Chacraraju, Mountain peak in Cordillera Blanca, Peru

Chacraraju is a mountain in the Cordillera Blanca with two summits: Chacraraju Oeste at 6,108 metres and Chacraraju Este at 6,001 metres. Its upper faces are fluted snow and ice cut by near-vertical rock bands, with a broad saddle between the peaks and heavily crevassed ice at the base.

A French expedition led by Lionel Terray made the first ascent of Chacraraju Oeste on 31 July 1956, via the north face and northeast ridge. The higher east summit followed on 5 August 1962, climbed by René Dubost, Paul Gendre, Guido Magnone, Jacques Soubis and Terray. These lines became the normal routes on a mountain regarded as the hardest six-thousander in the Andes.

The name comes from Quechua: chakra, a sown field, and rahu, snow or ice-covered mountain, so Chacraraju means "snow mountain that looks cultivated" — its fluted snow and dark rock bands resemble furrowed fields. The mountain lies within Huascarán National Park.

Climbers need specialized ice climbing gear and should spend several days acclimatizing in nearby Huaraz before attempting the ascent. The dry season offers the most stable conditions for approaching and scaling the mountain.

Chacraraju's Quechua name means "snow mountain that looks cultivated" or "furrowed snow", from chakra (field sown with seed) and rahu (snow, ice). The two summits were climbed by French expeditions led by Lionel Terray: the west on 31 July 1956, the east on 5 August 1962. Australian climber Greg Mortimer was badly injured in a later attempt.