Located 50 km. to the southeast of the Cordillera Blanca, the Cordillera Huayhuash extends only thirty kilometers from north to south-it is little more than one long serrated ridge-yet has seven peaks above 6000 meters and seven more above 5500 meters. The highest peak by far is Yerupajá (6634), the second highest in Peru and the highest point in the vast Amazon watershed. Other major peaks include Rondoy (5879), Jirishanca (6094), Yerupajá Chico (6121, also known as El Toro), Siulá Grande (6356), Sarapo (6127), Carnicero (5975) and Trapecio (5644). None is rounded or elegant; each is all sharp angles and forbiddingly steep.
The landscape surrounding the Huayhuash tends to be wide open; there are few of the deep, narrow canyons characteristic of the Cordillera Blanca. The east side is a treeless expanse of rolling grassland, with rocky ridges reaching as high as 600 meters above the valley floors. Beautiful trout-filled turquoise lakes lie at the foot of many of the glaciers. The Huayhuash is an excellent example of high Andean ecosystems. The flora and fauna are similar to those in the Cordillera Blanca, although less disturbed and with the wide range of ecosystems concentrated in a smaller area. The lakes are home to many birds, including both migratory and resident species, and the Polylepis forests on the west side also harbor many rare, and several endemic, species (some threatened or near-threatened). Small herds of vicuñas still live in the isolated valleys of the east side. 
There are two well-established trekking routes: the walk to Laguna Jahuacocha on the west side (75-80 km. round trip, half that if the roads beyond Chiquián are open) and the magnificent 160- to 190-km circuit of the entire range. Both are quite demanding. The traditional starting point is the town of Chiquián in the southeast corner of Ancash, and now rough roads are being completed to the villages of Pacllón and Llamac, saving a very hot day's walk. The town of Cajatambo-reached by a rough winding road from the coast-is also an option for people interested in visiting the southern end of the range. It is also possible to enter or exit via the Cordillera Raura to the south or the east, although the roadend (at Laguna Surasaca) is far from the coast and major towns. People with substantial budgets can hire a vehicle to drive them along the new mining track leading from Huallanca, a town east of the Cordillera Blanca, to the northern edge of the Huayhuash, saving a day or two of walking if you don't mind the long ride. The least-known but probably most impressive gateway to the Huayhuash is from the provincial capital of Huánuco to the east, made possible by the recent completion of rough roads to Laguna Lauricocha and the village of Queropalca, which are less than a day's walk from the main circuit trail.
The western flank of the Huayhuash is currently being threatened by mining exploration above Pallca on the northern fringe of the range by Mitsui Mining and Smelting. Despite opposition from local communities located downstream from the mine site, as well as from conservation groups, Mitsui has insisted on developing the site, presenting its final environmental impact statement in February of 2002. The mining ministry has raised many objections to this EIA (which has gaping holes and numerous errors) and the future of the project remains in doubt. The exploration phase has already caused serious environmental damage both in the Llamac valley and in the magnificent Laguna Jahuacocha region. Hikers can avoid passing through the heart of the mining area by taking the Mahuay trail from Chiquián instead of going through Llamac. (The spectacular Jahuacocha-Minapata-Pallca trail is still open, at least in theory, but has become largely a walk through an industrial area.)
The government finally declared the Huayhuash a protected natural area at the end of 2002 after a difficult campaign by conservationists. This was not so much a reaction to the mining exploration as to the reduced isolation of the area due to the roads built to service the mining. Still, the future of the protected area (the category of protection and the precise boundaries have yet to be determined) is in doubt, as some of the local campesino communities do not support the idea, fearing above all they will lose grazing rights on their land (the entire territory of the range belongs to these communities) or be excluded from the economic benefits of tourism. (The protected area will not include communal land if the community remains opposed.)
Note: Several communities have announced plans to charge trekkers and climbers who pass through their territory.

by: Jim Bartle