Cordillera Blanca Mountains

The Cordillera Blanca is a high Andean mountain range in Peru’s Ancash region and is noted as the highest tropical mountain range in the world. It contains many high, glaciated peaks and forms the central backbone of Huascarán National Park.

The range attracts mountaineers, trekkers and scientific teams for its concentrated collection of high peaks and glaciers. Key objectives include long multi-day treks such as the Santa Cruz valley and technical climbs on peaks like Huascarán and Alpamayo.

The Cordillera Blanca runs through the Ancash highlands and lies roughly 300-400 km north of Lima by road; the regional city of Huaraz is the main access point for park entry and mountain operations.

• Tropical glaciers: Considered the world’s highest tropical mountain range and supports extensive tropical glaciers that have been retreating in recent decades.

What to See#

• Huascarán and glaciated peaks: Includes the Huascarán massif and many smaller peaks and glacier-fed valleys; the range contains some of the highest tropical glaciers in the world.
• Huascarán National Park: Serves as the core of Huascarán National Park, which protects high-Andean ecosystems, glacial landscapes and traditional mountain communities.

• Visit the Cordillera Blanca during the dry season (May-September) and use Huaraz as your base-most treks, guides and transport originate there.
• Buy your Huascarán National Park entry/permits and register with park authorities or your guide before heading into multi-day treks; checkpoints and fees are enforced for many valley access points.
• Beat crowds on the most popular day hikes (Laguna 69, the lower Santa Cruz stages) by leaving pre-dawn or by hiking popular sections in the late afternoon; overnighting closer to trailheads spreads visitors over more hours.
• Hire locally based guides and porters for multi-day routes-not only do they know safe high-altitude route choices, but using them supports the regional mountain economy and improves logistics.