The Cordillera Huayhuash is a compact, yet utterly impressive range of mountains in central Peru.  The range, which is only about 30 miles long, is often overlooked by explorers and trekkers, particularly relative to the larger and more prominent Cordillera Blanca and the trekking areas around Cuzco.  Many maps do not even show the Huayhuash range, and its compact size and remote nature keep it out of sight from the normal tourist byways.  Yet the Huayhuash is perhaps the most magnificent range in the Peruvian Andes.  It contains Peru's second highest peak and the highest summit in the Amazon watershed -- Yerupaja (21,766').  It also contains a number of lower but no less impressive summits, including the beautiful Jirishanca and the deadly Siula Grande (immortalized in Joe Simpson's book "Touching the Void").