Five hundred years ago a runner could have passed this spot carrying a knotted quipu or a message for the governor in Huánuco Pampa, handing it on at the next post in a relay that crossed the Andes faster than a horse. This short stretch, catalogued as segment QÑ-HH-051 near Inca Misana, is a fragment of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road system that linked an empire from southern Colombia to central Chile. The whole network was listed by UNESCO in 2014 across six countries, and what you find on the ground here in Ancash is often modest: a line of stone paving, a retaining wall, a set of steps cut into a slope, running across high grassland with the mountains standing all around.
The setting is the Callejón de Conchucos, the long valley system on the eastern side of the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain range in the world. The town of Yauya lies about twelve kilometres away, and Pomabamba, with its hot springs, further north. This is a land of small farms, terraced fields of potatoes and maize, eucalyptus groves and adobe villages, with Quechua the everyday language for many people. The altitude here is well above three thousand metres, and the air is thin and clear.
Riding in the Conchucos is an adventure in the full sense. Some main roads have been paved in recent years, but many routes are still gravel or dirt, with steep climbs, long drops, hairpins without barriers, landslides in the rainy season and sudden encounters with livestock, trucks and buses. Crossing from the Callejón de Huaylas over the Cordillera Blanca, through passes over four thousand metres, gives some of the most spectacular views in South America, of glaciers, turquoise lakes and peaks over six thousand metres.
Plan carefully. Fuel is available in the larger towns, but quality varies, and pumps can run dry, so carry spare fuel. The thin air reduces engine power and affects riders too, so acclimatise for a few days in Huaraz or a similar town before tackling the high passes. The dry season, from May to September, is the best time to ride. Take warm clothes, as nights are cold, and be ready to ask for help: people in the valleys are generally welcoming.