Cordillera Blanca
Encyclopedia
The Cordillera Blanca (Spanish
for "White Range") is a mountain range
in the Ancash Region
of Peru
. Part of the larger Andes
range, it includes 33 major peaks over 5500 metres (18,044.6 ft) high in an area 21 kilometres (13 mi) wide and 180 kilometres (112 mi) long.
(6,768 m), is located here. Huascarán National Park
, established in 1975, encompasses almost the entire range of the Cordillera Blanca.
The 5,947 m (19,511 ft) Alpamayo
mountain was declared "World's Most Beautiful Mountain" by an international survey led by former climber Tonni Hiebler in May 1966 in Münich.
Snow melt from the Cordillera Blanca has provided Peru with its year-round water supplies, while 80% of Peru's power comes from hydroelectricity
. The area of permanent ice pack shrank by about a third between the 1970s and 2006.
There are sixteen 6000m peaks in the Cordillera Blanca with a 400m topographic prominence, and a further seventeen peaks over 5500m. Huascaran
Sur, the highest peak, has two commonly quoted heights - 6746m from the Peruvian IGM map, and 6768 from the OEAV survey map.
A selection of the Cordillera Blanca's more famous peaks are listed below.
s of the Cordillera Blanca are very important to life in the valley of the Callejon de Huaylas
. They provide water for the irrigation of the puna grassland
s and keep the main Santa river
drought
free year round. They also support the hydroelectric powerstation of Cañón del Pato
and form many attractive lagoon
s. All are over 4000m above sea level, 185 on the western slopes and 75 on the eastern.
As with all Andean glaciers, the Cordillera Blanca has witnessed a major retreat of its during the 20th century due to global climate change
. Studies have shown a retreat of over 15% since the 1970s. Some glaciers, such as the Broggi Glacier, have disappeared altogether, with many experts warning that all of the glaciers may be gone within the coming decades.
lagoon
s. Located just north of Huandoy mountain in Caraz
, it is a deep turquoise blue.
Other famous lagoons include the green-turquoise Laguna Chinancocha (female lagoon) and Laguna Orconcocha (male lagoons in the Llanganuco valley. Located in the quenoa forests at the foot of Huascarán
, they are reachable via a 25 km gravel road off the Callejon de Huaylas
highway near the re-built town of Yungay
.
Two more beautiful lagoon
s, the Laguna Santa Cruz Chica and Laguna Santa Cruz Grande, lie beneath the snow peaks of Artesonraju
and Alpamayo
. They are accessible only by trekking or horseback from Caraz
.
in the Callejon de Huaylas
, of which the 2073m above sea level Monterrey stands out for its swimming pool
s and individual and family pond
s. Bathing in its 49 °C sodium chloride
laced water is prescribed for such health conditions as rheumatism
, Anxiety
, and palsy
.
Hot springs are also found at Chancos (30 km north of Huaraz
), Chacas
, Chavín, Mancos, Pomabamba
, Andamarca, Jocos, Tablachaca, Pato, Olleros and Llaclla.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "White Range") is a mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in the Ancash Region
Ancash Region
Ancash is a region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad region on the north, the Huánuco and Pasco regions on the east, the Lima region on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Huaraz, and its largest city and port is Chimbote...
of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Part of the larger Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
range, it includes 33 major peaks over 5500 metres (18,044.6 ft) high in an area 21 kilometres (13 mi) wide and 180 kilometres (112 mi) long.
Overview
The highest mountain in Peru, HuascaránHuascarán
Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay, situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Western Andes. The highest southern summit of Huascarán is the highest point in Peru, and all the Earth's Tropics...
(6,768 m), is located here. Huascarán National Park
Huascarán National Park
Huascarán National Park is a national park in the Cordillera Blanca, a range of the Andes, in Ancash of central Peru. It was also pronounced as Natural Heritage of Humanity and recognized as Reserve of Biosphere Core. The highest mountain in Peru is located in the park...
, established in 1975, encompasses almost the entire range of the Cordillera Blanca.
The 5,947 m (19,511 ft) Alpamayo
Alpamayo
Alpamayo is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes.It is a steep , almost perfect pyramid of ice, one of a number of peaks that compose the Santa Cruz massif, the northernmost massif of the Cordillera Blanca...
mountain was declared "World's Most Beautiful Mountain" by an international survey led by former climber Tonni Hiebler in May 1966 in Münich.
Snow melt from the Cordillera Blanca has provided Peru with its year-round water supplies, while 80% of Peru's power comes from hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. The area of permanent ice pack shrank by about a third between the 1970s and 2006.
Peaks
Huascarán
Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay, situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Western Andes. The highest southern summit of Huascarán is the highest point in Peru, and all the Earth's Tropics...
Sur, the highest peak, has two commonly quoted heights - 6746m from the Peruvian IGM map, and 6768 from the OEAV survey map.
A selection of the Cordillera Blanca's more famous peaks are listed below.
| Mountain Mountain Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River... |
Elevation Summit (topography) In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation... |
|---|---|
| Huascarán Sur Huascarán Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay, situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Western Andes. The highest southern summit of Huascarán is the highest point in Peru, and all the Earth's Tropics... |
6768 m (22,204.7 ft) |
| Huascarán Norte Huascarán Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay, situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Western Andes. The highest southern summit of Huascarán is the highest point in Peru, and all the Earth's Tropics... |
6655 m (21,834 ft) |
| Huandoy Norte Huandoy Huandoy is the second-tallest peak of the Cordillera Blanca section of the Andes, after Nevado Huascarán. These two peaks are rather nearby, separated only by the Llanganuco ravine with its Lagunas Llanganuco .... |
6395 m (20,981 ft) |
| Nevado Huantsan | 6395 m (20,981 ft) |
| Chopicalqui Chopicalqui Chopicalqui is a mountain in the Cordillera Blanca in the Andes of Peru. With a summit altitude of 6,354 meters above sea level, it is one of the Cordillera Blanca's highest peaks.... |
6354 m (20,846.5 ft) |
| Copa COPA COPA may stand for:* Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet** Not to be confused with the Children's Internet Protection Act , the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act or COPA's predecessor legislation, the Communications Decency... |
6188 m (20,301.8 ft) |
| Hualcan | 6122 m (20,085.3 ft) |
| Chacraraju | 6112 m (20,052.5 ft) |
| Artesonraju Artesonraju Artesonraju is a peak in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, a part of the Peruvian Andes, is also known as Arteson. To reach the lake there is a dirt road from Caraz which climbs +2000m along 32km in about 1:40 hours. At Pueblo Paron there's a check point and a gate, where visitors must pay... |
5999 m (19,681.8 ft) |
| Alpamayo Alpamayo Alpamayo is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes.It is a steep , almost perfect pyramid of ice, one of a number of peaks that compose the Santa Cruz massif, the northernmost massif of the Cordillera Blanca... |
5947 m (19,511.2 ft) |
| Taulliraju | 5830 m (19,127.3 ft) |
| Nevado Pisco Nevado Pisco Nevado Pisco is a mountain in Peru, located in the Cordillera Blanca about 60 km north of Huaraz. Nevado Pisco was first climbed on July 12, 1951 by C. Kojan, G.Kojan, R.Leininger and M. Lenoir.... |
5752 m (18,871.4 ft) |
Glaciers
The estimated number of glaciers is 260 glacierGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s of the Cordillera Blanca are very important to life in the valley of the Callejon de Huaylas
Callejón de Huaylas
The Santa Valley is a inter-andean valley in the Ancash Region in the north-central highlands of Peru. Due to its location between two mountain ranges it is known as Callejón de Huaylas —Alley of Huaylas—, whereas Huaylas refers to the name of the territorial division's name during the Viceroyalty...
. They provide water for the irrigation of the puna grassland
Puna grassland
The Puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru, but extends south as far as northern Argentina and Chile....
s and keep the main Santa river
Santa River
The Santa River is a river in the South American Andes cordillera in the Ancash Region of northwest central Peru.-River Course:Laguna Conococha, at an altitude of 4050 m above sea level and at , is considered the headwaters of the Rio Santa. Laguna Conococha itself is fed by small streams from the...
drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
free year round. They also support the hydroelectric powerstation of Cañón del Pato
Cañón del Pato
Cañón del Pato is on the Rio Santa at the north end of the Callejón de Huaylas in north-central Peru. The mostly rocky canyon walls are too steep and arid for cultivation, and in only a few places are the slopes of the imposingly rugged canyon suitable even for grazing domestic animals...
and form many attractive lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s. All are over 4000m above sea level, 185 on the western slopes and 75 on the eastern.
As with all Andean glaciers, the Cordillera Blanca has witnessed a major retreat of its during the 20th century due to global climate change
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. Studies have shown a retreat of over 15% since the 1970s. Some glaciers, such as the Broggi Glacier, have disappeared altogether, with many experts warning that all of the glaciers may be gone within the coming decades.
Lagoons
The Laguna Parón – biggest in the Cordillera Blanca – is considered the most beautiful of all glacialGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s. Located just north of Huandoy mountain in Caraz
Caraz District
The Caraz District is one of 10 districts of the Huaylas Province in the Ancash Region of Peru. The capital of the district is the city of Caraz. It is located at 2235 msnm. In Caraz the paved road that comes from Pativilca ends....
, it is a deep turquoise blue.
Other famous lagoons include the green-turquoise Laguna Chinancocha (female lagoon) and Laguna Orconcocha (male lagoons in the Llanganuco valley. Located in the quenoa forests at the foot of Huascarán
Huascarán
Huascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay, situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Western Andes. The highest southern summit of Huascarán is the highest point in Peru, and all the Earth's Tropics...
, they are reachable via a 25 km gravel road off the Callejon de Huaylas
Callejón de Huaylas
The Santa Valley is a inter-andean valley in the Ancash Region in the north-central highlands of Peru. Due to its location between two mountain ranges it is known as Callejón de Huaylas —Alley of Huaylas—, whereas Huaylas refers to the name of the territorial division's name during the Viceroyalty...
highway near the re-built town of Yungay
Yungay, Peru
-Location:Yungay is located in the Callejón de Huaylas on Río Santa at an elevation of 2,500 m, 450 km north of Lima, the country's capital. East of the small town are the mountain ridges of snow-covered Cordillera Blanca, with Huascarán, Peru's highest mountain, no more than 15 km east...
.
Two more beautiful lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s, the Laguna Santa Cruz Chica and Laguna Santa Cruz Grande, lie beneath the snow peaks of Artesonraju
Artesonraju
Artesonraju is a peak in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, a part of the Peruvian Andes, is also known as Arteson. To reach the lake there is a dirt road from Caraz which climbs +2000m along 32km in about 1:40 hours. At Pueblo Paron there's a check point and a gate, where visitors must pay...
and Alpamayo
Alpamayo
Alpamayo is one of the most conspicuous peaks in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes.It is a steep , almost perfect pyramid of ice, one of a number of peaks that compose the Santa Cruz massif, the northernmost massif of the Cordillera Blanca...
. They are accessible only by trekking or horseback from Caraz
Caraz District
The Caraz District is one of 10 districts of the Huaylas Province in the Ancash Region of Peru. The capital of the district is the city of Caraz. It is located at 2235 msnm. In Caraz the paved road that comes from Pativilca ends....
.
Hot Springs
There are twenty-two principal hot springsHot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
in the Callejon de Huaylas
Callejón de Huaylas
The Santa Valley is a inter-andean valley in the Ancash Region in the north-central highlands of Peru. Due to its location between two mountain ranges it is known as Callejón de Huaylas —Alley of Huaylas—, whereas Huaylas refers to the name of the territorial division's name during the Viceroyalty...
, of which the 2073m above sea level Monterrey stands out for its swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s and individual and family pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s. Bathing in its 49 °C sodium chloride
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
laced water is prescribed for such health conditions as rheumatism
Rheumatology
Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
, Anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, and palsy
Palsy
In medicine, palsy is the paralysis of a body part, often accompanied by loss of sensation and by uncontrolled body movements, such as shaking. Medical conditions involving palsy include cerebral palsy , brachial palsy , and Bell's palsy ....
.
Hot springs are also found at Chancos (30 km north of Huaraz
Huaraz
Huaraz is a city in Peru. It is the capital of the Departmento de Ancash and the seat of government of the Provincia de Huaraz . The urban agglomerations population is distributed over the districts of Huaraz and Independencia. It was estimated in 2007 to exceed 120,000...
), Chacas
Chacas
San Martin de Chacas, is a city in Ancash,Perú . It is the capital of the eponymous district and province Assumption. Its urban population of 2,000 inhabitants is located at the 3336 meters. The district population has approximately 5,000 people...
, Chavín, Mancos, Pomabamba
Pomabamba
Pomabamba is a town in the Pomabamba District of the Pomabamba Province in the Ancash Region of Peru.-External links:...
, Andamarca, Jocos, Tablachaca, Pato, Olleros and Llaclla.
See also
- List of mountains in Peru
- Cordillera Oriental (Peru)
- Cordillera CentralCordillera CentralThe Cordillera Central, meaning central range in Spanish, is used to refer to several mountain ranges around the world:* Cordillera Central, Andes , several mountain ranges in South America** Cordillera Central, Colombia...