Peru's
Cordillera Blanca is the highest
tropical mountain range in the world. More than 70 summits top 18,000 feet.
Huascarán (22,204'), Peru's highest peak and the second highest in the Americas, is the king of this range. It is surrounded by dozens of fantastically shaped fluted ice-peaks, including
Alpamayo, a pyramid that has been called the world's most beautiful mountain.
The
glaciers of this range are the largest in the tropics, but the mild climate allows for
T-shirt hiking.
The Cordillera Blanca is a climber's Mecca, and has been described as the South American Alps.