Cordillera Blanca

Though I’d like to paint a visual picture of the dazzling surroundings in this area there is a reason that some people get paid to write guide books, so for this I’ll defer to Lonely Planet Peru:

“The mountainous region of the Cordillera Blanca is where superlatives crash and burn in a brave attempt to capture the beauty of the place.  A South American mecca for worshippers of outdoor adventure, this is one of the pre-eminent hiking, trekking and backpacking spots on the continent.  Every which way you throw your gaze, perennially glaciered white peaks razor their way through expansive mantles of lime-green valleys.  In the recesses of these prodigious giants huddle scores of pristine jade lakes, ice caves and torrid springs.  This is the highest mountain range in the world outside the Himalayas, and its 22 ostentatious summits of more than 6000m will not let you forget it for a second”