Ancash is a land of contrasts: it features two great longitudinal valleys, which combine the mountain characteristics of theCallejón de Huaylas (Alley of Huaylas) with the sylvan ones of theAlto Marañón. Kilometres of sandy beaches and the blue waters of the Pacific. The territory of the coast, high plateaux andAndeanpunas of the department are flat, while the rest of the territory, in the Andes, is very rough. In the west, there are slopes with strong declivity form narrow canyons with abrupt and deserted sides.
The rough territory of the department is crossed by two mountain ranges: on the western side, theCordillera Negra (Spanish for "black mountain range"), which has peaks withoutglaciers, and on the eastern side, theCordillera Blanca ("white mountain range"), which has many peaks covered with snow and ice, such as theHuascarán and theAlpamayo. Between these two mountain ranges, theSanta River flows through the so-calledCallejón de Huaylas. This valley narrows to form theCañón del Pato ("duck canyon"). Also along the Pacific slopes, the Santa River has shaped a wide valley in thepunas which narrows into the Cordillera Negra, where the Cañón del Pato canyon was formed.
The snow-covered peak of Huascarán, the highest peak of Peru and second of the Americas, reaches a height of 6,768 m (22,205 ft; 4.205 mi) and contrasts with the 6,263 m (20,548 ft) deeptrough of Chimbote found in the ocean west of Ancash. Remnants of glaciers created many lakes such asLlanganuco Lakes andLake Parón.
Along the coast of Ancash, from the Fortaleza River to the Santa River, the Pacific exerts great influence. ThePeruvian current and theEl Niño current exert considerable and sometimes tragic effect on local lives and regional economies.
Normally, the Peruvian current, also known as theHumboldt Current, brings cold water and large numbers of fish. With the development of the shoals ofanchoveta, the Ancash ports andcreeks became commercial fishing centers. During the 1950s, the bay of Chimbote was the top fishing port of the world.[3]
However, when warmer waters from the north, such as the current of El Niño, bring catastrophic rains to the coast and sea, the shoals of anchoveta disappear, leaving the fishing fleets plants paralysed, and flooding rivers cause serious damage to the lands and cities. The cycles of these two sea currents that affect Peru are hard to predict.[4]
Further north along the Pan-American highway, numerous islands and islets dot the sea near the coast. Most are home only toguanoseabirds. From south to north, the most important islands includeTortuga Island (Turtle Island),La Viuda Island (The Widow Island),Isla Blanca (White Island) andSanta Island (Holy Island).
The coastal region of Peru includes manypeninsulas,creeks, warm bays and sand beaches, full of colour. Because of the lack of roads and difficult terrain, many of these are inaccessible by land. The most important beaches includeGrande Beach,La Gramita Beach andLas Salinas Beach.
Much of this coast is a monotonous stretch of huge sand deserts, a common denominator in all Peruvian coastal regions because of the influence of theHumboldt Current.
Of these rivers, the only one with water year-round is the Santa River. Its sources are the glaciers and lakes of the Cordillera Blanca. The other rivers, as with most rivers of the Peruvian coast, are intermittent, depending on the highland rains or the advance of El Niño.
Between 400 and 600 BC, the first Peruvian civilization, known asChavín, originated and flourished in this zone. The importance of this culture lies not only in its antiquity but in the history and culture it shares with other cultures along theAndean andAmazonian territories. As archaeologistJulio C. Tello put it, "Chavín was the mother of all the cultures that later bloomed in the old Peru."[citation needed] The nameChavín comes from the Quechua wordChawpin, which translates ascenter orheadquarters. Tello believed that people came from theAmazonas, scaled the Andes, and developed the Chavín culture.
During theInca age, the population of the Santa valley was assimilated into the Inca empire byPachacuti.[citation needed]
The first Spaniards came to Huaylas attracted by the fame of thesilver veins of the department. In time, the Spanish destroyed the Inca cities. It was during this time thatJerónimo de Alvarado founded the city of Huaraz. Though in theColonial Age this city held little importance and its artistic and cultural life did not have much relevance, it became the headquarters forSimón Bolívar during his campaign to liberate Peru.[citation needed]
The department of Ancash was created following the defeat of the Peru-Bolivia Confederation by the combined forces of the Peruvian restoration army and the Chilean army at the battle of Yungay in 1839.
The1970 Ancash earthquake devastated the department, killing more than 50,000 people and damaging 186,000 houses in one of the deadliest natural disasters in Peru.
Today, most of the Ancash population is concentrated in theCallejón de Huaylas.
Beginning in 2011, the department has been the site of an ongoing anti-mining protest over allegations of water contamination and public versus private rights to the natural resources of the zone. Clashes between protesters, mining company security, and the federal police have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries.
The department is divided into 20 provinces (provincias, singular:provincia), which comprise 166 districts (distritos, singular:distrito). Its capital is Huaraz. The provinces and their capitals are:
The economy of Ancash, the third largest in Peru, is largely made up of gold, copper and zinc mining. Its coast is rich in fishing resources and it is the most productive fishing region of Peru (Peru is the world's largest exporter offish meal). Crops cultivated in Ancash include potatoes, wheat and barley.[citation needed]
According to the2007 Peru Census, the language learnt first by most of the residents wasSpanish (68.34%) followed byQuechua (31.36%). The Quechua variety spoken in Ancash isAncash Quechua. The following table shows the results concerning the language learnt first in the Department of Ancash by province:[5]
Many of thetoponyms of the Department of Ancash originate fromQuechua. In and around theCordillera Blanca, in provinces likeHuaylas andYungay, these names are overwhelmingly predominant. Their Spanish-based orthography, however, is in conflict with the normalized alphabet of the language. According to Article 20 ofDecreto Supremo No 004-2016-MC (Supreme Decree) which approves the Regulations to Law 29735, published in the state-owned newspaperEl Peruano on 22 July 2016, adequate spellings of the toponyms in the normalised alphabets of the indigenous languages must progressively be proposed with the aim of standardizing the namings used by the National Geographic Institute(Instituto Geográfico Nacional, IGN). The National Geographic Institute realizes the necessary changes in the official maps of Peru.[7]
Contrarily to intentions to replace indigenous toponyms by other names likeSanta Cruz orContrahierbas, the Ministry of Culture proposes to the municipalities of the provinces to recover ancient indigenous toponyms and that these names should be spread by the local and communal authorities on posters and other signage.[7]
The geographical centre of Ancash, the Callejón de Huaylas, is an area of intense interest to tourists. This is due to its large variety of natural attractions, its sport and recreational facilities, and the nearby archaeological remains of the ancient cultures that once flourished there. The Cordillera Blanca offers an interesting attraction for tourists visiting Peru. Visitors also come to see the natural beauty of the area's glaciers and valleys and to enjoy the many lakes and thermal fountains.
Ancash is sometimes referred to as the "Switzerland of Peru". There is the four mile high Huascarán, home to theHuascarán National Park. There is also the Alpamayo peak, considered one of the most beautiful in the world.[citation needed]
Among archaeological sites of interest, Ancash has many vestiges of old cultures, including theGuitarrero Cave (10,000 BC), thepre-Columbian ruins ofChavín de Huantar, Hunsakay, Willkawayin, Sechín, andPañamarka are also well-known.
There are a few tours in the Department of Ancash that will let us know the main touristic and historical places of the zone. Among the principal ones are:
The historical villagePativilca (Lima Region), whereSimón Bolívar planned his expedition for the liberation of Peru, lies 202 kilometres (126 mi) north of Lima on the Pan-American Highway. At this point begins the highway that leads to the Callejón de Huaylas. This road is completely paved, although it often had to be repaired because of the extreme damage caused by thehuaycos (flash floods) and the rains. The same problem affects most Peruvian roads, especially the ones in the mountains (Quechua natural region and rainforestRupa-Rupa natural region).
This highway is 287 kilometres (178 mi) long, with an extremely comfortable course, especially in the steep climbing stretches through the Cordillera Negra (Black Range) up to the summit ofConococha, 4,100 metres (13,451 ft) above sea level. From there, the road descends toward the Callejón de Huaylas.
The trip Lima-Huaraz-Caraz of 468 kilometres (254 mi) takes seven hours by car. Modern buses spend eight hours over the same stretch.
East of Pativilca, for about 20 kilometres (12 mi) the highway passes between wide fields planted withsugarcane in extensive fields, parallel to theFortaleza Riverbed.
At the townHuaricanga the road enters the department of Ancash. At this point, the highway begins a slow ascent of the firstspurs of the Cordillera Negra. This stretch continues for about 50 kilometres (31 mi). The climb gets suddenly steeper beyond the townsChasquitambo andChaucayán, with many bends andserpentines.
This mountain range is composed by gigantic summits covered with snow, which are among the most beautiful of the world. The White mountain range is considered the highest tropical mountain range in the world. It borders the Callejón de Huaylas to the east. It has a length of 180 km (110 mi).
It has 35 peaks that are higher than 6,000 m and many other smaller ones, a real symphony of summits with different grades of difficulty in climbing.
This mountain range was called White, not only for its eternal snow but also for the chemical constitution of itsquartz andfeldspar rocks. It has the highest summit in Peru and the fifth one in America afterAconcagua,Ojos del Salado,Bonete andMercedario: Huascarán, whose south peak reaches 6768 msnm. Huascarán's north peak reaches 6655 m.
Alpamayo whose height has been estimated in 5,947 m, has been considered as "the most beautiful snow mountain of the world". This statement was achieved by the distinguished Peruvian mountaineer César Morales Arnao who sent the photo of Alpamayo to the world contest of scenic beauty made in 1966 inMunich, Germany.
The beauty of the Cordillera Blanca is largely determined by the Cordillera Negra because this mountain range softens the winds that come from the Pacific Ocean. The Cordillera Negra, acting as a shield, avoids the thaw of the bigglaciers from the Cordillera Blanca.
The Cordillera Negra has rocky peaks with very little winter snowfall, reaching a maximum height of 5500 m. Its name comes from the comparison with the white snowy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.
TheHuascarán National Park is one of the most outstanding conservation parks in Peru, due to its landscapes that are full of peaks, lakes,canyons, torrents and waterfalls. Inside its borders, it can be observed the wholeCordillera Blanca and seven peaks of more than 6000 m height. They constitute one of the main international focuses for climbers and mountaineers. It was stated as aNational Park on July 1, 1975, with a surface of 340,000 ha and a length of 158 km (98 mi). This National Park includes parts of the following provinces: Recuay, Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay, Huaylas, Pomabamba, Mariscal Luzuriaga, Huari, Corongo, Sihuas and Bolognesi. This park has also been listed as abiosphere reservation and as aWorld Heritage Site byUNESCO.
The park territory is very uneven. It has snowy summits, which altitudes vary between 5000 and 6768MSL. It also hasgullies, that are deeply encased because of thefluvioglacial erosion, and a great number oflagoons. Inside the borders of the park, there are 663glaciers that are distributed throughout 180 km, from theTuku in the south up to theChampara in the north.
Regarding its climate, there are two very well defined seasons: The dry season from April to September becoming worse between the months of June and August and the wet season from October to May whose highest rainfall is between January and March.
The route Casma-Huaraz is not a very highly travelled road. The highway begins with a paved path that arrives up toYaután. Then it quickly begins to ascend through an unpaved path by the sides of the Cordillera Negra, following the course of the Casma River. This route becomes more steep once it arrives toPariacoto. Along the road, there are not important towns at all, except forPira that offers some traveler's services.
This route, extremely steep and narrow, goes between big abysses and gullies. It can be seen small rural districts withchacras (smallholdings) that have been sown withpotatoes,wheat,barley and other food products. It can also be seenlivestock and a lot of human activity.
The gullies of the Cordillera Negra -that goes, simultaneously, with the Cordillera Blanca throughout 150 km- are gloomy and dark. Most of them are dry or theirflow is scarce. From north to south, there are some hills likeRumicruz (5,020 m),Rocarre (5,187 m),Cerro Rico (5,015 m), and Chunta (4,810 m).
The beauty of the Cordillera Blanca is largely determined by the Cordillera Negra because this mountain range soften the winds that come from the Pacific Ocean. The Cordillera Negra acts like a shield and avoids the thaw of the big glaciers that are located in the Cordillera Blanca.
The Cordillera Negra has rocky peaks with very little winter snow, reaching a maximum height of 5,500 m. Its name comes from the comparison with the white snowy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.
Extreme sports in the Callejón de Huaylas and the Huascarán National Park:
Mountaineering: the glaciers of the Cordillera Blanca constitute one of the most important world scenarios for ice climbing. Mountaineering can be practiced the whole year but the weather is best between the months of May and September.
Trekking: the prehispanic paths offer excellent opportunities for trekking during the whole year. On the way, it can be observed varied flora, fauna, impressive snowy mountains, gullies and deep canyons, archaeological sites and several typical villages. There are several routes that last from one day to three weeks.
Camping: it is a pleasant and a relaxing experience to spend the night under the moonlight, having as a unique companion: the stars and someconstellations likeCapricornus,Crux,Centaurus and others. This sport can be practiced at any time of the year.
Canoeing: the Santa River has the technical characteristics and different difficulty grades for practicing river sports as canoeing,kayak and others. For example, there are somerapids betweenAnta andCaraz that are good for those who are just beginning to practice this sport. The lakes Llankanuku andQiruqucha also offer some special characteristic for a boat ride.
Cycling: the cyclists that ride on the highways and roads enjoy the practice of this sport by traveling inside and outside the Huascarán National Park. This sport can be practiced at any time of the year. The north area, nearCaraz, offers the best rides, single tracks and down hill tracks.
Rock climbing: thegranite belt that goes round the glaciers of the Cordillera Blanca constitutes the suitable place for practicing this sport. There are walls from 100 m to 1000 m of height that have many kinds of technical difficulties to get through. There is an odd scenario for this sport calledRocódromo de Monterrey.
Alpine skiing: it consists on slipping from the glaciers. The most favorable ones for practicing this sport are: Pastururi, Copa, Wallqan, Huascarán,Wallunarahu and Perlilla, the latter being recently discovered and promoted by the local government of the Asunción Province, with 6 km (3.7 mi) of moderate and steep slopes where competitions were held soon snowboarding and alpine skiing. These snowcapped mountains are ideal for practicing the slide on snow (also known assiquiesqui) and for making snowmen.
Paragliding –Hang gliding: along the Callejón de Huaylas there are several places that are favourable for the practice of these flight sports. They can be practiced at any time of the year.
FromChimbote toHuallanca, there are approximately 140 km (87 mi). This unpaved and very little travelled highway is a provisional line over theembankment of the old railroad. This railway and several tunnels were destroyed by the catastrophe of 1970.
The highway, outside Chimbote, goes through the wide flat and fertileembankments of the Santa valley and it continuous its course up to Huallanca.
FromChuquicara, the highway becomes narrower. TheChuquicara River is a major right-hand tributary of the Santa River. Its waters are black because they contain abundant coal sediments proceeding from the heights of Pallasca.
From Huallanca, it is possible to travel through the Cañón del Pato. This canyon is one of the many canyons that are along the 370 km (230 mi) of the Santa River. The Santa River has its source in the lake Conococha. This river is the most important river in the coast, because its annual water mass is 6100 million m3. As centuries went by, it has formed a narrow pass of 2000 m of altitude in the Cordillera Negra.
In this place, the waters turn intowhirlpools andrapids before going out from a narrowgorge of 500 m that is called Cañón del Pato (Duck Canyon). This waterfall constitutes the source of hydroelectric energy in the power station of the Cañón del Pato, in Huallanca.
From Huallanca, it is possible to enter the Callejón de Huaylas by the highway that goes to Caraz. It is also a way to enter theCallejón de Conchucos (Conchucos valley).
The Callejón de Conchucos is a beautiful succession of valleys located to the east of the Cordillera Blanca. It is connected by a highway fromCatac toHuallanca.
There are eight provinces of the Ancash Region that cover the Callejón de Conchucos. They are Huari, Asunción, Antonio Raymondi, Mariscal Luzuriaga, Pomabamba, Sihuas, Corongo and Pallasca. This Callejón is located to the east of the Cordillera Blanca, that is to say, to the other side of the Callejón de Huaylas, before theMarañón River.
Thetopography of the soil presents high summits, deep valleys and inhospitablepunas, making it a rough zone, such as most of the highland in Peru.
The northern provinces of Pallasca Province and Corongo Province have their own direct access towards Chimbote and the Callejón de Huaylas. The other provinces have a longitudinal highway of double entry, one from Huari Province and the other one fromHuallanca District and Sihuas Province, joining Pomabamba Province, Mariscal Luzuriaga Province and Antonio Raymondi Province.
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