Mar 12 2023
Chimborazo Chimborazo is an inactive glacier-capped stratovolcano that last erupted around 550 A.D. It sits in Ecuador’s Cordillera Occidental Mountain Range of the Andes, southwest of the capital, Quito. Visitors can enjoy nearby rest stops and photo spots; lodging at Comunidad La Moya, Hostería La Andaluza, and Laguna Las Cochas; and grocery shopping. The Bosque Potrerillo …
Dec 25 2021
Alpamayo (Shuyturaju) It is thought that the name “Alpamayo” came from the Quechua words “allpa” and “mayu” which mean “earth” and “river,” respectively, translating to “Earth River.” But the mountain has also been called “Shuyturaju,” which translates to “Mountain with Snow,” where “shuytu” means “long” in the Ancash Quechua language and “rahu” means “snow” in …
Nov 06 2021
Licancabur This beautiful volcanic mountain is considered to be holy by the Atacameno people. Licancabur sits south of the Sairecabur volcano and west of the Juriques volcano. Licancabur Lake lies in a crater in Licancabur, making it one of the highest lakes in the world. Country: Chile, Bolivia Licancabur sits on the border between Chile …
Nov 01 2021
Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, Mount Fitz Roy) Mount Fitz Roy stands near El Chaltén village and Viedma lake, in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It is one of the most challenging mountains in the world to climb. It was named after Robert FitzRoy, captain of the HMS Beagle who charted areas of …
Nov 01 2021
Cerro Torre After Lionel Terray climbed Fitz Roy, he called Cerro Torre “an impossible mountain.” Cerro Torre stands as a staggeringly uniquely shaped, steep, jagged peak in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field of Argentina, topped with a mushroom of ice rime. There is some mystery surrounding the mountain, too. In 1959, Cesare Maestri boasted that …
Oct 28 2021
Chinchey (Rurichinchay) Chinchey is a pyramidal, prominent peak in the Cordillera Blanca range of Peru, though isolated and not climbed much. It also goes by the name of Rurichinchay, named after a nearby lake and river. Country: Peru Chinchey sits directly north of Tullparaju and southeast of Palcaraju, right in the middle of the districts …
Oct 27 2021
Chopicalqui (Chopicallqui) The word “Chopicalqui” is thought to come from the Huaylas Quechua words “Chawpi” (center) and “kallki” (ravine). Country: Peru Chopicalqui sits between the Huascarán and Contrahierbas mountains in the Yungay Province of Ancash, Peru. Mountain Range: Cordillera Blanca (White Range), Peruvian Andes Elevation: 20,846 feet / 6,354 meters First Ascent: August 3, 1932, …
Oct 26 2021
Huandoy (Tullparaju) The word “Huandoy” likely comes from the Quechua term “wantuy,” which means “to carry.” However the mountain is also referred to as “Tullparaju,” or “tullpa” and “rahu” which roughly translates to “cooking-fire” and “snow.” Country: Peru Huandoy sits in the Yungay Province of Ancash, Peru, in the Huascarán National Park. Mountain Range: Cordillera …
Oct 26 2021
Huantsán (Huantsan, Tunsho) Huantsán has four distinct peaks: Huantsán Norte (6,113 m), Huantsán (6,395 m), Huantsán Oeste (6,270 m), and Huantsán Sur (5,913 m). Country: Peru Huantsán sits on the boundary of Huaraz and Huari provinces, in Peru’s Ancash region. Mountain Range: Cordillera Blanca (White Range), Peruvian Andes Elevation: 20,896 feet / 6,369 meters First …
Oct 25 2021
Huascarán Huascarán was named for Huáscar, the Sapa Inca of a 16th-century Inca empire. The mountain has two distinct summits separated by a saddle called “Garganta.” One of the most famous hikes around the mountain includes views of the pristine Laguna 69 in Huascaran National Park. The park contains over four hundred lakes, but 69 …
