Llaca Glacier, Glacier in Huascaran National Park, Peru
Llaca Glacier is an expanse of ice in the Huascaran National Park within the Cordillera Blanca mountains. It feeds streams and rivers that flow down to supply the Andean valleys and communities below.
This glacier formed thousands of years ago as ice accumulated in the high mountains and has shifted with climate changes over time. By the mid-1900s scientists started carefully tracking its size to understand what was happening to the ice.
Local farmers in the valleys below depend on glacial melt to water their crops and fill their irrigation canals. This water source has shaped how people live and farm in these high mountain areas for centuries.
Visitors driving from Huaraz need about two hours to reach the trailhead where the hike begins. Bring warm layers and sturdy walking shoes since the high altitude and mountain weather can change quickly.
This glacier serves as a living laboratory where scientists measure how ice has shrunk over recent decades. The data collected here helps researchers worldwide understand how climate change affects mountain ice systems.
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