The Qhapaq Ñan, the great road network of the Inca Empire, ran for thousands of kilometres along the Andes, linking the capital Cusco with the far corners of an empire that stretched from Colombia to Chile. In the department of Huánuco, in central Peru, one of its best preserved sections crosses the high puna between the administrative centre of Huánuco Pampa and the valleys to the north, and the segment between Taparaku and the Tambo de Llata is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2014.
The road was built with remarkable engineering: stone paving, retaining walls, drainage channels and stairways that carried it over mountains and across valleys. Along the way, tambos, rest houses and storage centres, provided food and shelter for officials, soldiers and messengers, the chasquis who ran in relays to carry messages across the empire. Huánuco Pampa, near the town of La Unión, was one of the largest Inca administrative centres, with a huge central plaza and an ushnu, a ceremonial platform.
Riding in this part of the Andes is an adventure. The roads are often unpaved, rough and dusty in the dry season and muddy in the rainy season, from December to March. Altitudes are high, often over 3,500 metres, which affects both riders and engines. The landscape is vast and empty, with grasslands, lakes and snow-capped peaks, and villages are few and far between. Distances that look short on a map can take hours. Plan carefully, carry spare fuel, water and food, and be prepared for sudden changes in weather, including cold nights and afternoon storms.
La Unión and Llata, both about thirty kilometres away, are small towns with basic services, though fuel may be limited and of variable quality. Local people are generally friendly and helpful, and speaking some Spanish helps. Food in the highlands is simple but nourishing: soups, potatoes in countless varieties and cuy, roasted guinea pig, a traditional Andean dish. Walking a section of the Inca road, with the paving stones still in place after five centuries, is a powerful experience.