Located in the department of, in the mountain range of the same name, which is an extension of the Cordillera Central, since 2011 is protected as a Regional Conservation Area, its name comes from the union of the Quechua words Wayta = Flor y pállay = pick up, which would mean "Place where the flowers are collected".
Characterized by its six lagoons: Chuspicocha and Lazo Huntay that give rise to the Sullcas River which represents the most important water source of the city of Huancayo; Cocha Grande or Jatunccocha and Carhuacocha that give origin to the Yaracyacu river which passes through Pariahuanca and the Ancapuachanan and Pumacocha lagoons from which the Chiapuquio river that rises from the Pumacocha lake is born.
With a maximum altitude of 5557 meters, and a total area of 378.40 Km2, among the snow-covered brothers that it shares within this mountain range are: Yanahucsha (5,530 meters above sea level), Chuspi (5,400 meters above sea level), Anchigrande (5,350 meters above sea level), Cochas (5,315 meters above sea level). msnm), Tello (5,300 masl), Talves (5,285 masl), Pacaco (5,250 masl) and Putcacocha (5,236 masl).
In order to reach the Huaytapallana mountain range it is necessary to travel 8 hours from the city of Lima to the city of Huancayo and from there take an affirmed road to the place called Virgen de las Nieves for approximately 2 hours, there the image of the Virgin marks the beginning of the crossing at an altitude of 4000 meters, from there there are 2 itineraries, one of them reaches a refuge for climbers after 2 hours of road, after passing through the lagoons Carhuaccocha, Cocha Grande and Yanahucsca; while the other route passes through the Lazo Huntay lagoon and lasts 3 hours.
It is thought that the spirit inhabits a Huancayan ancestor called Huallallo Carhuincho, so the inhabitants of the area offer gifts to him and to the earth in order to avoid possible natural disasters, which leads us to count one of the existing legends of how the snow of Huaytapallana was formed:
Within the Andean mysticism, the god Wiracocha is considered, as the creator of the world, who after creating men and women to live on earth, distributed minor gods throughout their length to be the guardians of each place, the which would later be called Apus, so that in the lands of the Huancas the great Wiracocha would send two gods, each with unequal characteristics.
These gods were Huallallo and Pariacaca. Both during their stay fell in love with different women and had a very extended family without knowing that after a while they would be born with their children a great rivalry.
Legend has it that the firstborn of Huallallo, called Huaytapallana, was the most beautiful among all the women of the region, and because of this and to hide it from men, Huallallo planted for her a beautiful garden full of the most beautiful flowers inside from the shelter of the mountains.
For his part Pariacaca had a son whom he would call Amaru, this young man for being the son of an Apu had the power to take the form of any animal, besides this young man loved to give extensive trips in the form of various animals, this is how that one day while moving through the valleys of his father, he found his partner with whom he married and had a daughter.
However, one of the days when Amaru flew over mountains in the form of an eagle and without realizing it left the domain of his father, a garden of flowers as he had never seen before and dominated by curiosity he became a man to go into this hidden place. At the foot of the Carhuacocha lagoon was the daughter of Huallallo, Huaytapallana, a woman so beautiful that Amaru forgot everything at once and then fell madly in love with her, at the same time that this maid would also fall in love with him and it is thus that Romance, five children were born.
When Huallallo heard about this, he wanted to find out who this young man who had taken the heart of his daughter was, and asking the winds he learned that this man was the son of his rival Pariacaca, and that besides Amaru he was already married and had a daughter.
However, one of the days when Amaru flew over mountains in the form of an eagle and without realizing it left the domain of his father, a garden of flowers as he had never seen before and dominated by curiosity he became a man to go into this hidden place. At the foot of the Carhuacocha lagoon was the daughter of Huallallo, Huaytapallana, a woman so beautiful that Amaru forgot everything at once and then fell madly in love with her, at the same time that this maid would also fall in love with him and it is thus that Romance, five children were born.
When Huallallo heard about this, he wanted to find out who this young man who had taken the heart of his daughter was, and asking the winds he learned that this man was the son of his rival Pariacaca, and that besides Amaru he was already married and had a daughter.
Wounded in the depths by the adultery committed, Huallallo asked the winds to take to Amaru's ears news of his wife and daughter, remembering them Amaru became aware of everything he had done and went out in search of his family, Going through a ravine, Huallallo approached him cautiously and gave him a death blow that ended his life. That was the moment in which his father took revenge, Pariacaca to find out about the tragedy, in his pain drowned Huaytapallana in the lagoon Carhuacocha and the five children in the surrounding lagoons.
In this way between the two gods began a terrible battle - ravaging everything in its path and in which Pariacaca emerged victorious from the bloody conflagration. Huallallo realizing that his fate was cast, decided to flee to the jungle that stretched to the east, where thirsting for revenge for the death of his daughter, he became a devourer of men whom I point as guilty of their misfortune . Upon learning everything, the great Wiracocha, judged that these cruelties could not go unpunished and decided to punish those responsible, turning Pariacaca into a snowy mountain that today bears his name, while Huallallo ran the same fate, only that the mountain in the one that would become would take the name of its daughter.
It is said that only when those perpetual snows that cover them melt, can both gods be freed from that prison. However, due to the global warming that in these years melts more and more rapidly the Andes Mountain Range, it seems that this time is coming.
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