The Llanganuco lakes, Chinancocha and Orconcocha, lie in a steep glacial valley in Huascarán National Park at about 3,850 metres, and their colour, a deep, shining turquoise, is one of the great sights of the Peruvian Andes. Sheer walls of granite and ice rise on all sides, with the twin peaks of Huascarán, the highest mountain in Peru, to the south and the pyramid of Pisco and the massive Huandoy to the north. The names come from Quechua, and they are often explained as the female and male lakes, with Chinancocha the lower and more tranquil of the pair.
The road from Yungay, about thirteen kilometres to the west, is a classic. It leaves the valley floor and climbs steadily up a narrow gorge, then begins a series of hairpins that carry the track past the lakes and up toward the high pass above. The surface is gravel, narrow and rough, with loose stones, washboard and sheer drops in places, so ride slowly and give way to buses and trucks. Fog and rain can come in quickly, and the road can be badly damaged in the wet season. The dry months from May to September are the most reliable, and mornings are usually the clearest.
You must pay a fee at the park entrance, and the rangers will tell you about any restrictions. Altitude is again a factor, so give yourself time to adjust if you have come up quickly from the coast, and avoid exertion on arrival. A few stalls near the lakes sell hot drinks and snacks in the high season.
The scenery draws walkers and climbers from all over the world, and the lakes are the starting point for several treks. Vegetation here includes the polylepis, a tree whose red, papery bark is among the highest-growing in the world, and the forests that survive on the slopes shelter hummingbirds and Andean birds. In the evening, when the wind drops and the light turns gold, the lakes seem to glow from within. It is a remarkable place to pause on a ride through the high Andes.