I
f you want bang for your
buck head to Huaraz, Peru,
the gateway to Huascarán
National Park.
Located in the central Pe-
ruvian Andes, in the region
of Ancash, Huaraz is easily accessible
from the Panamerican Highway via
major routes such as highway 14A or
the very popular Cañón del Pato route
that is famous for its unique rock tun-
nels. Since Huaraz is the capital of
the Ancash region, it is a large city
with many services and comforts. It
is a beautiful setting and on a clear
day you are rewarded with views of
the white snow-capped mountain
peaks of the Cordillera Blanca right
from the city.
If you prefer to spend your nights
in a nice hotel making Huaraz your
home base is a good place to start
however, there are camping oppor-
tunities both official and unofficial in
the surrounding area.
Culturally the city of Huaraz has a
lot to offer, and spending a few days
exploring the city sampling Peruvi-
an life will give your body a chance
to acclimatise to the altitude (Huaraz
is settled at an altitude of 3,050 me-
ters above sea level). You can walk
through a local market or sit down
at one of the many restaurants serv-
ing up comida típica (Peruvian food).
Take a break in the Plaza de Armas
and watch the local ladies dressed
in bright coloured clothing show off
their llamas to the tourists who flock
to the city.
Huaraz is located in the valley of
Callejón de Huaylas with the Cordil-
lera Blanca (white mountains) to the
east and the Cordillera Negra (black
mountains) to the west. There is a
main route, highway 3N which is
double lane traffic and paved, that
runs right through the valley and can
be used to access the many points of
interest to see as you ride the region.
Huascarán National Park is situated
to the east of highway 3N and is home
to Peru’s tallest mountain, Nevado
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Huascarán which stands 6,768 metres
tall. This massive mountain can be
seen while riding on highway 3N, but
the best place to admire the view is
the Portachuelo Pass. The summit of
this pass measures 4,767 metres and
is accessed through the park entrance
to reach Lagunas de Llanganuco.
The Llanganuco park entrance is
reached by dirt road starting from
the town of Yungay. This road en-
ters the park through a narrow val-
ley with steep vertical rock walls on
either side. Waterfalls can be seen
cascading down these walls; the
natural beauty surrounding you as
you ride is surreal. It isn’t long after
entering the park that you reach La-
guna Llanganuco, which is actually
a pair of lakes, Laguna Chinacocha
and Laguna Orconcocha that are con-
nected by the glacial river that feeds
them. The road through the park
passes right beside the lakes, which
are spectacular as the water sur-
face shimmers a brilliant turquoise
colour. Along the lake shores grow
the Queñual trees with their red bark
and intricate branches.
The road climbs past the lakes
and into the mountains, travelling 15
kilometres and gaining 900 metres