Cordillera Huayhuash

Huayhuash
View of the range with Yerupajá in the center
Highest point
Peak	Yerupajá
Elevation	6,635 m (21,768 ft)
Dimensions
Length	30 km (19 mi) N-S
Geography
Country	Peru
State/Province	Áncash, Huánuco, Lima
Range coordinates	10°18′S 76°54′W / 10.3°S 76.9°W / -10.3; -76.9Coordinates: 10°18′S 76°54′W / 10.3°S 76.9°W / -10.3; -76.9
Parent range	Andes

The Cordillera Huayhuash (possibly from Quechua waywash weasel) is a mountain range within the Andes of Peru, in the boundaries of the regions of Ancash, Lima and Huánuco. Since 2002 it is protected within the Cordillera Huayhuash Reserved Zone.

The Huayhuash range is 30 km long north to south and includes seven peaks over 6000 m including Yerupajá which, at 6,617 metres (21,709 ft), is the second highest peak in Peru. Another notable peak, Siula (6,344 m) was made famous by mountaineer Joe Simpson in his book Touching the Void. Unlike neighboring Cordillera Blanca, Huayhuash doesn't possess broad valleys and mountain passes are higher.

There are many lesser peaks surrounding those covered by ice, and several passes exceeding 5,000 m. It is necessary to travel a considerable distance from the central range to find ground lower than 3,000 m, even on valley floors, and the range is often taken to include this much larger area. The vegetated areas of the range are part of the Central Andean wet puna ecoregion

The area is barely populated at all, with what hamlets there are being very small and generally only found below 4000 m (the snowline is found at approximately 4,800 m). The nearest villages are Chiquián (3,400 m) and Cajatambo (3,375 m). Some mining takes place in the area, so to the north of the mountains there is an unsurfaced road leading up to as high as 4750 m. In 2002 the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture declared the Huayhuash mountain range a "reserved zone" and prohibited certain economic activities, including any future mining.

A selection of the highest peaks of the Huayhuash range is listed below.

The range has become noted for trekking in the form of the Huayhuash Circuit which is considered quite a challenge and is undoubtedly far more demanding than the famous Inca Trail in the south of Peru. Fewer people trek the Cordillera Huayhuash than the nearby Cordillera Blanca. The circuit generally takes between ten and fourteen days, depending on the route taken.