Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The following day the trail drops gently to
Laguna Susucocha
(4750m) shortly before
a junction (4400m) with Quebrada Angocancha. The trail skirts boggy meadows and
climbs into rock and scree before reaching
Punta Yaucha
(4840m), offering wonderful
views of the range's major peaks, including Yerupajá, to the east and many of the minor
glaciated high points to the southeast. Go fossil hunting for imprints of ammonites and
other creatures that once dwelled under the sea - and imagine the Andes relegated to the
ocean's bottom.
The last day is short, with an early arrival in Llamac, from where transport to Chiquián
and on to Huaraz can be arranged in the middle of the day.
Trekkers should be prepared for aggressively territorial dogs along the way; bending
down to pick up a rock usually keeps them off - though refrain from throwing it unless
you absolutely must.
For information on getting to Chiquián or Llamac for the trailhead,
Click here
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FAST FACTS: CORDILLERA HUAYHUASH
Duration: 10 days
Distance: 115km
Difficulty: Demanding
Start/finish: Llamac
Nearest towns: Chiquián, Llamac and Cajatambo
Cordillera Negra
The poor little Cordillera Negra lives literally in the shadows of its big brother range, the
Cordillera Blanca, whose towering glaciated peaks to the east block the morning sun and
loom dramatically over everything around them. The 'Black Range,' which gets its name
from its obvious contrast to the more beautiful 'White Range,' will probably always look
a bit dressed down - with its arid, mud-brown, merely hilly silhouette - against the Cor-
dillera Blanca's stunning icy and craggy profile. Still, the Negra has an important role to
play in the area's ecology as it blocks warm Pacific winds from hitting the Blanca's glaci-
