Travel Guide Callejón De Huaylas

The Callejón, a high Andean valley between 2,300 and 3,200 m and 180 km long, at the bottom of which flows the Santa River , is nestled between the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra. The former, protected from the hot winds by its counterpart, has no less than 35 snow-capped peaks, including the Huascarán, which, at 6,768 m, is the third highest peak on the continent. The valley enjoys all the Andean climates and landscapes: paramo, puna and terraced crops. At the foot of the giants of ice are spread out lakes among the most beautiful of Peru. The Callejón is closed in the south by Recuay and in the north by Caraz. After this city, the road plunges in vertiginous laces along the Cañon del Pato, 1 000 m deep, before following the Santa river by impressive gorges until Chimbote. This valley, where the Parque Nacional Huascarán is located, inscribed in the list of the natural heritage of the humanity of UNESCO since 1985, is the rallying point of the andinists of the whole world. Among the mountain flora, the incredible puya Raimondi stands out, a species of cactus with a straight trunk that bears about 10,000 flowers and measures between 8 and 12 meters, and the quenual, a tree that lives above 3,000 meters and whose red, flaky bark peels off. In the valley there are a few lodges, ideal starting points for hiking and with a more attractive environment than in the city of Huaraz itself.Today, these cities will seduce the visitor by their landscapes and their population with majority indigenous: the costumes of the women are colorful and the straw hats are more common than the felts. The people speak Quechua at 60% and are naturally calmer than in the big cities of the coast. The Callejón has archaeological sites of great interest bequeathed by the Chancay and Chavín cultures, the most remarkable being that of Chavín de Huántar.The Callejón de Huaylas can be reached by road from Lima, 400 km in about 8 hours. Another way of access, via Chimbote, one winds 50 m above the impetuous Santa river, between the gaunt cliffs, where the ruins of the coal mines remain. The rock reflects the burning rays and the cactus mark the route. At Huallanca, with its hydroelectric power plant, begins the Cañon del Pato, a steep climb grazing the precipice, pierced by 30 tunnels. Choose the seats on the right, in the direction Caraz-Chimbote, on the left in the other direction. Thrills guaranteed!