The Qhapaq Ñan, the royal road of the Incas, linked an empire that stretched from what is now Colombia to Chile and Argentina, and in the highlands of Huánuco in central Peru one of its best-preserved stretches runs across the high puna between Tambo Chico and Taparaku.
This section of the Inca road is part of the main highland route that ran from Cusco north to Quito, and it is famous for the quality of its construction: stone paving, retaining walls, drainage channels, steps on steep slopes and stone causeways across marshy ground. Every so often along the road stood tambos, way stations where runners, soldiers and officials could rest and find supplies. Not far away, near La Unión, lies Huánuco Pampa, also called Huánuco Viejo, one of the largest Inca administrative centres, with a vast plaza and a ceremonial platform. The road network was inscribed by UNESCO in 2014 as a transnational site shared by six countries.
Riding here is a high-altitude adventure. The roads into this area are mostly unpaved, with gravel, dust, mud after rain and some steep, rocky sections, and they climb to well over three thousand five hundred metres. Altitude affects riders and bikes alike: take time to acclimatise in the lower valleys, drink plenty of water and be alert to headaches and breathlessness. Engines lose power and fuel injection may struggle. The wet season, roughly from December to March, makes the tracks slippery and can cut off roads entirely; the dry winter months, from May to September, bring clear skies, cold nights and the best conditions.
Fuel is scarce. La Unión, about twenty kilometres away, and Llata are small towns with limited facilities, and fuel there may come from small stations or drums; fill up wherever you can and carry a reserve. Bring warm clothes, rain gear and some food, as there is little along the way.
The people of these highlands are mostly Quechua-speaking farmers and herders, and you will pass llamas, sheep and potato fields on the slopes. Greet them, ask before taking photographs, and enjoy a bowl of hot soup in a village eatery. Walking even a short way along the Inca road, on stones laid more than five hundred years ago, is a quiet thrill.