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This is Peru's best-known mountain region. Only 100km from the Pacific Ocean, and 180km long, it provides a barrier between the desert coast and the wet Amazon basin. On the west side of the Cordillera Blanca the Rio Santa drains into the Pacific, while on the east side the Río Maranon drains into the Atlantic.
If you count the multi-peaked mountains, 33 peaks rise above 6,000m (19,686ft), crowned by Peru's highest peak Huascarán (6,786m). The range is an important hydrological reserve, much of the extremely arid coastal area directly to the west depends on glacier meltwater, from some of its 722 glaciers, for survival.
The glaciers are retreating and rarely extend much below 5,000m; the valleys below are grasslands, puna, usually grazed by cattle. As the range is quite narrow all the climbing and hiking areas are easily accessed from roads.
Mountaineering routes
There is a huge range of climbs available in the Cordillera Blanca, to cater for all tastes, whether you are a complete beginner looking for an introduction to mountaineering or an experienced climber in search of new challenges.
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