Abra La Viuda is a high mountain pass in the Western Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes, and its name, the Widow's Pass, carries a sombre note that suits the scenery. The ground here is a pale, windswept grassland of ichu, the tough bunchgrass of the high Andes, with small lakes tucked in hollows and the glaciated peaks of the cordillera rising nearby. At this height, well above the tree line and above four thousand metres, the air is thin and cold, and clouds boil up over the ridges with the afternoon heat.
The road from Canta climbs steadily for hours, passing through terraced fields and villages, then rising onto the plateau. The surface is a mixture of paved and gravel, with sections that vary from smooth to badly damaged by landslides, and the bends are tight on the ascent. Riders feel the altitude in several ways: the engine loses power, the brakes need more attention on long descents and the body tires quickly. Hail, snow and mist can arrive in an instant, even in the dry season, and temperatures fall below freezing at night. Between May and September, mornings are usually clear.
Morococha, a mining town of about eight thousand people, lies nearly thirty-eight kilometres away, and it is the next place with services, though conditions there are basic. Altitude sickness is a real risk, so ascend gradually, drink water and rest if you feel dizzy or nauseous. Do not linger if you are unwell.
The pass is wildlife country, with vicuñas grazing on the slopes, condors riding the thermals and Andean geese on the small lakes. Tiny alpine flowers carpet the ground in the wet season, and the light, when the clouds break, is of a startling clarity that makes distant peaks look close enough to touch. A stop at the highest point, with the wind rattling the grass and the silence beyond it, gives a sense of how high you have come from the Pacific coast.