Portachuelo de Llanganuco Pass

A spectacular unpaved pass in the Cordillera Blanca with fabulous mountain views. The official altitude is 4,767m.

The road is the Carretera de Yungay, or Carretera 106. Steep, tight switchbacks and gravel all the way.

The most difficult section of the road includes 28 hairpin turns with an elevation gain of 527 meters in only 8.5km.The average grade is 6.2%. It’s one of the Dangerous Roads most famous hairpinned roads in the world.

You are at very high altitude here, and altitude sickness is a real concern. Take your time going up, and if you feel bad, head down a ways immediately and rest and hydrate before trying again.

The two crystal blue lakes of Llanganuco, Chinancocha & Urconcocha are a beautiful view. From the lakes you can see the huge peaks of Huascaran, the highest mountain in Peru, and Huandoy, both towering over 6000m, asd well as Yanapaccha at 5,530m.

The pass is about 4 hours from Huaraz.

You will need to pay visitors fees at the entrance of the Parque Nacional Huascaran. At Mellisho Bridge you can walk to the lakes, 1-3 hours each way.