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

Hualcán is a mountain in the Cordillera Blanca, part of the Nevado Copa massif, reaching 6,125 m at its main summit, with a western peak of 6,104 m. Seen from the west it appears as a broad snow-covered plateau; from the east it forms a large circle of enormous walls. The two peaks are joined by a wide crest that is not particularly hard to climb.

Hualcán was first climbed in August 1939 by the German mountaineers Karl Schmid and Siegfried Rohrer, who reached the main summit by the south ridge and then crossed the easy summit crest to Hualcán West. In 2010 an ice fall from the west summit struck glacial lake 513, and the overflow lightly affected Acopampa, Pariacaca, Hualcán and Obraje in the Chucchun basin. In 2013 the glacier unit of the national water authority ANA installed the first early warning system at the lake below the mountain.

The name Hualcán comes from Ancash Quechua wallqa, meaning collar. The mountain marks the natural border between the provinces of Asunción and Carhuaz, and its summit ridge links Hualcán Oeste (6,104 m) with the main summit (6,125 m). The 2010 Carhuaz flood, caused by ice falling from the west summit into glacial lake 513, affected the villages of Acopampa, Pariacaca, Hualcán and Obraje in the Chucchun river basin.

Hualcán lies in Huascarán National Park, on the border of Asunción and Carhuaz provinces; access is from the Chucchun valley above Carhuaz. The first ascent, by Karl Schmid and Siegfried Rohrer in August 1939, went up the south ridge to the main summit and then crossed the easy summit crest to Hualcán West. Allow days for acclimatisation before climbing.

Hualcán's name may derive from the Quechua wallqa, "collar". The mountain has two summits above 6,000 m, Hualcán West (6,104 m) and Hualcán (6,125 m), joined by a broad crest that is not particularly hard to climb. In August 1939 Siegfried Rohrer and Karl Schmid made the first ascent via the south ridge, then crossed to the west summit.