CORDILLERA HUAYHUASH

50 km southwest of the Cordillera Blanca, the Huayhuash mountain range stretches 30 km from north to south. Its 7 peaks above 5,500 m and 7 others above 6,000 m are all as angular as each other. Its highest peak, Yerupajá, reaches 6,634 m, second only to Huascarán among Peruvian peaks. The landscape on which this mountain range stands out is very different from that of the White Mountain Range, characterized by its deep and narrow canyons. Here, we are in wide open spaces with, to the east, small rocky ridges 600 m high and overlooking the valley visited by herds of vicuñas. At the foot of the Cordillera peaks, there are beautiful turquoise lakes where you can stock up on trout. Huayhuash represents an excellent example of the ecosystem of the high Andes. The fauna and flora are similar to those of the Cordillera Blanca, although less disturbed, and therefore wilder, and concentrated in smaller areas. The lakes are home to many birds, both sedentary and migratory, and the forests in the western part are home to rare and endangered species. With a guide and donkeys, you can trek for a minimum of 9 days and, if your time is not too limited, cover the 160 to 190 km of the magnificent circuit around the Cordillera, all of which naturally requires a very good physical condition. This trek is considered by some, after the Himalayas, as the^second most beautiful in the world.