Australian hiker Jordan Yap, 30, has been missing since he began a solo 10-day trek in Peru's Huayhuash mountains on Sept. 15. His family raised the alarm after he failed to check into a Lima hotel on Sept. 23 and missed a scheduled flight to Cusco on Sept. 24. A private mountain rescue team and local rescuers, including Socorro Andino Peruano, are searching the area; the family says searchers reported a possible sighting on the second day of the private search. Australia’s DFAT is providing consular assistance while investigations continue.
Australian Hiker Missing After Solo 10-Day Trek in Peru’s Remote Huayhuash Range — Family Reports Possible Sighting
Jordan YapCredit: Family Handout
An Australian man, 30-year-old Jordan Yap, has been missing for more than a week after setting off alone on a 10-day trek through Peru’s remote Cordillera Huayhuash. Yap was last seen beginning the route on Sept. 15 and his family has had no contact with him since.
Yap reportedly left a hostel in Huaraz the day before his planned hike. He was due to check into a hotel in Lima on Sept. 23 and then fly to Cusco on Sept. 24, but he neither checked into the hotel nor boarded the flight, prompting alarm among relatives.
Jordan YapCredit: Family Handout
Family reaction. "Before the 10-day hike in the Huayhuash region, he sent the last message to us saying that he's going to be off grid for the next 10 days," Yap's father, Vinh Dao, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "So he failed to check in at the hotel and he missed his flight as well, so that's when the panic and the concern kicked in."
Itinerary and clues. A family friend, Kevin Nguyen, wrote on Facebook that Yap had planned to hike the Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit from Sept. 14–23. Nguyen said Yap was expected to return to Huaraz on the afternoon of Sept. 23 to collect belongings at Krusty Hostel and then travel overnight to Lima; Yap did not return. A Samsung tracking tag linked to Yap reportedly remained at the hostel, which confirmed he had not come back.
Mountains and lakes in HuayHuash, PeruCredit: Getty
Search effort. Local rescue organization Socorro Andino Peruano (SAP) and other Peruvian authorities are assisting in the search. Yap's family organized a private mountain rescue team that began operations at 3 a.m. Melbourne time on Sept. 25. Dao told ABC that searchers "got some positive identification of Jordan on day two," adding that people had "come across Jordan on the second day and that was it." The family describes themselves as very anxious as searches continue.
Government assistance. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian reported missing in Peru but would not provide further detail because of privacy obligations. DFAT has not publicly confirmed the identity of the missing person.
The circumstances remain unclear, and local authorities continue search-and-rescue operations in the Huayhuash region. Relatives have urged caution about speculation while they work with rescuers to locate Yap.
Note: Information is based on family statements and local reports. Searches are ongoing and details may change as authorities provide updates.
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