem is a result of the Alpine Circuit's route never coming close to Huayllapa as it navigates the "Touching the Void" zone. There is no realistic way for Alpine Circuit travellers to pay the fees under the circumstances. I find the Huayhuash communities' frustration and any feelings that they are being disrespected to be fully understandable and legitimate. A remedy is necessary to resolve these issues. I advocate on this website for fee-paying and garbage collection and I also recognize that my words are insufficient to remedy this problem.
A Win-Win Proposal: The Single Ticket System. I am both interested and have invested considerable effort in finding a win-win solution, especially to the fee-skipping problem. The solution to the fee-skipping problem that I proposed was for the introduction of a single ticket that covered all of the costs of all entrance fees for all communities. It could be collected at any entrance point or community in the Huayhuash. And the proceeds could be shared among the communities as per an agreement that they make. The fee amounts would entirely be up to the communities. The net effect of a single ticket is that more money would go into the Huayhuash communities (win), the communities would feel respected (win), and travellers would feel welcome (win). Despite my advocacy with leaders of the Huaraz community, a single ticket has not even been on the agenda in recent meetings.
Choosing a "Lose-Lose" Outcome. Instead, the communities opted for a lose-lose "solution" when they banned non-guided groups. This means less money coming into the Huayhuash (lose) and travellers feeling unwelcome (lose). And they, on paper at least, banned access to certain Alpine Circuit passes. This is another lose-lose move because, to my knowledge, there is no enforcement mechanism (so it's not actually doing anything for the communities) and it makes alpine circuit travellers feel unwelcome. I believe that these decisions from the communities are self-destructive "own-goals" that will ultimately weaken their tourism economy as travellers choose to spend their vacation money elsewhere.
Ecological Stewardship: A Question of Credibility. On the topic of environmental degradation, I resonate with the values that the communities are communicating. I strongly support ecological sustainability in the Huayhuash. Having been to the Huayhuash 7 times and as recently as 2025, I unfortunately find their characterization of the ecological situation to be lacking in credibility. I have seen very little waste from travellers, particularly on the Alpine Circuit. What I have seen is sheer and total ecological destruction caused by the most aggressively over-grazed land I have ever seen in my life. There are entire, flat-bottomed, grassy valleys where there isn't a big enough space to place a single tent because cow patties are literally everywhere. There are lakes that were once pristine and now filled with dying algae blooms; a professor of freshwater ecology took one look at it and advised my group that under no circumstance (water filtering, multiple chlorine tabs) would it be safe to drink that water. Indigenous vicuñas are now facing extreme pressure to find grazing land, moving to the very highest grasses below the alpine. I am not suggesting that the communities stop herding cattle. But I am saying that their claims that Alpine Circuit travellers are an ecological threat lacks credibility. A meaningful approach to ecological stewardship would be even handed, frank, and comprehensive. Such an approach is entirely missing at this time.
The Purpose of this Website: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. When the communities banned non-guided groups, I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I intend for my efforts (including this website) to support ALL of: (a) the local communities, (b) the guides and guided community, and (c) the independent traveller community. Their ban on the independent traveller community had the net effect of turning my website into a vehicle for commercial operations. That was never my intention. I considered taking down most or all of the website in protest. In the end, I decided that depriving the guided community of this resource is an unnecessary loss. After requesting input, listening carefully, and extensive deliberation, I decided to keep the website up and to write this editorial. My hope is that, in time, the Huayhuash communities will realize their mistake, take a collaborative approach, and find win-win solutions to problems that they face.
Call to action: The Huaraz tourism leadership has a responsibility to facilitate these conversations, yet they have allowed this lose-lose scenario to become the status quo through inaction.
- Jeremy Frimer February 2026
Disagreement as a form of Respect. I acknowledge and respect the rights of the communities of the Huayhuash to decide how they manage their land. The Peruvian government grants them near-total authority and I support that. While it is entirely within their rights to decide what to do with their land, it is entirely within my rights to express my thoughts, most of which are, regrettably, at variance with the decisions the communities are making. Treating the Huayhuash communities as legitimate, sovereign actors means holding them to the same standard of accountability as any other governing body. I offer this critique not out of a lack of respect, but because I view them as capable peers who are currently choosing a path that will ultimately harm their own people and the land they protect.
The Mechanics of Frustration: Why Fees Go Unpaid. My Huaraz contacts have been in direct contact with the communities and have passed along some information about their thought processes. I understand that a major concern is that some Huayhuash travellers are not paying entrance fees and that they are causing environmental damage. Part of the fee-skipping problem is a result of the Alpine Circuit's route never coming close to Huayllapa as it navigates the "Touching the Void" zone. There is no realistic way for Alpine Circuit travellers to pay the fees under the circumstances. I find the Huayhuash communities' frustration and any feelings that they are being disrespected to be fully understandable and legitimate. A remedy is necessary to resolve these issues. I advocate on this website for fee-paying and garbage collection and I also recognize that my words are insufficient to remedy this problem.
A Win-Win Proposal: The Single Ticket System. I am both interested and have invested considerable effort in finding a win-win solution, especially to the fee-skipping problem. The solution to the fee-skipping problem that I proposed was for the introduction of a single ticket that covered all of the costs of all entrance fees for all communities. It could be collected at any entrance point or community in the Huayhuash. And the proceeds could be shared among the communities as per an agreement that they make. The fee amounts would entirely be up to the communities. The net effect of a single ticket is that more money would go into the Huayhuash communities (win), the communities would feel respected (win), and travellers would feel welcome (win). Despite my advocacy with leaders of the Huaraz community, a single ticket has not even been on the agenda in recent meetings.
Choosing a "Lose-Lose" Outcome. Instead, the communities opted for a lose-lose "solution" when they banned non-guided groups. This means less money coming into the Huayhuash (lose) and travellers feeling unwelcome (lose). And they, on paper at least, banned access to certain Alpine Circuit passes. This is another lose-lose move because, to my knowledge, there is no enforcement mechanism (so it's not actually doing anything for the communities) and it makes alpine circuit travellers feel unwelcome. I believe that these decisions from the communities are self-destructive "own-goals" that will ultimately weaken their tourism economy as travellers choose to spend their vacation money elsewhere.
Ecological Stewardship: A Question of Credibility. On the topic of environmental degradation, I resonate with the values that the communities are communicating. I strongly support ecological sustainability in the Huayhuash. Having been to the Huayhuash 7 times and as recently as 2025, I unfortunately find their characterization of the ecological situation to be lacking in credibility. I have seen very little waste from travellers, particularly on the Alpine Circuit. What I have seen is sheer and total ecological destruction caused by the most aggressively over-grazed land I have ever seen in my life. There are entire, flat-bottomed, grassy valleys where there isn't a big enough space to place a single tent because cow patties are literally everywhere. There are lakes that were once pristine and now filled with dying algae blooms; a professor of freshwater ecology took one look at it and advised my group that under no circumstance (water filtering, multiple chlorine tabs) would it be safe to drink that water. Indigenous vicuñas are now facing extreme pressure to find grazing land, moving to the very highest grasses below the alpine. I am not suggesting that the communities stop herding cattle. But I am saying that their claims that Alpine Circuit travellers are an ecological threat lacks credibility. A meaningful approach to ecological stewardship would be even handed, frank, and comprehensive. Such an approach is entirely missing at this time.
The Purpose of this Website: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. When the communities banned non-guided groups, I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I intend for my efforts (including this website) to support ALL of: (a) the local communities, (b) the guides and guided community, and (c) the independent traveller community. Their ban on the independent traveller community had the net effect of turning my website into a vehicle for commercial operations. That was never my intention. I considered taking down most or all of the website in protest. In the end, I decided that depriving the guided community of this resource is an unnecessary loss. After requesting input, listening carefully, and extensive deliberation, I decided to keep the website up and to write this editorial. My hope is that, in time, the Huayhuash communities will realize their mistake, take a collaborative approach, and find win-win solutions to problems that they face.
Call to action: The Huaraz tourism leadership has a responsibility to facilitate these conversations, yet they have allowed this lose-lose scenario to become the status quo through inaction.
- Jeremy Frimer February 2026
