
The Mysterious Plane in the Andes: A Google Earth Mystery
Peru, south-america
N/A
5,016 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: you're deep in the Peruvian Andes, smack-dab in the Huánuco Region. We're talking serious altitude here, like 16,456 feet above sea level! There’s this gravel road snaking its way up, up, UP through insane mountain scenery in Lauricocha Province.
This isn't your Sunday drive kinda road, though. It's a private mine track, built tough for rugged mining vehicles, and it tops out near the dreamy Laguna Ninococha. Now, Google Earth might show you a ghostly plane silhouette hanging out near the lake, but don't get your hopes up for a crash site discovery. It's more likely a cool optical illusion of a plane flying overhead when the satellite image was captured.
The road itself? A beast. Unpaved, crazy steep, and strictly 4x4 territory. At that elevation, the air is thin enough to make you lightheaded and the weather can change in a heartbeat. Oh, and did I mention that heavy snow makes it totally off-limits for most of the year? But hey, if you're after an epic adventure with views that'll blow your mind, this wild ride might just be your thing!
Where is it?
The Mysterious Plane in the Andes: A Google Earth Mystery is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -8.7377, -75.4170
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Max Elevation
- 5,016 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -8.7377, -75.4170
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