Patapampa Pass is one of the highest paved passes in the Americas

Abra Patapampa is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.879m (16,007ft) above the sea level, located in the Caylloma province of the Arequipa region, in Peru. It’s said to be one of the highest paved passes in the Americas.

Abra Patapampa

Set high in the Andes, in the southwestern part of the country, the road to the summit, also known as Abra Pata Pampa, is totally paved. It’s called 1S and 109. It’s part of the infamous road from Chivay to Arequipa.

The pass is 58.8 km (36.53 miles) long, running north-south from Chivay, a town in southern Peru's Colca Valley, to 34E road. Remember this is a mountainous area, climbing up a high mountain, with a notorius absence of oxygen. Altitude and extreme weather are always a factor. At the summit are souvenirs shops, a natural viewpoint called Mirador de los Andes and a small parking lot. The impressions at this viewpoint depend solely upon weather conditions.
The road to the summit is very steep, hitting an 8% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Watch out for sudden loose-gravel breaks, because the surface deteriorates at higher elevations. The surface is not bad, there is little traffic and the gradients are mostly gentle which means that despite its height it is a reasonably easy climb. Near the summit (south west side), a minor gravel road climbs up to 5.000m (16,404ft) above the sea level.