Cordillera Negra

Cordillera Negra, Ancash Department, Peru

From Caraz we travel the winding dirt roads into into the dry mountains of the Cordillera Negra. After crossing the Rio Santa and beginning ascent we enter a dryland forest of Armatocereus cacti, Espostoa lanata, Borzicactus fieldianus, and Acacia species. From there we pass through incredibly dense populations of Agave cordillerensis with their unusual curling inflorescences. At just over 13,000' we stop to see our first golden Oroya cacti and are delighted to find a dwarf mounding Ephedra and a beautiful Matucana cactus. Our final destination for the day is Winchus at about 14,300'; steep slopes with staggering views of the Cordillera Blanca. This is one of the few habitats for the endangered giant Puya raimondii. The largest plant in the pineapple family, upon flowering these amazing beings have been known to reach nearly 40' tall. These plants take 30 to 80 years to blossom, then die. A cursory examination of the area reveals plants of all ages, from small seedlings to the gigantic husks of recently deceased bloomers. Once more widespread, now only small populations remain, scattered throughout high elevations of Peru and Bolivia. We were told that locals have been known to burn the plants because wandering cows sometimes get stuck on the barbed leaves and perish. This was never a problem for the native camelids, conspicuous in the region by there absence. Most of the Cordillera Negra we observed has been heavily overgrazed by cows. The region is famous for its sierra cheese, surely some of the best in the world considering the native fodder, but at what cost?