Pativilca-Caraz-Huallanca Route

The historical village of Pativilca (department of Lima), where Simón Bolívar planned his Peruvian liberty expedition, is 202 kilometres (126 mi) north of Lima on the Pan-American Highway. At this point begins the highway that leads to the Callejón de Huaylas. This road is completely paved, although it often has to be repaired because of the extreme damage caused by the huaycos (avalanches) and the rains. The same problem affects most Peruvian roads, especially the ones in the mountains and rainforest.

This highway is 287 kilometres (178 mi) long, with an extremely comfortable course, especially in the steep climbing stretches through the Cordillera Negra (Black Range) up to the summit of Conococha, 4,100 metres (13,451 ft) above sea level. From there, the road begins to go down toward the Callejón de Huaylas.

The trip Lima-Huaraz of 408 kilometres (254 mi) can be made in six hours by car. Modern buses take eight hours in the same stretch.

East of Pativilca, for about 20 kilometres (12 mi) the highway passes between wide fields planted with sugarcane in extensive fields, parallel to the Fortaleza river bed.

At Huaricanga town, the road enters the department of Ancash. At this point, the highway begins a slow ascent of the first spurs of the Cordillera Negra. This stretch continues for about 50 kilometres (31 mi). The climb gets suddenly steeper beyond the towns of Chasquitambo and Chaucayán, with many bends and serpentines.

The White Mountain Range

This mountain range is composed by gigantic summits covered with snow, which are among the most beautiful of the world. The White mountain range is considered the highest tropical mountain range in the world. It borders the Callejón de Huaylas to the east. It has a length of 180 km.

It has 35 peaks that are higher than 6000 m and many other smaller ones, a real symphony of summits with different grades of difficulty in climbing.

This mountain range was called White, not only for its eternal snow but also for the chemical constitution of its quartz and feldspar rocks. It has the highest summit in Peru and the second one in America after Aconcagua: Huascarán, whose south peak reaches 6768 msnm. Huascarán's north peak reaches 6655 m.

Alpamayo, which height has been estimated in 6120 m, has been considered as <<the most beautiful snow mountain of the world>>. This statement was achieved by the distinguished Peruvian mountaineer César Morales Arnao, who sent the photo of Alpamayo to the world contest of scenic beauty made in 1966 in Münich (Germany).

North Huandoy reaches 6395 m, Huantsán reaches 6410 m, Chopicalqui reaches 6354 m, North Copa reaches 6173 m, Artesonraju reaches 6025 m, South Santa Cruz reaches 6259 m and Hualcán reaches 6126 m.

The beauty of the Cordillera Blanca is largely determined by the Cordillera Negra, because this mountain range soften the winds that come from the Pacific ocean. The Cordillera Negra, acting as a shield, avoids the thaw of the big glaciers from the Cordillera Blanca.

The Cordillera Negra has rocky peaks with very little winter snowfall, reaching a maximum height of 5500 m. Its name comes from the comparison with the white snowy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.

Huascarán National Park

The Huascarán National Park is one of the most outstanding conservation parks in Peru, due to its landscapes that are full of peaks, lakes, canyons, torrents and waterfalls. Inside its borders, it can be observed the whole Cordillera Blanca and seven peaks of more than 6000 m height. They constitute one of the main international focuses for climbers and mountaineers. It was stated as a National Park on July 1, 1975 with a surface of 340,000 ha and a length of 158 km. This National Park includes parts of the following provinces: Recuay, Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay, Huaylas, Pomabamba, Mariscal Luzuriaga, Huari, Corongo, Sihuas and Bolognesi. This park has also been stated as a Biosphere reservation and as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The park territory is very uneven. It has snowy summits, which altitudes vary between 5000 and 6768 msnm. It also has gullies, that are deeply encased because of the fluvioglacial erosion, and a great number of lagoons. Inside the borders of the park, there are 663 glaciers that are distributed throughout 180 km, from the Tuco peak in the south up to Champará in the north.

Regarding its climate, there are two very well defined seasons:

• The dry season, from April to September, becoming worse between the months of June and August; and
• The wet season, from October to May, which highest rainfall is between January and March.

Its flora is countless and beautiful, including important groups of Puya Raimondi. In its fauna, there are brown brockets, tarucas, spectacled bears, vicuñas, pumas, foxes, vizcachas, weasels, andean mountain cats, opossums, hog-nosed skunks, etc.

There is also a great number of birds, predominating ducks, american coots and hummingbirds.

The Black Mountain Range

The route Casma-Huaraz is not a very highly travelled road. The highway begins with a paved path that arrives up to Yaután. Then it quickly begins to ascend through an unpaved path by the sides of the Cordillera Negra (Black mountain range), following the course of the Casma river. This route becomes more steep once it arrives to Pariacoto. Along the road, there are not important towns at all, except for Pira that offers some traveler's services.

This route, extremely steep and narrow, goes between big abysses and gullies. It can be seen small rural districts with chacras (smallholdings) that have been sown with potatoes, wheat, barley and other food products. It can also be seen livestock and a lot of human activity.

The gullies of the Cordillera Negra -that goes, simultaneously, with the Cordillera Blanca throughout 150 km- are gloomy and dark. Most of them are dry or their flow is scarce. From north to south, there are some hills like Rumicruz (5020 m), Rocarre (5187 m), Cerro Rico (5015 m), and Chonta (4810 m).

The Cordillera Blanca's beauty is largely determined by the Cordillera Negra, because this mountain range soften the winds that come from the Pacific ocean. The Cordillera Negra, acts like a shield and avoids the thaw of the big glaciers that are located in the Cordillera Blanca.

The Cordillera Negra has rocky peaks with very little winter snow, reaching a maximum height of 5500 m. Its name comes from the comparison with the white snowy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.

The Santa River and the Cañon del Pato (The Duck Canyon)

From Chimbote to Huallanca, there are approximately 140 km. This unpaved and very little travelled highway is a provisional line over the embankment of the old railroad. This railway and several tunnels were destroyed by the catastrophe of 1970.

The highway, outside Chimbote, goes through the wide flat and fertile embankments of the Santa valley and it continuous its course up to Huallanca.

From Chuquicara, the highway becomes narrower. The Chuquicara river is a big Santa's tributary for its right bank. Its water are black because they containe abundant coal sediments proceeding from the heights of Pallasca.

From Huallanca, it is possible to travel through the Cañon del Pato. This canyon is one the many canyons that are along the 370 km of the Santa river. The Santa river has its source in the Conococha lagoon. This river is the most important river in the coast, because its annual water mass is 6100 millions of m3. As centuries went by, it has formed a narrow pass of 2000 m of altitude in the Cordillera Negra.

In this place, the waters turn into whirlpools and rapids before going out from a narrow gorge of 500 m that is called Cañon del Pato (Duck Cannyon). This water fall constitutes the source of hydroelectric energy in the Power station of the Cañón del Pato, in Huallanca.

From Huallanca, it is possible to enter to the Callejon de Huaylas by the highway that takes to Caraz. It is also a way to enter to the callejon de Conchucos (Conchucos alley).

The Callejón de Conchucos

The Callejon de Conchucos is a beautiful succession of valleys located to the east of the Cordillera Blanca. It is connected by a highway that goes from Catac to Huallanca.

There are seven provinces of the Ancash Region that cover the Callejon de Conchucos. They are Huari, Antonio Raimondi, Mariscal Luzuriaga, Pomabamba, Sihuas, Corongo and Pallasca. This Callejón is located to the east of the Cordillera Blanca, that is to say, to the other side of the Callejon of Huaylas, before the Marañon river.

The topography of the soil presents high summits, deep valleys and inhospitable punas, making it a rough zone, such as most of the highland in Peru.

The northern provinces of Pallasca and Corongo have their own direct access towards Chimbote and the Callejon of Huaylas. The other provinces have a longitudinal highway of double entry, one from Huari and the other one from Huallanca and Sihuas, joining Pomabamba, Luzuriaga and Raimondi.