The Cordillera Blanca is the highest tropical mountain range on earth, and Huascarán National Park protects most of it: dozens of peaks over six thousand metres, hundreds of glaciers and glacial lakes, and high valleys of grass and rock. Huascarán itself, at 6,768 metres, is the highest mountain in Peru, a twin-summited giant of ice and snow that dominates the Callejón de Huaylas, the long valley of the Santa river below. The park was listed by UNESCO in 1985, and it is one of the great mountain landscapes of the world.
The mountains have a terrible side. In 1970, an earthquake triggered an avalanche of ice and rock from Huascarán that buried the town of Yungay, killing thousands of people in minutes. The site of the old town is now a memorial park, with the tops of palm trees from the main square still visible above the debris. Nearby, the Llanganuco lakes, two turquoise lagoons in a deep valley beneath Huascarán, are among the most beautiful places in the park.
Riding here is an unforgettable experience, but a demanding one. The road from Huaraz north through the Callejón de Huaylas is paved and busy, with views of the snowy peaks on one side and the Cordillera Negra on the other. The roads into the park climb to extreme altitudes: the road from Carhuaz through the Punta Olímpica tunnel to Chacas, on the eastern side, climbs well above four thousand metres in a series of hairpins with glaciers right above you, and the road to the Llanganuco lakes continues over a high pass on a dirt surface. Altitude sickness is a real risk, so acclimatise in Huaraz for a few days before going higher. The dry season, from May to September, is the best time to visit.
Huaraz, about twenty-five kilometres away, is the main base, with fuel, shops, hotels, restaurants and mountain guides. Carhuaz is a smaller town with fuel and a famous ice cream shop. Local food includes trout, potatoes in endless varieties and pachamanca, meat and vegetables cooked underground on hot stones. There is a park entrance fee for some areas. Carry warm clothing, sun protection and plenty of water, as conditions change rapidly in the mountains.