Information Huaraz Peru

The area of Huaraz: a unique opportunity for hiking and camping
With incredible trails and scenery, the camping and hiking opportunities are numerous. The countless hiking trails wind through beautiful valleys and passes reaching 4,700 m.a.s.l., where the best of the flora and fauna can be seen first-hand. The impressive mountains, lakes, waterfalls and rivers in this area coincide with the trails and campsites, leaving behind a life lasting experience. Among the well known routes are: Santa Cruz - Llanganuco, Olleros - Chavin, Ishinca valley, Churuplake, Los Cedros valley, Quilcayhuanca valley, Cojup valley. The circuit around Cordillera Huayhuash is considered as one of the most beautiful in the world. There are several possibilities of day hikes around the city of Huaraz. Beside hiking and camping there are interesting opportunities for mountain biking, rafting, ice climbing, fishing, horse riding and paragliding.

Towns in the Callejón the Huaylas
Recuay is known as the doorway to the Callejón de Huaylas. It is built on the banks of the Santa River. Here you can enjoy the old colonial-style mansions and buildings of mud bricks with tiled roofs. The hot springs of Conococha, Pachacota, Pumapampa, Burgos and Utuco are in the area of Recuay.

Huaraz or Huarac Koyllurk, Quechua for "morning star", is the capital of the Department of Ancash. Only the Centenario section still retains some features of local traditional architecture. The rest of the town has a different look: straight streets and houses with large rooms as a result from a total rebuilt of Huaraz after the violent earthquake of 1970. About 70.000 people lost their lives during this disaster. Interesting place to visit is the Archeological Museum on the Plaza de Armas, exhibiting remnants of the Chavín culture which was considered as the origin of all the cultures that ever flourished in ancient Peru. Other interesting places to visit are: Rumacayán Hill and the ruins of Huilcahuaín located on 6 kilometers from the city. Punta Callain gives you a fascinating panorama of the Cordillera Blanca and the Callejón de Huaylas.

Carhuaz is named after the yellow broom flowers that cover its neighboring hills. The ancient Peruvians called it Cca Huash or "Yellow". Carhuaz is a popular, hospitable city and is the starting point for the route to the beautiful Ulta valley that crosses the Cordillera Blanca via the Olimpica pass (4950 m.a.s.l.). The opposite side offers access to the towns of the Callejón de Conchucos. The Plaza de Armas, with its bronze fountain, rose garden and tall palms swaying in the wind, is the heart of the town with its mild climate and tranquil atmosphere. Here you can enjoy a 'raspadilla' , fruit-flavored shaved ice made with natural ice brought from the foothills of the Cordillera Blanca.

Yungay was wiped off the map in a matter of seconds during the earthquake in 1970. Nothing could be done against the avalanche triggered by a huge chunk of Huascarán that broke off as a result from the earthquake. Two palm trees and the cemetery were all that withstood the fury of the landslide. It took many years to heal the wounds. The memory of the tragedy is still latent. A cemetery has been built on the vanished Plaza de Armas, watched over by an image of Christ the Redeemer who with a gesture full of kindness and peace seems to control the fury of the cordillera. From Yungay you can see the magnitude of the mountain, Huascarán, the highest peak of the Peruvian Andes at 6768 m.a.s.l. It also offers road access to the beautiful Llanganuco lakes. The Chinancocha (Female Lake) whose waters are a dazzling turquoise; the Orconcocha (Male Lake) and Huahuacocha (Baby Lake) that lies between the two others.

Caraz is surrounded by the snowy peaks of Huandoy, Santa Cruz, Alpamayo, Aguja Nevada and others, reflected in the huge mirror of Lake Parón. The people of Caraz are expert weavers. They hold skills handed over through the centuries and their nimble fingers create handsome wool rugs and ponchos. The local people of Caraz also know how to prepare desserts of fruits and "manjarblanco" (creamy beaten milk and sugar), which they call "cuarteado", whose delicious taste makes them famous throughout the region. This friendly, warm city still holds onto its unique urban characteristics present since its beginning. Caraz is the starting point for the routes to Paron lake, Cashapampa, the famous hiking trail to the Santa Cruz and the Cedros valley. Here lies the glorious Alpamayo Mountain, also known as the most beautiful mountain of the world.

Chavin de Huantar is a place of interest in the Callejón de Conchucos. It is a pre-Hispanic citadel with narrow corridors, gargoyles and monolithic steles. This area is considered as the origin of many cultures in Peru. The archaeological heritage is formed by numerous buildings, terraces, platforms, squares etc. Most significant remnant is the castle that, according to some archaeologists, was one of the main religious-cultural centers of the western hemisphere. The walls were built from enormous granite blocks, with the interior containing a series of mysterious passageways to form the labyrinths where the famous Lanzon de Chavin is set up. There are also numerous stones, carved in the form of heads.

Cordillera Blanca
The Cordillera Blanca, where the sky goes orange when the sun sets, is located almost in it's entirety in the Huascarán National Park, extending over about 180 kilometers. It has a total of 663 glaciers (26 of them at 6,000m.a.s.l. or higher) 269 lakes and 41 rivers. These rivers and lakes are an important hydrological resource and provide water to the basins of the Santa, Pativilca and Marañon rivers.The Cordillera Blanca is a favorite place to be for mountain climbers from all around the world. 35 peaks are over 6,000 meters high. Mount Huascarán is with its 6,768 meters, the highest snow capped peak in Peru and the second highest in the Americas after Aconagua, in Chile. Another famous mountain of the Huaylas Valley, Alpamayo (6,210m) is known as the "most beautiful snow-capped mountain in the world". Other giants in the Cordillera Blanca are: Huandoy center 6,395 m., Chopicalqui 6,354 m., Hualcan 6,122 m., Chacraraju 6,112m. and Pucahirca 6,046m. These mountains are located in the north of the National Park. Mount Pastoruri, 5200 m.a.s.l. is located in the south, close to the village of Chiquián. On the way that leads to Pastoruri, you can observe the gigantic Puya Raimondi. This is the only plant of this gender in the entire world, it is calculated that these plants have up to 18 thousand inflorescences, six million seeds and can measure up to 12 meters high. They bloom only once in their life, around the age of 28 years.

Cordillera Huayhuash
Usually the hike around the Cordillera Huayhuash begins in the city of Chiquian (3400m.a.s.l.), 111 km south of Huaraz. Although this route is not very well-known, it belongs to the most beautiful and impressive ones. The route takes approximately 2 weeks and winds through an impressive mountain range with mount Yerupaja 6,634 m.a.s.l. (The second highest in the Peruvian Andes), Jirishanca 6,094m, Siula grande 6,344m, Rondoy 6265 m., Ninashanca 6115m. and Rasac 6,017m as the highest peaks. This trail passes breath-taking lakes of crystal clear water and tiny villages seemingly out of touch with the rest of the world; an entire recompense for those willing to venture along these paths.

Fauna and weather
You can notice the presence of wild ducks in almost all the lakes. If you are lucky, you will be able to observe condors. The Quebrada quilcayhuanca offers this possibility. if your stay is long enough and have patience, you may see foxes, vizcachas, pumas, deer, etc. in the high mountain valleys. The area has two defined seasons: a dry season from May to September and a rainy season from October to April.