CORDILLERA BLANCA

The Cordillera Blanca is an incredible destination for trekking and climbing tours in Peru. It has abundant native flora and fauna, is culturally rich, has fascinating ruins of several pre-Inca cultures, and preserves some remnants of Inca infrastructure as well.

 

The Cordillera Blanca range, located in the north of Peru, has a tremendous concentration of 6000m peaks. The mountains run roughly north to south and are easily accessible from the Callejon de Huaylas (Huaylas Valley), which lies to their west.

 

In 1975, the Cordillera Blanca or Yurak Janka (in the Quechua language), “The highest tropical mountain range in the world”, was declared Huascaran National Park. In 1977 and 1985 UNESCO declared this protected area as “Biosphere Reserve” and “Natural Heritage” respectively.

 

Between the dramatic peaks of the Cordillera Blanca the valleys are dotted with stunning turquoise glacial lakes. Most treks follow these valleys, which run west to east through the mountains. Among these mountains and valleys is where most of the adventure travel and tours in the Peruvian Andes and in the Cordillera de los Andes in South America take place; activities like: trekking, hiking, mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking, horse riding and others.

 

Cordillera Blanca "The White Mountain Range", is part of the Peruvian Andes, and is the highest tropical mountain range on the planet. Huascaran (6768m / 22 205 ft), the world’s highest tropical mountain, and Alpamayo (5947m / 19 511ft), voted the world’s most beautiful mountain, are both located in the Cordillera Blanca.This mountain range stretches 180 Km running in a generally north-south direction and measures 28 Km at its widest point. In the Cordillera Blanca there are dozens of peaks higher than 6000m (19,685 ft), and many dozens of snowy peaks higher than 5700m (18,701ft). Among the best known peaks:

 

Huascaran (6768m / 22 205ft)

Alpamayo (5947m / 19 511ft)

Huandoy and its four peaks

(6395 / 20981 ft, 6356m / 20 853 ft, 6166m / 20230 ft and 6070m / 19914 ft)

Chacraraju and its two peaks (6112m / 20 052 ft and 6001m / 9688 )

Artesonraju (6025m / 19 767 m)

Taulliraju (5850m / 19 193ft)

 

All the mountains mentioned above can be seen while walking the Santa Cruz - Llanganuco trekking tour. In the central part of the Cordillera Blanca can be found mounts such as: Taulliraju (6034m /19 797 ft) Chinchey (6222m / 20 413 ft) Palcaraju (6274m / 20 583 ft) Cayesh (5721m / 18 769 ft) Huantsán (6395m / 20 981 ft).This abundance of snow covered peaks feeds the rivers and streams that water the valleys known as the Callejon de Huaylas and the Callejon de Conchucos, which are located on the west and east side of the mountain range respectively. The Cordillera Blanca also has great biodiversity, with 112 registered species of birds including residents and migratorials. There also have been recorded 779 species of plants belonging to 104 families and 304 genuses. Without a doubt the name “Cordillera Blanca” is synonymous with beauty.