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Apu Puma Wayin
Apu Puma Wayin is a high Andean peak registered as a nature preserve on the western edge of the Cordillera Negra, in the La Merced district of Aija Province, in Peru's Ancash Region. Its name comes from Quechua — puma (cougar) and the Ancash Quechua wayi (house), with a -n suffix — meaning "the cougar's house," while apu marks it as a sacred mountain spirit in Andean belief. Rising to roughly 4,370–4,400 m, it stands among the tallest summits of this quiet stretch of the northern Andes. This is a destination for travelers drawn to the remote, snow-free ridge of the "black range" rather than the famous glaciers just across the valley. The surrounding country of villages, herding hamlets and high lakes is lightly visited by tourism, rewarding those who come with open mountainside views, stone-and-mud settlements, and a landscape little changed by outside attention. Base yourself in the small towns of Aija or La Merced, reached along the Huarmey–Recuay axis, and use them as the starting point for walks and rides up toward the peak.