Road PA-106

Carretera PA-106 is a high mountain gravel road located in the province of Pasco in Peru. The road is very rough--only try driving it in a 2wd car, if you're planning to buy a new car.

PA-106

The road links Paucartambo, on Carretera 107, at an elevation of 2.037m above the sea level and Ninacaca, on Carretera 3N, at an elevation of 4.140m above the sea level. The road is gravel and very steep. The zone is prone to heavy mist and can be dangerous in low visibility conditions. Do not travel this road in severe weather conditions. The climb is simply terrible, with a notorius lack of oxygen that tests the organisms and a high degree of steepness. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters. Oxygen is in short supply. The road is 79km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 2.103m. The average gradient is 2.6% but some sections are up to 10%. The drive includes several unlit tunnels and a couple of high mountain lakes. It’s pretty narrow. Avalanches, heavy snowfalls and landslides can occur anytime, being extremely dangerous due to frequent patches of ice. The surface on this gravel road is often loose, especially along the sides of the road. This track can get very muddy and slippery after rain making it challenging to get through. During and after a storm the road may be impassable, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle.