Driving the Challenging AN 104 Road to Chicarhuapunta
Peru, south-america
141 km
4,289 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! You HAVE to add Chicarhuapunta to your bucket list. This insane mountain pass tops out at a dizzying 14,071 feet in the Peruvian Andes – yeah, you're gonna feel that altitude!
You'll find it deep in the Cordillera Blanca range, in the Ancash Region of western Peru.
Now, let's be real: getting there is half the battle. Carretera 104 (or AN 104, if you're feeling official) is a beast. Think narrow roads, both paved and unpaved, with zero guardrails protecting you from some seriously scary drop-offs. We're talking over 300 turns, with around 100 of those being hairpin bends. Clutch those rosaries, people!
The whole route stretches for 88 miles between Pueblo Libre and Huambacho, going from east to west.
And did I mention steep? The climb from Tocash is a leg-burner – almost 2,000 meters of elevation gain over just 32.6km. That's an average gradient of nearly 6%, but be prepared for sections that hit a whopping 12%!
But trust me, the views are worth it. The raw, untamed beauty of the Cordillera Blanca will take your breath away (if the altitude doesn't first!). Just take it slow, stay focused, and prepare for the drive of your life!
Where is it?
Driving the Challenging AN 104 Road to Chicarhuapunta is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -8.5612, -75.4355
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 141 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,289 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -8.5612, -75.4355
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