Cordillera Blanca - Part 3 - Huascaran and Cañón del Pato

Finally feeling much better I decided I needed to get on the bike and explore the Cordillera Blanca, so after breakfast headed Northwards, running alongside the magnificent Cordillera Blanca with all the snow-capped peaks. The scenery was stunning, without a doubt some of the best countryside I have ever travelled through.

I stopped alongside the airport and took this amazing shot. Despite the snowy peaks the temperature here was pleasant

Over the airport fence

Huascaran the tallest peak in the Peruvian Andes at 6768 metres (22204 feet!)

Along this road was Canon del Pato, reputed to be one of the most dangerous roads in the world, and I decided to see for myself, so continued along the Cordillera, eventually reaching lower peaks with no snow.

Agriculture in the river valley

Farms lining the riverbanks

Panorama

Hydroelectric plant along the river

More of the hydroelectric plant

I eventually reached the start of the Cañón del Pato, and gingerly started along it - though very aware that I would have to return along it to get back to Huaraz for the night.

From a distance it looked pretty harmless

Warning sign at the beginning that it is now a dirt road

Steep drop to Rio Santa

... with evidence of erosion

The road was only wide enough for one vehicle at a time, but there were pull-off places

The first of the 35 one-way tunnels

The tunnels were pretty scary on two wheels - no room to pass, going from bright sunlight into total darkness, despite the headlight, and nowhere to go if something approached from the other side

The road surface was made up of tiny pebbles, like pea shingle, and despite the dirt tyres my bike was skittering about a little 

Looking back the way I had come, showing the steep sides of the canyon

... and the road ahead!

Wooden single track bridge near the start of the Cañón del Pato

After a couple of kilometers I decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and that I should turn back. The road surface was "slippery", the road itself very narrow, the tunnels scary, and I had already met a few vehicles coming towards me, and if I did make it I would have 15 kms back along it (or a much longer detour along dirt roads) to get back. At least I get to brag that I have been on one of "the world's most dangerous roads"!
Retracing my steps back along the main road I was now looking for somewhere to have a bite to eat and found a bakery in Yungay, where I had a pasty and a pastry, and consulted my map. The young lady in the bakery was fascinated by this Gringo biking alone in a remote part of Peru, and was interested in where I was from, and what led me to being in Peru - so I passed my meal chatting with her until customers arrived.
I had read about a mountain lake at the base of Huascaran, Peru's tallest peak, so decided to head for there, and was, in fact, very close to the start of the road - another dirt road! But with the glorious sight of Huascaran in front of me the road was immaterial.

Some of the peaks in the Cordillera range

Huascaran in front of me

I was heading for a lake at the base of the left mountain

I was following a car up the winding dirt road and so as not to eat his dust (I was quicker on the twisty bits but not on the straight ones!) I fell back and stopped to take pictures - this of a farm on the foothills of Huascaran.

Coming round one of the corners I spotted an avalanche on the slopes of Huascaran, but despite a quick stop to grab my camera missed most of it!

All that remained of the avalanche was what looked like smoke at the lower edge of the snow

Climbing higher the vegetation thinned out, but there were still signs of agriculture

At times here you do feel as though you are on top of the world

The approach to the lakes passed through this steep-sided pass

Hard to tell, but I believe the cliffs to be around 2000 metres high!

I finally arrived at Laguna de Llanganuco, some 3850 metres above sea level (12600 feet)

The lake is fed by meltwater from the snowy peaks surrounding it, and it was pretty chilly and windy at that altitude!

Boat trips across the crystal waters are popular 

Huascaran towering over the surrounding area

Lonely llama - I think he was there for selfies with the visitors - there were a couple of busloads there while I was visiting

Incredible beauty

Tourist centre - with toilets and places to eat

Peeling bark on a mountain tree

Some of the boats were being painted

Llanganuco is one of a chain of lakes running between the mountains

Although there were other people about it felt as though I had the place to myself

Spectacular - and so tranquil

The surrounding mountainsides looked forbidding

Llama foraging

Another of the tall peaks

Idyllic scene

Lovely place for a selfie, so ...

... rare picture of me!

Huascaran

On the way back - the deep pass we had to go through

The view to the West of the Cordillera

Oli - dwarfed by the mountains

Huashao - small town in the shadow of Huascaran

imagine waking to that every morning!

Looking along the Cordillera Blanca

Coloured sweetcorn drying in the sun

I had to keep stopping to take in the beauty of this area

Looking back down towards Yungay

On May 31, 1970, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Ancash province, Peru, and caused devastation to the town of Yungay. A portion of Huascaran sheered off and the resulting avalanche, which reached speeds of over 320 kph (200 mph), buried the town of Yungay, killing over 20,000 people - the few survivors happened to be at higher ground near the cemetery. The old town was declared a national cemetery and excavation there has been forbidden - with the new town of Yungay being built some 2 kms to the North. 

Campo Santo, Yungay, memorial to the 20,000 killed in the 1970 earthquake.

After possibly one of the best days riding/sightseeing ever (at least on a par with my trip through the Maranon Canyon between Cajamarca and Chachapoyas!) I headed back to Huaraz, though not totally without incident - on a gentle bend the back of my bike stepped out quite seriously, though I managed to retain control, making me wonder if my tyres had finally had enough, but as I had a long ride back in two days it did worry me slightly. The tyres looked to still have plenty of life in them, so I assumed it had just been something on the road surface.
Arriving at the hostel I asked for the keys to take my bike to the secure parking at the rear, but was convinced that it was easier (for them, maybe?) to take it inside the hostel - which meant using a makeshift ramp to get it over the small retaining wall at the kerbside, and manhandling it - with three members of staff assisting - through the front door and into a small courtyard at the rear. We then had to go to the parking anyway to collect my detachable panniers and bring them round as well.