The Inca road network, the Qhapaq Ñan, once linked an empire stretching from Colombia to Chile, and this segment, between Canrash and Torrepampa, runs through the high valleys of the Conchucos region in Ancash, east of the Cordillera Blanca. The Inca road here was a stone-paved trail, with steps, retaining walls and drainage channels, built for runners, soldiers and llama caravans rather than wheels. Much of it survives, winding along hillsides above the river valleys, and it is part of the transnational World Heritage listing for the Andean road system.
The landscape is spectacular and remote: steep, terraced hillsides, small villages of adobe houses, fields of potatoes and maize, and the snowy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca rising to the west. Yauya and Pomabamba are the nearest towns, both small and friendly, with Quechua spoken alongside Spanish. Local markets sell potatoes in dozens of varieties, cheese, and textiles, and the people still farm the land much as their ancestors did, with terraces, irrigation channels and communal work.
Riding here is an adventure. The roads in the Conchucos valleys are a mix of paved and unpaved, often narrow, with steep drops, tight bends and loose surfaces, and they are frequently affected by landslides in the rainy season from December to March. The altitude is considerable, with high passes and towns between 3,000 and 4,000 metres, so acclimatisation is essential. Traffic is light, mostly local buses, trucks and the occasional car, and the views are stunning. The dry season, from May to September, is the time to come.
Fuel is scarce, available in Pomabamba and a few other towns, sometimes only from drums, so carry extra and fill up whenever you can. Food is simple: soups, rice, potatoes and guinea pig on special occasions. Accommodation is basic in the small towns. Carry water, warm clothing and spare parts, and be prepared for slow, demanding riding through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the Andes.