Safety
Until the group's effective defeat in 1992 the Cordillera Huayhuash was used as a remote base by the Shining Path. On July 28, 1988, a group of Canadian and Peruvian climbers were held hostage for 12 hours after a failed assassination attempt on a group of military police. None of the climbers or police were hurt, though one Senderista was killed. In the late 1980s a party of European trekkers were robbed and ordered to return to Huaraz with the message that future intruders would be killed. The remains of a guerrilla camp can be seen near Laguna Viconga.
Two foreign trekkers are known to have been murdered in Cajatambo in August 2002, though this is thought to have been motivated by robbery. Four hikers who resisted armed robbery were shot in 2004, one dying of blood loss before rescue. Since this last incident, the local communities began to charge a "protection" fee for passing in the private properties. Since then, the area is considered generally safe.
Near the north shore of Laguna Viconga, the remains of an old Sendero Luninoso base camp can be still visited, including a shooting range, barracks and a training field.
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