Cañón del Pato, Mountain canyon in Ancash Department, Peru.
Cañón del Pato is a narrow gorge carved by the Rio Santa where two major mountain ranges meet and draw remarkably close together. The vertical rock walls rise steeply on both sides, creating a dramatic passage that barely accommodates a single highway and the river simultaneously.
Construction of the highway through this passage began in 1952 and involved blasting 35 tunnels directly into the mountainside. This engineering achievement made it possible to maintain a road connection through an otherwise impassable natural barrier.
The name comes from Huallanco, a town in the area that was formerly called Patos, rather than from the Spanish word for duck. This origin is often overlooked by travelers passing through the canyon.
The road is narrow and winds through tight sections, requiring careful driving and extra time for navigation. Two-way traffic in cramped passages means drivers should remain alert and go slowly through the canyon.
Water from the Rio Santa is channeled through tunnels to power a hydroelectric facility at Huallanca that generates electricity for the region. Most travelers pass through without noticing this concealed infrastructure operating beneath the gorge.
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