Natural Heritage of Peru Established in 1975, the Parque Nacional Huascarán contains all the Cordillera Blanca (with the exception of the distant Nevado Champará in its extreme north), the highest range of the Peruvian Andes and the highest range in the world's tropical zone. Its total area is approximately 1300 square miles (340,000 hectares), roughly 110 miles (180 km) north-south, and an average of only 12 miles (20 kin) east-west. Within its boundaries are thirty mountains above 6000 meters (19686 ft) above sea level (fifteen are above 20,000 feet, 6096 meters), crowned by Nevado Huascarán.
The Cordillera Blanca is without questions one of the most magnificent mountain ranges in the world. And no other range combines its easy access and generally excellent climate with such an alpine wonderland of towering, ice-covered peaks. The Cordillera Blanca, the National park Huascarán, is truly a treasure of the natural heritage of Peru and the entire world, a great living outdoor museum, and the goal every year of thousands of mountain climbers, scientists, and other wilderness lovers from all around the globe.
With the exception of the pictures taken from the glaciers themselves, all the places pictured in this book are within the reach of anyone willing to make a moderate effort to visit them. Most require only two to four days, and many of the pictures were taken from roads or towns. So prepare yourself and start walking, for though the photographs reproduced here can reveal glimpses of what you will discover, they can never capture the true beauty of the Cordillera Blanca. Nor can they transmit the sensations of peace rest and refuge from the pressures of every day life you will End there.
And as you enter into this natural wonderland, consider this: Shouldn't the park be protected and preserved so that future generations can have the same privilege as we have to enjoy its remarkable beauty?...
