Urus, Mountain summit in the Cordillera Blanca, Ancash, Peru.

Urus is a mountain in the Cordillera Blanca that reaches 5,495 meters and features glaciated slopes on its upper sections. The climb takes visitors through changing landscapes as altitude increases, moving from lower vegetation zones toward rocky terrain near the summit.

The mountain served as a key landmark for local communities using traditional trade routes through the Cordillera Blanca. These pathways connected Andean settlements and enabled the exchange of goods between different regions for centuries.

The name Urus also appears as Yanaraju, from Quechua yana (black) and rahu (snow, ice, snowy mountain), giving "black snow peak". The mountain stands in Huascarán National Park, and its three summits — Urus Oeste, Urus Central and Urus Este — are named by position, with Urus Este the most visited.

Visitors should prepare for high alpine terrain and bring warm clothing along with gear for snow-covered slopes. The best time to visit is during the dry season when conditions are more stable and visibility improves.

From its summit on clear days, visitors can see more than two dozen higher peaks across the region, making it an outstanding viewpoint. This surprising breadth of panoramic views reveals the scale and complexity of the surrounding mountain landscape.