Huaraz sits at about three thousand metres in the Callejon de Huaylas, a long, high valley between the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra in the Peruvian Andes. The Cordillera Blanca rises along the east side, white with glaciers, and holds the highest tropical mountains in the world, including Huascaran, which at 6,768 metres is the highest peak in Peru. On a clear morning the whole range shows over the roofs of the town, an almost unreal wall of ice. Huaraz was largely destroyed in the great earthquake of 1970, which killed tens of thousands across the region and buried the nearby town of Yungay under an avalanche from Huascaran. The modern town is mostly new, a busy, practical place for trekkers and climbers.
A circuit around Huascaran is one of the great high-altitude rides. Roads from Huaraz run north along the valley, past Carhuaz and Yungay, then climb to the Llanganuco lakes, where emerald water lies under the glaciers, and over the high pass of Portachuelo, at about 4,700 metres, toward the eastern side of the range. Roads are mostly paved in the valley, but side roads are steep and rough. Altitude is the real adversary: the air is thin, the bike loses power, and a rider can feel dizzy or headachy. Take a day or two to acclimatise in Huaraz before climbing high, drink water, and go slowly.
The weather follows a clear pattern. The dry season, from May to September, brings sunny days and cold nights, and it is the best time for riding and trekking. The wet season, from December to March, brings rain, snow on the passes and cloud that hides the peaks. Temperatures drop fast after sunset, and frost is common on the high roads.
Huaraz is the place to stock up. It has fuel, a large market, plenty of restaurants and guesthouses, and shops that rent gear. Carhuaz, thirty kilometres north, is a smaller town with basic supplies, and beyond it services thin out. Local food runs to trout from the lakes, roasted guinea pig, and a hearty soup called caldo de gallina. The pachamanca, a meal of meat and potatoes cooked in a pit with hot stones, is a regional speciality. Coca tea is offered everywhere, and many find it helps with the altitude.