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ANCASH
ANCASH DEPARTMENT
Is one of the 24
departments of Peru is located at the north central part
of Perú front to the ocean pacific. With 21 provinces,
inside the Ancash department is the Cordillera Blanca,
Cordillera Huayhuash and Cordillera Negra.
HUARAZ
Capital of the Ancash
department, Huaraz is an important tourist destination.
The town itself is not very special. Most of it was
destroyed in the 1970 earthquake. But it is a prime
destination for hikers and ideal for climbers. The
setting at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca is great.
It is located in a valley called the Callejon de Huaylas.
This beautiful area is comparable to the Swiss Alps...
Even if you are not into
hiking & climbing yourself, you should at least go to
the Mirador Rataquena where you get a great view of the
mountains. It is a one hour walk form the town. But it
is worthwhile to continue to Pukaventana, where the
views over the valley are astonishing.
From the town you can also
make nice day trips to Willkawain where there is an
archeological site and Monterrey which has thermal
baths.
PASTORURI
Pastoruri is one of the more tiny peaks at a mere 5,240m
/ 17,187ft. It is a very popular day trip from Huaraz as
people without hiking/climbing experience and without
specialist equipment can still climb it.
For those who can not manage the assent, horses are
available to take you up the first half of the trail
from the base camp, where there are also stalls that
sell Mate de Coca to help with the affects of the
altitude.
CHAVIN
The Chavín were a pre-inca and pre-moche civilisation
that existed in the area that is now central Peru around
3000 years ago. The were the most ancient of the major
cultures known to exist in South America.
A bus trip to Chavín de Huántar takes about 4 hours, as
the road, which was once a mere dirt road, is still
being constructed - so traffic is obstructed and the
road is quite bad. In a year or so, the road and the new
tunnel ought to be complete and the journey should only
be about 3 hours long.
Next we went to visit the ruins the Chavín left. The
site consists of a number of large ceremonial buildings
with a large perfectly square (as measured with lasers)
pool in the center. The Chavín had engineered a river to
flow into this square through a system of tunnels/canals
then out into another river.
LAGUNAS
DE LLANGANUCO
These are the famous lagoons you will see on postcard of
Huaraz or in any tourist guide. These beautiful lagoons,
with their spectacular pale colours are a for everyone,
trekker or not. A bus from Huaraz takes a few hours and
is often combine with a visit to Yungay, Carhuaz and
Caraz.
YUNGAY
Yungay was a bustling town that is no more. In an
earthquake in 1970 it was completly buried by a
landslide from the massive Huascaran mountain. Thousands
of tons of rock, ice and mud killed around 20,000
inhabitants.
The town is now a graveyard and monument, still towered
over by the biggest mountain in Peru.
CORDILLERA BLANCA
The "Cordillera Blanca” is
a group of glaciers located in the central part of
Ancash, department of Perú, originate in the glacier
Tuco and finish in the glacier Champará, These
equatorial glaciers are the highest in the world also it
have the best climate in the world. Have a totality of
663 glacier approximately, 33 of it above six thousand
meters over sea level, its conformation allow the
formation of valleys favourable for trekking and
climbing. Almost all the glacier are inside the national
Park Huascarán, protected reserve. Parallel to the
“Cordillera Blanca” and the West, extend the “Cordillera
Negra”, other group of mountains but without glacier,
its maximum altitude is 5187 meters over sea level,
these mountains protect somewhat to the "Cordillera
Blanca" of the wind from the coast. Between "Cordillera
Blanca" and "Cordillera Negra" is the Callejón de
Huaylas, valley for where runs a diversity of little
towns, the capital of them is Huaraz to 3100 meters over
the sea level, considerate the “Chamonix” of South
American, because have good condition for the
organization of the expeditions for climber and tourists
who want to visit the Callejón de Huaylas, and the
Cordillera Blanca. The Callejón de Huaylas have a
extension of 180 K.m.. The river “Santa” (holy) runs all
the extension of "Cordillera Blanca". The “Santa” river,
born in the Conococha lake and empties in the Ocean
Pacific. The dry season is from Jun to August,
favourable for climb the big glaciers from over six
thousand meters over sea level.
CORDILLERA HUAYHUASH
Have dozen peaks. Is one
of the most spectaculars treks perhaps in the world. The
Cordillera Huayhuash is located only 50 kilometres South
of the Cordillera Blanca and 200 kilometres North of
Lima. The whole trail takes ten or nine days to complete
it and crosses four passes over 4700 meters in a
distance of 150 kilometres of walking. Relatively far
away from any major urban area the region remains almost
wild.
The Cordillera Blanca and
Huayhuas is perhaps the natural place with the most
beautiful landscape in the world.
CALLEJON DE HUAYLAS
Denomination for the
valley that runs between Cordillera Blanca and
Cordillera Negra, it have many towns with traditions
and Andean customs, the principal cities are: Recuay,
Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay and Caraz. Is a beautiful
valley, because since it is possible appreciate many
glacier of Cordillera Blanca, like Huascarán, the
highest in Perú, Huandoy, Copa and others. The Callejón
de Huaylas is the valley through which will be possible
access to the different routs of trek and climb, also is
nice travel through it by car enjoying its beautiful
landscape and its picturesque cities, people and towns.
Its principal activity is the agricultural and
livestock, so that throughout its tour will be seen many
fields in colourful contrast to the mountains.
CALLEJON DE CONCHUCOS
Is the valley, back of the
Cordillera Blanca, parallel to the Callejón de Huaylas
with variety of traditions and customs also. The
distance of Lima and the conditions of the routs Has
generated a slight isolation making strong a identity
with a peculiar folklore and traditions. Also from
Callejón from Conchucos will be possible have other view
from the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca and other
type of landscapes. The cities inside it are: Chavín,
San Marcos, Huari, San Luis, Chacas, Yanama, and
Pomabamba.
NATIONAL PARK HUASCARAN
The Huascarán National
Park is an area of indirect use to conserve and protect
the most extensive tropical ridge in the world: the
Cordillera Blanca. It also possesses a great wealth in
terms of flora, fauna and geological formations, which
give the area a unique scenic beauty.
There are 663 glaciers,
296 gaps and 44 rivers distributed throughout its
territory, and with a variety of plant and animal
species, some of which are in danger of extinction, as
is the case with 'Puya Raimondi' and the Bear glasses.
This means that this area will become an important sign
of the country's natural biodiversity.
Similarly, there are
within this protected area, archaeological monuments of
a great historical and cultural value.
The region where is
located the National Park Huascarán, has suffered
several disasters associated with the fragility of the
young geologic formations of the Cordillera Blanca, as
the flood of 1936, which destroyed part of the city of
Huaraz and the earthquake of 1970, which claimed the
lives more than 70000 people. These events have marked
the history around the Callejón de Huaylas.
On 1 July 1975, by Supreme
Decree 0622-75-AG, creating the National Park Huascarán
on an area of 340,000 hectares. Then, on 1 March 1977,
UNESCO recognized as a Biosphere Reserve, and in
December 1985 it declared World Heritage Site.
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