The Huaylas Pass in Peru

The Pass of Huaylas is a narrow valley stretch in the Andes mountain range, within the department of Huaraz. Throughout most of trajectory as you pass through this valley stretch, it’s possible to see the gleaming white snowy peaks of the mountains, the Santa River passing by, as well as country landscapes and greenery that expose nature at its best, and will surely dazzle anyone who visits.

This valley is surrounded by the Negra and Blanca (Black and White) mountain range. It’s possible to tell them apart, because White Mountain has snowy peaks such as the well known Pastoruri, located in the Huascaran  Park; while on the Black Mountain there is never any presence of snow.

Thanks to the geographical characteristics of this area in Peru, de Pass of Huaylas is an excellent venue to try out (if you’re a beginner) or to continue practicing (if you’re a seasoned sportsman) adventure sports such as: mountain climbing, trekking, boating, scaling and mountain biking among so many other options. All of these offer an experience full of adrenaline, fun and entertainment!

A Few Nearby Towns

Using the natural course of the Rio Santa  as a reference, we found several towns and villages that are near it, and that offer great experiences due to the simple fact that their traditions and way of life are quite distant from that of the noise and stress that you may find in the city. Some of these towns are: Recuay, Huaraz (which is the capital of the Ancash region), Carhuaz, Yungay and Caraz.

Recuay: Is the first town of the valley. The architecture here has the colonial style of old, grand houses along with more simple structures with clay and tile roofs intermixed throughout. Here you’re able to find the mineral and thermal waters of Conococha , Ucuschaca, Pachacoto, Pumapampa, Burgos and Utuco. That’s not all, Querococha and Conococha lakes are both here as well.

Huaraz: Huaraz is the most important city in the Huaylas Pass and is also the capital of Ancash. This city is the starting point for all the excursions that are offered and that cover the whole of the Huaylas Pass.

Carhuaz: The name of this town comes from the words “cca huash” meaning “yellow.” Yellow, because of the bright yellow color of the flowers that bloom on the broom plants that cover the adjacent mountains. Architecturally, the homes here have maintained a Colonial and Hispanic style.

Yungay: This town is known for its main attraction – a grand sculpture of Christ with his arms eternally open and outstretched. Yungay is a town which suffered from a landslide of rocks and stones and boulders, resulting from the snow accumulation of Huascaran, in 1970. Nowadays, its a blessed town that commemorates that fateful date.

Caraz: Is a town known for its sweet confections made of fruits, and for being the capital of the Huaylas province. It is a town of narrow streets, that preserves old structures of colonial and republican times alike, which by some miracle or other withstood the sudden seismic attacks of an earthquake on May 30th, 1970. These are only some of the attractions found at the Huaylas Pass. They promise to offer you a mixture of entertainment and adrenaline, along with magical and spectacular local traditions.