Palcaraju, Mountain summit in the Cordillera Blanca, Áncash, Peru

Palcaraju rises to 6,274 meters in the Cordillera Blanca range and displays steep rock faces with permanent snow fields across its slopes. The mountain comprises three distinct peaks that create a complex alpine climbing environment.

The mountain is linked to an event in 1941, when the melting of Palcacocha Lake beneath the summit caused a catastrophic mudslide. This slide significantly affected the nearby city of Huaraz.

The name comes from Ancash Quechua Pallqa Rahu: pallqa, a high ridge linking two summits, and rahu, a snow peak. The mountain gives its name to the two lakes fed by its glaciers: Palcacocha below the south glacier and Pacllash below the north one, whose meltwater reaches the Santa river and the Pacific at Chimbote.

The mountain lies in Huascarán National Park, about 25 km northeast of Huaraz, the nearest city. The standard 1939 route starts from the north side, where the glacier descends to Pacllash Lake. The central summit has six routes rated D to ED, including the west ridge from Ishinca opened by Slovenian climbers Poljanec and Trusnovec.

The mountain holds three separate peaks with distinct characteristics that present interesting challenges to climbers. This multi-peak structure makes the terrain technically demanding for those attempting the route.