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27-498: It originates in the Cordillera Blanca southwest of Taulliraju , near a lake named Tawlliqucha . It flows from northeast to southwest through lakes Jatuncocha and Ichiccocha and passing by the village of Llamacorral, flanked by the mountains Pucajirca , Quitaraju and Santa Cruz in the north and by Sintiru , Artesonraju and Caraz in the south. Southwest of Santa Cruz, near the village of Cashapampa, it turns to

54-773: A hydro-electrical plant located in the Santa River valley. The area of permanent ice cover shrank by about a third between the 1970s and 2006. The Cordillera Blanca is the most extensive tropical ice-covered mountain range in the world and has the largest concentration of ice in Peru. It is part of the Cordillera Occidental (the westernmost part of the Peruvian Andes), and trends in a northwesterly direction for 200 km between 8°08' and 9°58'S of latitude and 77°00' and 77°52' W of longitude. It has five of

81-480: A major retreat of its glaciers during the 20th century due to global climate change . Studies have shown a retreat of over 15% since the 1970s. Based on analysis of satellite imagery, in 2003 there were 485 glaciers left, covering an area of 569.6 km . Among the most important lakes in the range are the Llanganuco Lakes , which are located on the northern side of Huascarán , and are accessible from

108-561: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cordillera Blanca The Cordillera Blanca (Spanish for "white range") is a mountain range in Peru that is part of the larger Andes range and extends for 200 kilometres (124 mi) between 8°08' and 9°58'S and 77°00' and 77°52'W, in a northwesterly direction. It includes several peaks over 6,000 metres (19,690 ft) high and 722 individual glaciers. The highest mountain in Peru, Huascarán , at 6,768 metres (22,205 ft) high,

135-624: Is located there. The Cordillera Blanca lies in the Ancash region and runs parallel to the Santa River valley (also called Callejón de Huaylas in its upper and midsections) on the west. Huascarán National Park , established in 1975, encompasses almost the entire range of the Cordillera Blanca. Snowmelt from the Cordillera Blanca provides part of northern Peru with its year-round water supply, while 5% of Peru's power comes from

162-455: Is merely a contraction of Huashco-Urán. When the mountain was mentioned, it was thought of in connection with the village and was called Huashco-Urán or “Beyond and down from the village of Huashco.” Other names given to the mountain were Matarao and Mataraju, Mataraju being the name by which the local indigenous inhabitants prefer to call the mountain, from Ancash Quechua mata (twin) and rahu (snow peak), meaning 'twin snow peaks'. Huascarán

189-488: Is somewhat disputed. In 1989, a group of eight amateur mountaineers, the "Social Climbers", held what was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records (1990 edition) to be "the world's highest dinner party" on top of the mountain, as documented by Chris Darwin and John Amy in their book The Social Climbers , and raised £ 10,000 for charity. Apart from the normal route, climbed in 1908 and rated PD+/AD-, all

216-473: Is the highest point in Peru , the northern Andes (north of Lake Titicaca ), and in all of the earth's Tropics . Huascarán is the 4th highest mountain in South America after Aconcagua , Ojos del Salado , and Monte Pissis . Huascarán is ranked 25th by topographic isolation . Until the 20th century, the mountain lacked a single commonly accepted name but it was rather known by different names within

243-467: The Andean condor , the torrent duck , the puna tinamou , the brown pintail , the Andean crested duck , the white-tufted grebe , the giant coot , and the Andean gull . Among the mammals reported in the same area are the colocolo , the Andean mountain cat , the spectacled bear , the taruca deer , the vicuña , the white-tailed deer , the puma , the northern viscacha , the long-tailed weasel ,

270-507: The hog-nosed skunk , and the Andean fox . Hu%C3%A1scar%C3%A1n Huascarán ( Spanish pronunciation: [waskaˈɾan] ) ( Quechua : Waskaran ), Nevado Huascarán or Mataraju is a mountain located in Yungay Province , Department of Ancash , Peru . It is situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the western Andes . The southern summit of Huascarán (Huascarán Sur), which reaches 6,768 metres (22,205 ft),

297-590: The Cordillera Blanca with a 400 m topographic prominence , and several other peaks over 5,500 m. Huascarán Sur, the highest, has two commonly quoted heights: 6,746 m from the Peruvian National Geographic Institute (IGN) map and 6,768 m from the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) survey map. Some of the highest peaks in the Cordillera Blanca are listed below. Among the most important hot springs in

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324-516: The Cordillera Blanca, consists of Cenozoic granite . Huascarán gives its name to Huascarán National Park which surrounds it, and is a popular location for trekking and mountaineering . The Huascarán summit is one of the points on the Earth's surface farthest from the Earth's center, closely behind the farthest point, Chimborazo in Ecuador . The summit of Huascarán is the place on Earth with

351-428: The area are Monterrey and Chancos, which have been transformed into thermal bath facilities. They are 7 and 27 km respectively from the regional capital, Huaraz . The dry season extends from May through September, June and July having the least rain and more stable weather. The data on the chart correspond to the village of Musho (elevation: 3084 m), located at the foot of Huascarán. Flora and fauna in

378-664: The conditions of the mountain) according to the International French Adjectival System . On July 20, 2016, nine climbers were caught in an avalanche on Huascarán's normal route at approximately 5,800 m (19,000 ft), four of whom died. On July 9th, 2024, it was reported that the body of William Stampfl, an American mountaineer, had been found 22 years after he disappeared in an avalanche in June 2002. The body of one of Stampfl's climbing companions had previously been recovered. A third member of

405-441: The divinity decided to bring them together so that despite their being mountains they continued with their love. The mountain has two distinct summits, the higher being the south one (Huascarán Sur) with an elevation of 6,768 metres (22,205 ft). The north summit (Huascarán Norte) has an elevation of 6,654 meters (21,831 ft). The two summits are separated by a saddle (called 'Garganta'). The core of Huascarán, like much of

432-403: The group is still unaccounted for. The summit of Huascarán Sur was first reached on 20 July 1932 by a joint German – Austrian expedition. The team followed what would become later the normal route (named today Garganta route). The north peak (Huascarán Norte) had previously been climbed on 2 September 1908 by a U.S. expedition that included Annie Smith Peck , though this first ascent

459-742: The most spectacular peaks above 6,000 m in the Peruvian Andes; the highest peak, Huascarán , rises to an elevation of 6,768 m above sea level. The Cordillera Blanca also acts as a continental divide: the Santa River on the west drains into the Pacific Ocean, whereas the Marañón River on the east drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Until the 1990s a total of 722 individual glaciers were recognized in this mountain range, covering an area of 723.4 km . Most were on

486-474: The northwest and then joins the Santa River near the villages of Colcas and Pacamayo, 140 km before the Santa River reaches the Pacific Ocean . The toponymy Yuraqmayu is of Quechua origin, possibly meaning: yuraq white, mayu river, "white river". This Ancash Region geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Peru

513-599: The other routes are committing and serious. As for the South summit, apart from the normal route all the others are difficult. On 31 May 1970, the Ancash earthquake caused a substantial part of the north side of the mountain to collapse in an avalanche with an estimated 80 million cubic metres (2.8 billion cubic feet) of ice, mud and rock, measured about 0.8 by 1.6 kilometres (0.5 mi × 1 mi). It advanced about 18 km (11 mi) at an average speed of 280 to 335 km/h (175 to 210 mph), burying

540-453: The range have adapted to the climate and elevational range of mountainous areas. Almost all of the Cordillera Blanca is protected by Huascarán National Park . The main types of plant communities present in the area are the vegetation of inter-Andean valleys (xerophytic plants in the lower elevations and shrubs and grassland at the higher elevations) and high-altitude vegetation (Puna grasslands and patches of high Andean forest). Plants in

567-796: The range have adapted to the intense solar radiation, low temperatures, and water availability. Most plant species have pubescent leaves, an adaptation that protects the plants from water loss due to the intense solar radiation and low nighttime temperatures of the mountain climate. Examples of typical vegetation of this area include Polylepis racemosa , Escallonia resinosa , Alnus acuminata , Senna birostris, Vallea stipularis , Lupinus spp ., Vaccinium floribundum , Puya raimondii , Calamagrostis vicunarum, Festuca dolichophylla , Jarava ichu , Azorella spp., and Ranunculus macropetalus . More than 120 bird species have been reported in Huascarán National Park. The most notable include

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594-449: The smallest gravitational force , with an estimated acceleration of 9.76392 m/s . Huascarán is normally climbed from the village of Musho to the west via a high camp in the col that separates the two summits, known as La Garganta. The ascent normally takes five to seven days, the main difficulties being the large crevasses that often block the route. The normal route is of moderate difficulty and rated between PD and AD (depending on

621-470: The surrounding towns and villages. The first recorded mention of the name Huascaran appeared in 1850 as Huascan, name given by the local people likely because the mountain rises above the village of Huashco, Huashco getting its name from the Quechua word for rope (waska). At the beginning of the 20th century, the name appeared as Huascarán, a form which has not since changed. It seems that the name Huascarán

648-575: The town of Yungay ; the deep-turquoise Lake Parón (the biggest lake in the Cordillera Blanca), located just north of Huandoy , accessible from the town of Caraz ; Lakes Ichiccocha and Jatuncocha , which are near Artesonraju and Alpamayo and are accessible only by trekking or on horseback from Caraz . Some other notable lakes are Lake 69 , Lake Allicocha , Lake Auquiscocha , Lake Palcacocha , Lake Querococha , and Lake Conococha . There are several 6,000 m peaks in

675-520: The towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca under ice and rock, killing more than 20,000 people. At least 20,000 people were also killed in Huaraz , site of a 1941 avalanche (see Palcacocha Lake ). Estimates suggest that the earthquake killed over 66,000 people. The final toll was 67,000 dead and 800,000 homeless, making this the worst earthquake-induced disaster in the Western Hemisphere until

702-431: The western side of the range, where 530 glaciers covered an area of 507.5 km , while on the eastern side 192 glaciers covered an area of 215.9 km . Most of the glaciers, 91% of the total, were classified as mountain glaciers (they are generally short and have extremely steep slopes); the rest were classified as valley glaciers, except for one ice cap. Like all Andean glaciers, the Cordillera Blanca has witnessed

729-507: Was a noble man who lived in a certain place in Áncash , while Huandoy was a woman who lived in a small town very close to where this mountain is now. Huascarán was enormously in love with the girl, so they always saw each other secretly. One day Huascarán's father found out that he was in love with the little woman, so he asked the Sun God for help. Seeing that he could not separate the two lovers, he decided to turn them into mountains , but

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