East of the Cordillera Blanca, the Andes break into a jumble of high plateaus and deep valleys draining toward the Marañón and the Amazon, and the Inca road ran through this country on its way from Cusco to Quito. The Ayash to Taulli segment is a stretch of the Qhapaq Ñan in the highlands of Huánuco, near the town of Llata, part of the UNESCO-listed Andean road system. It runs through the puna, the high grassland above the tree line, where the wind blows cold and the views stretch for miles over ridges and valleys. In places, the original road survives, with stone paving, retaining walls, steps and drainage channels, and walking a section of it is the best way to understand how the Incas moved people and goods across this vertical landscape.
Not far to the south lies Huánuco Pampa, one of the most important Inca administrative centres, a huge plaza with a ceremonial platform, storehouses and palaces on a high plain near La Unión. It was a stop on the main road, and its ruins are among the most impressive in the central Andes, though few tourists make it there.
Riding in this region is for the adventurous. Roads are mostly unpaved, with steep climbs, hairpins, landslides and river crossings, and altitudes regularly exceed four thousand metres. Distances are long and services few, so careful planning is essential. The rainy season, from November to April, can make roads impassable, so the dry season is the time to come. Weather can change quickly, with sun, hail and snow in the same day, and nights are freezing.
Llata, about twenty-seven kilometres away, is a small provincial capital with basic services, and fuel may be available, though perhaps not always of the highest quality. La Unión, near Huánuco Pampa, is another option, and Huánuco city, much further east and lower down, has full services. Carry extra fuel, food, water, warm clothing and repair tools, and be prepared to rely on the hospitality of local people, who are generally friendly and helpful. The local food is simple but nourishing: soups, potatoes, cheese and roasted guinea pig.